The Mutant Project: Inside the Global Race to Genetically Modify Humans

Anthropology professor Kirksey (Emergent Ecologies) explores the social impact of gene editing in this unfortunately lackluster treatise. He begins with controversial Chinese scientist Jiankui He, who, in 2018, used CRISPR technology to alter two human embryos’ DNA, and then looks into the field’s ethical questions. These include it being too expensive for more than a small global elite to access, and the prospect of genetic traits being eliminated from embryos for spurious as well as valid reasons. To illustrate these concerns, Kirksey introduces intriguing characters, including a DIYer who tried to cure himself of HIV and “disrupt the business model of big biotech companies” he sees as contributing to gene therapy’s high costs, and an Indonesian artist who created a CRISPR-inspired art installation to investigate the uncertain “place for brown and Black babies” in a color-conscious world where fetus skin color could be changed at will. However, Kirksey’s discussions of the affordability problem yield no convincing solutions, and he has a habit of repeatedly refers to one person or another as a “white guy,” striking an odd note. Those looking for an in-depth analysis of the possibilities and dilemmas of gene editing will be disappointed. (Nov.)