I have no medical background but I found this book so informative and fascinating. From the deep dive into the history of genomics to the anecdotes of genomics and gene therapy changing lives, I found myself telling people about different parts of the book as I read. The author does a great job of breaking down some of the concepts down and I used his analogy of the cost of the Ferrari multiple times when explaining to people what I was reading. I highly suggest this for anyone with an interest in science even if that isn’t your background.

I started and stopped this book several times. It was at times enjoyable, as I the patient stories, and at other times so difficult to understand the technical side of things. I'm sure for those with an avid interest in the subject it would be fascinating. For me? It was interesting but too technical.

Thank you Netgalley fir the ebook.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher and author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. Very informative. I loved the patient stories that provide back up for all the science. It made me think hard about the ways medicine is practiced, how we take too much for granted and how science deniers are totally unaware of what life would be like without these medical breakthroughs.

Such an interesting subject, and I really enjoyed the medical mysteries and patient stories. The science was explained well for a layperson. The book got bogged down at times with lots of names and institutions--while it's an important acknowledgement, it got in the way of the narrative, and there were already extensive notes in the back. People were introduced by name, institution, specialty, and a personal attribute to humanize them. It began to feel really formulaic and clunky in the last part of the book. It's the reason I hesitate to purchase it for my very small public library. It does a good job bringing the overview of scientific developments all the way up to the present. Rather than a recitation at the end, I wanted more stories.

This was a great resource about the human genome! As a biology teacher this would be a great resource to tap into during the genetics unit. Highly recommended!

I am fascinated by all things genetics and biological sciences and this book really drew me in and entered me into a fascinating world of the human genome. In this book, the author goes into detail about the science of the human genome, the advancements that are being made, and also shares personal stories from his life and gives it a more relatable tone to the reader. I do think that the book may be a bit heavy in context for some readers, however, for those who enjoy a science heavy nonfiction, this book really hits the spot. I really enjoyed it, though I still found the need to read smaller sections at a time and really ponder those insights before moving on to really grasp all of the information. I highly recommend reading this book with the mindset of it taking awhile so that you can read it slowly and not be frustrated by that. It is amazing how far the field has come, even in the last decade, and this book really highlights how important these advancements have been!

This book is fascinating though a little too scientific for me at times, it is easy to read and covers the subject thoroughly

The human genome has been fully sequenced, and the cost of doing so for any given person is decreasing rapidly. But what to do with that large amount of information? This is where Dr. Ashley steps in. He and a team of researchers at Stanford worked to analyze the medical implications of the complete genome to improve patient care. In this book, Dr. Ashley shares his team's medical detective work.

The book includes highly technical language, and I found myself remembering back to when I learned the structure of DNA abd genes. However, the stories are told in an engaging, conversational tone with lots of metaphors to make the science more clear.

I especially enjoyed that the book (and the team doing the research) brought in an ethical perspective from the very beginning. Noting that examining genes for medical purposes has implications beyond the patient, they considered how genetic counseling and informed consent needed to be approached.

My favorite aspects were the focus on helping families with undiagnosed diseases. As the book points out, the uncertainty of having no diagnosis is such a strain. I was also fascinated to learn about the latest developments in precision medicine and CRISPR.

As a professor of medicine and genetics at Stanford, Dr. Euan Ashley has seen the genomics revolution firsthand. In this book, he takes the reader on a wild ride through the recent advances in genomics, covering topics like the diagnosis of rare diseases, genomic "autopsies" for patients with sudden death, and the potential of gene therapy. The book is a fascinating series of biological detective stories, each with additional background on the related genomics.

Ashley's perspective makes this book a great read - he is truly a pioneer in genomic medicine, so he's telling the stories that he lived. His writing style is very immersive - I felt like I was with the team working on their projects.

This book is well suited for either a lay reader or an expert. For the non-expert, Ashley does a great job breaking down complex topics using analogies, helping the reader understand the topic at hand. He also uses his personal case stories to explain the genome odyssey; this is truly narrative nonfiction. I think the case studies will also be interesting to scientists - some stories were familiar, but there were plenty I hadn't heard of!

I really appreciated Ashley's attention to the human side of medicine. You can tell that he cares very deeply about the patients and families he interacts with. Beyond just the genomics, the reader gets a window into these patients' lives, showing the true potential of genomic medicine to revolutionize healthcare outcomes.

Thank you to Celadon Books for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fascinating look into the genome project. Interesting to learn the DNA we all carry can be sequenced and can be used to understand, diagnose and treat ailments that we carry. It was interesting to read how how Dr. Ashley's team was the first team to interpret a full human genome on patient zero.
Individual patient stories were very interesting to me. The Undiagnosed Diseases Program which does research of previously unknown genetic abnormalities is one result of the genome sequencing project.
The development of the genome sequencing allows for research of previously unknown genetic abnormalities. So much is possible by the decoding of our genetics.
This is a very readable and interesting book about some of the wonders of medicine and scientific breakthroughs. This would be a very interesting book for anyone interested in medicine and science.

This is a fascinating books about the advances in genetics and how far we have come in the last twenty years. It is written in a fairly accessible way for the layperson but still a difficult read as the subject matter is so complex that it is not a book that can be read in a few days; at least not by me. I can't wait to see how much further we can travel in this area in the next twenty years. The stories of the patients helped were really inspiring and to be able to diagnose a disease based on genetics is the future of medicine. A good book but requires all your attention. This is not a book to be read without your undivided attention.
Thank you Netgalley, Dr. Euan Angus Ashley, Celadon Books for the ARC for my honest review.