Remaking Eden: How Genetic Engineering and Cloning Will Transform the American Family (Ecco)

Could a child have two genetic mothers? Will parents someday soon be able to choose not only the physical characteristics of their children-to-be, but their personalities and talents as well? Will genetic enhancement ultimately lead to a split in the human species?

In this brilliant, provocative, and necessary book, Lee M. Silver takes a cautiously optimistic look at the scientific advances that will allow us to engineer life in ways that were unimaginable just a few short years ago—indeed, in ways that go far beyond cloning. In clear, engaging, and accessible prose, Silver demystifies the science behind a myriad of thrilling and frightening new possibilities, in a book that is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the hopes and dilemmas of the American family in the twenty-first century.

The book is excellent, for the author gives brilliant arguments both supporting genetic technologies and countering many that don't. In addition, the author discusses possibilities in reproductive technologies that may be unknown to a reader, like myself, who is not an expert in embryology. For example, he discusses the occurrence (although rare) of natural-born chimeric human beings, who arose from the fusion of two embryos that resulted from the fertilization of two eggs that had been ovulated simultaneously by their mother. Another example discussed is the possibility of a fertilized egg winding up in the peritoneal cavity (in the abdomen essentially). This example was discussed in the context of whether indeed a man could carry a pregnancy.

Some of the other interesting arguments and discussions in the book include: 1. When addressing the assertion that it is unfair for only the wealthy to take advantage of genetic technologies for enhancing their progeny, the author agrees that it is, but he then states correctly that a society that accepts the right of wealthy parents to provide their children with a top-notch private education cannot use "unfairness" as a reason for denying the use of genetic technologies. 2. His discussion of the status of the embryo as human life, which he argues, brilliantly, is not. "If a human life can begin in the absence of conception" he says, "then it is scientifically invalid to say that conception must mark the beginning of each human life. It is as simple as that". 3. The discussion of the history of in vitro fertilization, the ethical issues surrounding it, and the technologies needed to bring it about. The author regards IVF as a pivotal point in history, in which humans took charge of their reproductive destiny. 4. The discussion of cloning, elaborating naturally on the cloning of Dolly the sheep. He states that the cloning of Dolly "broke the technological barrier" and that there is "no reason to expect that the technology couldn't be transferred to human cells." Recent experiments in the last few months however have cast doubt on the ability to do cloning of primates, and so human cloning could therefore be problematic. The author though counters very successfully the arguments against the practice of human cloning.

The author has a refreshing optimism throughout the book, and he remains confident in the human ability to both understand the world and change it with proven and safe technologies. In light of the completion of the mapping of the human genome, his optimism is certainly justified. The technologies discussed in this book, coupled with the information obtained from the complete human genome, promise an incredibly interesting future for biology. Both the author and the individuals behind the human genome project are excellent examples of the ingenuity and mental discipline of the human species.


Scary science by a scary man?   July 31, 1999
10 out of 13 found this review helpful

I read the hardcover version when it came out and have been disturbed by it ever since. I am not a religious zealot and believe, or rather hope, that I'm not narrow minded. (I believe in evolution, I have a Ph.D. in engineering, etc.) But while reading the book, I sometimes gazed at the photo of the author on the dust jacket and saw a man in the prime of life, talented in every way, successful in every way, honored academically and professionally ... and he describes in his book how he wants, expects, to play God. I recommend the book highly because it made me think and it has stayed with me ever since. Still, I am frankly frightened by his vision. He and his research can do so much good, let's hope that he knows the difference between good and evil. Strong and melodramatic words on my part, by they're heartfelt. In any event, read the book.


Human Genetic Engineering   February 3, 2005
I found this book exceptionally delightful. The author's views are extremely solid and he does not, through out the course of the book, waver in his judgment. I especially enjoyed his conclusion. All in all, this book is very well thought out.


It was an awesome book   August 21, 2005
The Misses living somewhere, anywhere in the U.S. (Baltimore MD USA)
I find it very interesting reading. Lee Silver brought the complexities of the reprogentic labs to the grasp of the layman. It projects into the future of reproduction and it looks like the American society one day will finally come to accept cloning as an option, though expensive.