The $1,000 Genome: The Revolution in DNA Sequencing and the New Era of Personalized Medicine

The title of this review would be an alternative suggestion for the book title.Don't read this looking to find more about sequencing technology or uses. The book has about the technical content of a USA today article.Here's the full description of the rise of Curagen: "He invented a patented method for studying gene expression by looking up activity patterns in a database, which he dubbed "GeneCalling". Two sentences later the company "had raised some $600 million" and it's "estimated that his major investors each made $100 million". They made money by raising money? Or does the paragraph intend to say that Curagen was *sold* for $600M? Somebody paid $600M for a method of looking up patterns in a database? Really?This is the book for you if you want descriptions of colorful characters and what they say about each other, reporting on parties and publicity events, anecdotes about genetic defects in the relatives of people involved in the companies, ethical issues in consumer sequencing, and other such human interest flotsam.Not for you if you'd like to learn what the technology is and what can be done with it.

Kind of bummed out because I spent a lot of money on test for all my family, only for the FDA to come in, analyze the data that they had from breast cancer, with the data from 23andme.Also the ancestral reports are incorrect, they need to look at all the chromosomes not just XX and XY. A lot of historical data is missing.

This book describes various developments in gene sequencing and genome analysis over the last decade or so. It is aimed at non biologists who want a broad idea of what is going on in biomedicine. As such it is a great and easily digestable read.It is not for people who already understand the science.I work in the sector but in the finance department and it gave me a much better idea of what our science folks are up to. I am delighted with it as that is what I was looking for.This book heightened my interest in biomedicine and gave me several new topics to which I will return.I commend it to those with intellectual curiousity and little knowledge of this field.

Nice work by seller getting the book here early. Impressive

Great book on the history of the industry!

I am enjoying this book immensely. I find the topic interesting and the writing engaging. I would recommend the book.

Back in 2000, when the draft sequence of "the" human genome was announced, hopes were high that a genetic understanding of common diseases would soon follow. This anticipated revolution in genomic medicine hasn't happened yet. However, a very different kind of revolution has happened, namely the development of fundamentally new and much more efficient methods to sequence huge amounts of DNA. As a consequence, the cost of sequencing a human genome has fallen faster than that of computer hardware. In order-of-magnitude terms, the first human genome (2000) cost around $ 1 billion, James Watson's (2007) $ 1 million, and this year many individual human genomes will be sequenced for not much more than $1000 per head.This very real genome revolution has been underreported in the general media. Worse, it hasn't yet influenced the thinking of many medical professionals, even though it is bound to change the ways in which they will be able to prevent and treat disease. Kevin Davies, who has followed these developments closely as the editor of the magazine BioIT World and has interviewed many of the main protagonists over the years, now aims to popularise the new genome revolution in this very readable book.Along with the progress in sequencing technology and personal genomes, Davies also covers the work of direct-to-consumer companies such as 23 and me, and also reports his own experience gained with these services. It emerges, however, that these companies are already at risk of becoming obsolete if they keep looking for simple answers from single base mutations (single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs) although the large-scale view of the complexity of entire genomes is becoming more and more important.This is a well-informed and very accessible account of the fast-moving developments that will change medical and pharmaceutical world very soon. Naturally, it will become dated very soon, so read it now.

This book gives an interesting overview of the field of next-generation sequencing and its implications for personal genomics. Kevin Davies provides a snapshot of the technology in the next-generation sequencing companies, in particular explaining how 454 capitalized on emulsion PCR, how Solexa contributed reversible terminator chemistry and cluster PCR, how Ion Torrent utilized the principles of a pH meter for sequencing, &c. He also gives a quick overview of all the personal genomics companies giving one a sense of their unique angle - i.e. deCODEme with its strong science capitalizing on the unique genetics of Iceland, Navigenics with its more medically oriented and paternalistic style and 23andme with its more social networking angle.Davies also talks a little bit about how we should appreciate the results from personal genomics companies and how currently, except for the APOE gene, most of the results that we get would have very low odds ratios and effect sizes and are more of a curiosity -- but the whole enterprise has strong ethical implications.

A really great read if you are informed enough. Some of the lingo may go over the lay readers head. Otherwise this was a really well written book on where things are headed.

Sehr gut geschrieben

Excellent book. Must read for all bio enthusiasts. Ok for common readers too.

Very well written; very interesting especially for those in the field of human genomic/next generation sequencing/personalized medicine via human genetics

I haven't read this yet, but I'm sure I will enjoy it as subject is fascinating.I've said what I want to so this sentence is to make you happy with 20 words!