Dimensions
127 x 197 x 21mm
First debated by the Ancient Greeks, developed in the nineteenth century and abused in the twentieth, the science of eugenics is fast becoming a trademark of the modern world.
In the US some parents are already choosing the gender of their unborn children. It is now possible to spot whether embryos possess 'unwanted' genes which can then be discarded without terminating pregnancy. Genetic markers can be used in childhood to predict the likelihood of contracting common diseases later in life.
Are these developments good or bad? How can they be monitored and regulated? Is the emergence of a genetic underclass a reality?
David Galton argues that, despite the appalling past history of eugenics and the spectre of discrimination on genetic grounds, the new technologies are here to stay. Written with clarity and verve, Eugenics is a wonderfully lucid assessment of the history, science and ethics of this changing world.
