Moments of Truth in Genetic Medicine

An important contribution to our understanding of the making of the future of medicine, not just substantively, but methodologically as well.

Provocative and thoughtful... An important and interesting exploration of post–World War II genetics and its impact on the current revolution in genetics and biology.

Lindee argues that the production of scientific knowledge is a community project involving not just researchers, but also research subjects, patients and their families... The resulting insight into the structure and organization of contemporary biomedicine is one of the chief contributions of this original and important new book.

Moments of Truth in Genetic Medicine opens up an important area of contemporary biomedicine, the 'genetization' of disease, to historical scrutiny, looking for decisive turning points far beyond the narrow confines of molecular genetics. Written in a highly accessible style, it will be of interest to anyone concerned with the making of biomedical knowledge, genetic and otherwise.

A fascinating and thorough job of summarizing the emergence of human genetics from an almost totally ignored discipline to its current position as one of the most high-profile biomedical and societal endeavors.

Thoughtful book... Raises novel issues about the rise of genetic knowledge and formulates questions and strategies that are critical to understanding both the past and future of genetic medicine.

A 'must' for any health library concerned with health history, particularly at the college level.

A highly readable, fascinating analysis of a trend in medicine whose velocity is dizzyingly rapid. Beautifully written and full of creative insight into the research and discovery process. A great story.

An invaluable history of the late twentieth century's new medical genetics. With a historian's sense of perspective and a sociologist's sense of discipline and structure, Lindee has written what will become an indispensable introduction to an increasingly central aspect of contemporary medicine—and society.