The Art of Genes - How Organisms Make Themselves

 Over the past twenty years there has been a revolution in biology: for the first time we have begun to understand how organisms make themselves. The mechanisms by which a fertilised egg develops into an adult can now be grasped in a way that was unimaginable a few decades ago. Yet this revolution has been a curiously silent one. Our new picture of how organisms develop has been inaccessible to all but a small community of biologists. This is largely because the jargon and technical complexities have prevented many of the new and exciting findings from being communicated to a wider audience. Moreover, as scientists have concentrated on unravelling the
details of the story, many of the broader implications of our new found knowledge have remained unvoiced. In my view this is particularly unfortunate because the study of development provides one of the most fertile meeting grounds for science, art and philosophy.

This book is an attempt to redress this situation. I have tried to give a broadly accessible picture
of our current knowledge of how organisms develop, and the implications of these findings for
how we view ourselves. The book is aimed at a wide audience, from the general reader with a
curiosity about science, to the experienced biologist who may not have had time to follow many of
the latest results or to consider their various ramifications.
In trying to accomplish this task, I have used a few key metaphors to convey the gist of what is
going on as an organism develops, while at the same time providing detailed explanations of the
basic mechanisms involved. At first sight, it may seem that little is to be gained by using these
metaphors, but I would ask the reader to be patient as their true merit will start to become apparent
later in the book (Chapter 7 onwards). They will then allow many of the latest and most complex
ideas in development to be explained in an economical and accessible way, allowing the
fundamental issues to be met head-on.
Inevitably, in trying to reach the general reader I have had to cover some well-established
biological principles early on in the book (particularly in Chapters 2 and 5). I have done my best
to make these explanations as dear and self-sufficient as possible; and have provided a glossary
for quick reference at the end of the book. For those encountering these ideas for the very first
time.

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