Exploding Gene Myth CL

Harvard biologist Hubbard and freelance writer Wald are leading critics of ``the myth of the all-powerful gene.'' In a hard-hitting critique of genetic determinism and biotechnology, they attack scientists who cite DNA sequences as the presumed basis for a genetic tendency to cancer, high blood pressure, alcoholism and criminal behavior. Such researchers are guilty of leaps of faith and logic, charge the authors. Arguing that genetic screening tests may increase discrimination against people with perceived shortcomings, Hubbard and Wald criticize the Human Genome Project, whose goal is to map the entire sequence of the three billion DNA and RNA subunits that make up our genes. Claims that this project will lead to cures for a wide range of diseases are unfounded, contend the authors. They demonstrate that DNA matching or ``fingerprinting,'' touted by criminal prosecutors as a foolproof forensic tool, is actually fallible. Their expose of the fallacies and pitfalls of genetic testing in schools, the workplace, and by doctors and insurance companies makes this an important handbook. (May)