Review by Adaokoye -- The New Eugenics by Conrad B. Quintyn
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Review by Adaokoye -- The New Eugenics by Conrad B. Quintyn
[Following is a volunteer review of "The New Eugenics" by Conrad B. Quintyn.]
Are we just executing Hitler’s fantasies? Conrad B. Quintyn, in this book, tells the story of the evolution of the field of Eugenics, establishing parallels and dichotomies between the so-called new Eugenics and the old Eugenics in an attempt to find out where exactly we draw the line. In 15 essays, he shines a light on holes, potential or existing, poked in the fabric of reality the majority of us are used to by the application of the advances in the field. With irreverent questions, philosophical monologues, science, references to works of art, and historical events, CB Quintyn analyses their holistic significance. In some chapters he employs one tool more than the others, but all to the same end – a warning.
CB Quintyn achieves a lot in The New Eugenics – He takes an analytic look at the cultural norms of the scientific community; with respect to ethics, practices and credits, demystifying a practice whose idealized purpose is demystification itself, through an incorruptible pursuit of reproducible truth. He establishes, just like an ecologist, an interaction between the field, and the minutia that make up our society, “Put simply, science does not occur in a vacuum; it interacts with the greater culture, both shaping and being shaped by public perceptions.” It’s a piece of cake to guess what side of the fence the author stands; ‘“… I wanted to find out exactly who was in charge, whether it was god himself or whether it was scientists in the laboratory.’ Edwards’s conclusion? ‘It was us.’ Edwards’s statement is frightening, and it is one of the key motivations for this book.’ However, he can’t be said to have turned a blind eye to the other side, screaming “the sky is falling!”. This is an homage to the scientific method and discovery, warts and all – lethargic, multifactorial, and fortuitous. “Some of the most important discoveries in science begin with a specific research path that randomly follows other serendipitous paths until a scientist accidentally discovers something.”
The book is not without its faults. A mental barrier to appreciating the contents of this book might be the albeit self-aware, but nonetheless condescending manner, in which CB Quintyn refers to some of the actors in his story - the scientists on a tunnel-vision quest for cure and glory, “It is probably not fair… most scientists are honorable men and women working very hard to help humankind and obtain some fame and fortune in the process.” Or the quasi-ignorant public battling crippling panphobia, “The gut reaction of the general public to the suggestion of mixing human and animal material has been fear and disgust. Obviously, most lay members of the public have not been aware that mixing human and animal genetic material has been going on since the 1970s”. While these may be honest, they may come off as accusatory. The inconsistency of the proportion of tools used in the different chapters threatens the cohesion of the book - in chapters 5 and 6, the comparatively (to both earlier and later chapters) text book-like focus on the technical basis of the CRISPR/cas9 system is jarring, and does little to further the delivering of the answers promised by the book.
I’ll give this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. I did not give it 2 stars because it is a well written, well edited book with a central message that was delivered successfully. I did not give it a 4 star rating because of the inconsistent structure.
I think this book will be appreciated by enthusiasts of, and experts in the field. I also recommend it be read by scientists in other fields, as a lot of the messages in this book apply to the entire scientific community.
******
The New Eugenics
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Are we just executing Hitler’s fantasies? Conrad B. Quintyn, in this book, tells the story of the evolution of the field of Eugenics, establishing parallels and dichotomies between the so-called new Eugenics and the old Eugenics in an attempt to find out where exactly we draw the line. In 15 essays, he shines a light on holes, potential or existing, poked in the fabric of reality the majority of us are used to by the application of the advances in the field. With irreverent questions, philosophical monologues, science, references to works of art, and historical events, CB Quintyn analyses their holistic significance. In some chapters he employs one tool more than the others, but all to the same end – a warning.
CB Quintyn achieves a lot in The New Eugenics – He takes an analytic look at the cultural norms of the scientific community; with respect to ethics, practices and credits, demystifying a practice whose idealized purpose is demystification itself, through an incorruptible pursuit of reproducible truth. He establishes, just like an ecologist, an interaction between the field, and the minutia that make up our society, “Put simply, science does not occur in a vacuum; it interacts with the greater culture, both shaping and being shaped by public perceptions.” It’s a piece of cake to guess what side of the fence the author stands; ‘“… I wanted to find out exactly who was in charge, whether it was god himself or whether it was scientists in the laboratory.’ Edwards’s conclusion? ‘It was us.’ Edwards’s statement is frightening, and it is one of the key motivations for this book.’ However, he can’t be said to have turned a blind eye to the other side, screaming “the sky is falling!”. This is an homage to the scientific method and discovery, warts and all – lethargic, multifactorial, and fortuitous. “Some of the most important discoveries in science begin with a specific research path that randomly follows other serendipitous paths until a scientist accidentally discovers something.”
The book is not without its faults. A mental barrier to appreciating the contents of this book might be the albeit self-aware, but nonetheless condescending manner, in which CB Quintyn refers to some of the actors in his story - the scientists on a tunnel-vision quest for cure and glory, “It is probably not fair… most scientists are honorable men and women working very hard to help humankind and obtain some fame and fortune in the process.” Or the quasi-ignorant public battling crippling panphobia, “The gut reaction of the general public to the suggestion of mixing human and animal material has been fear and disgust. Obviously, most lay members of the public have not been aware that mixing human and animal genetic material has been going on since the 1970s”. While these may be honest, they may come off as accusatory. The inconsistency of the proportion of tools used in the different chapters threatens the cohesion of the book - in chapters 5 and 6, the comparatively (to both earlier and later chapters) text book-like focus on the technical basis of the CRISPR/cas9 system is jarring, and does little to further the delivering of the answers promised by the book.
I’ll give this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. I did not give it 2 stars because it is a well written, well edited book with a central message that was delivered successfully. I did not give it a 4 star rating because of the inconsistent structure.
I think this book will be appreciated by enthusiasts of, and experts in the field. I also recommend it be read by scientists in other fields, as a lot of the messages in this book apply to the entire scientific community.
******
The New Eugenics
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Real Mr. Big by Ron Chepesiuk with Jesus Ruiz Henao
