Mendel in the Kitchen: A Scientist's View of Genetically Modified Foods

This book is among the most meticulously documented and well-written science texts I have ever had the pleasure of reading. While I do not presume to have read every book produced thus far on modern biotechnology or plant genetics, I will nevertheless wager that no one has done it better. In some ways it is four books in one. The authors tackle the ancient history of biotechnology, predating even Gregor Mendel and his famous garden pea studies in the yard of his monastery in the 1860s. But they also recount Mendel's interest in the genetics of bees and mice, which few ever learn about. The authors then follow the modern genomic advances by Crick and Watson, Cohen and Boyer, and all who came before, in between, and thereafter. They not only explain the moment-by-moment conceptual and laboratory development of these advances, but make every effort to teach the science along the way. The latter part of the book reviews the political and sociological aspects of biotechnology in the modern world, offering unbiased, objective details before drawing the only possible conclusions. Simply put: Genetically modified plants are the answer to the world's potential food supply problems; organic agriculture as it is presently defined cannot contribute significantly to society's needs. Genetic Engineering's Long History Genetic engineering is not new. For nearly a century, scientists have been cloning pink grapefruit from a mutant strain discovered on a tree in Florida in 1907. Scientists developed the Red Rio grapefruit in 1968 by exposing grapefruit buds to thermal neutron radiation at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The most significant changes in grains and advances in knowledge about crop genomes occurred many years ago. When we eat wheat, we consume varieties mutated by nuclear radiation. It is not known what happened to the genomes, but we have been eating this wheat safely for decades. Today, with more extensive knowledge and new applications of the technologies resulting from genetic engineering, our scientists have more control over the genetic changes introduced, and their work is more precise than ever before. Fedoroff and Brown methodically trace the development of nearly every major grain consumed by society today, providing details of their DNA mutations. They also trace the need for fertilizer and its early applications in the nineteenth century. For flower lovers, the complete story of Luther Burbank and his plant grafting techniques is noteworthy. Roots of Green Revolution Many readers will especially enjoy the full story of Norman Borlaug as it plays out on the pages of this book. Many people are aware that he won the Nobel Prize in 1971 for launching the Green Revolution, but few of us know the complete and wonderful details of his education, research, and teachings. And Borlaug's story is not yet complete: He still works full-time in this field at Texas A & M University, traveling the world more than 150 days a year ... at age 90

First, disclosures. I am a retired molecular biologist who went to culinary school after retirement, so I have a foot in both worlds and feel qualified to evaluate the evidence from both standpoints. I wrote a term paper on GMO's, in large part to inform and clarify my own thinking about controversies over the new agricultural technologies, both plant and animal. This book is about plant GMO technology. I came to the same basic conclusions as Dr. Federoff regarding the validity of GMO criticisms, although a slightly different reason regarding the basis of popular discontent. Nina Federoff is very highly respected in the scientific community; she has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest levels of scientific accomplishment. This is a book brimming with accurate information, a history of scientific developments and analysis of the relevance of current arguments and opinions regarding how food is developed and produced. The evidence discussed is referenced for verification or for pursuit of further interest. I completely disagree with reviewers who complain that the book presents a biased argument in favor of genetic modification. If the evidence on GMO's does not support much popular opinion, it is high time the record be set straight, and the campaign of misinformation (e.g., by Greenpeace) be challenged. For instance, the facts presented indicate that organically grown food is no more nutritious or flavorful than conventionally grown crops, and the naturally occurring pesticides produced by the plants themselves are 1500 times greater than artificial pesticide residues. Contrast that with the prices charged for organic produce. What is especially appealing about this book is the presentation of the body of evidence pertaining to a subject, e.g., 'whether or not GMO production is natural", and letting the reader decide for him/herself after reviewing the various methods of plant breeding and modifications past and present. The answer is not as straightforward as you might think. Another valuable insight is the history of how the techniques of molecular genetic modifications developed and resulted in regulation by three government agencies, while 'conventional' crop development using chemical and radiation-induced mutations is completely unregulated. Until now, I was unaware of the contribution of GMO productivity to the fate of the planet. It is this technology that will provide sufficient food to support the continuing growth of humankind without felling the remaining forests. If organic agriculture were used today with its less efficient yields, let alone in the future, the entire arable acreage of the planet would be required. I could go on, but I will end by giving this book the highest recommendation. For the lay reader, there are scientific explanations that may be discouraging at times. If so, just skip them and continue. The game is worth the candle.

As daily consumers of the great agricultural engine of America, it's only fitting that we know how the system works. This book takes a historical approach to agriscience and the agritech business and reveals startling facts about both "conventional" and organic systems. This book was really hard for me to put down. Its description of the stresses and forces on the American farmer really moved me and has increased my awareness and respect for the struggle to provide food for the world. Now I lecture to all my friend about agriculture. It helps to know the fundamentals of molecular biology (DNA -> RNA -> Protein) like your high school/college Intro to Bio, but if you don't, just read through and the later chapters will better explain and help understanding the earlier ones. <br />

Interpretation of data can essentially never be said to be unbiased. At least this book doesn't try to hide the fact that the authors intrepret that data with a particular skew in mind. Instead they present a reasonable arguement and some background (data and history) to support the conclusions presented. Because of this, the book can be a bit ranting in places; the first chapter is a bit chaffing. But I wouldn't call the position extreme; instead they point out the downfalls of both "traditional" and "genetic" techniques instead of claiming that gmo's are always safe. This book depends on the reader having some basic biology knowledge. However it does a reasonable job of presenting the difficult concepts at a basic enough level that I could understand it pretty well and I haven't had biology since high school. (Though that was only 10 years ago so if your memory of biological terms doesn't include things like cells and mitochondria you might want to have a biology text on hand to help you out.) The overall readability of the book was quite good for a science book. The beginning and end were a bit frustrated, but writing those two items is exceptionally hard for non-fiction so I forgive the authors. One thing that I would have liked to have seen is a summary of the common examples they used that showed products & the specific traits they were bred for divided into groups of how they were modified (i.e. chemical mutation or irradiation or genetic splicing using a bacteria).

This is an excellent book that explains, in great detail, why so much of the anti-GM food movement is scientifically misguided. It also makes the point that far from being an evil that will irrevocably damage the environment, biotechnology can be an important tool for more ecologically sound soil management, and for reducing the amount of land worldwide that must be used for farming. Most importantly, it describes the role bioengineering has to play in feeding people who will otherwise be malnourished or starving. A warning I would offer to other readers is that, as a layperson with little formal science background, I found the going tough in spots. The section on how polymerase chain reaction works was particularly hard going, although the authors are probably to be praised for trying to make the process clear. Some concepts are extremely complicated, even in the hands of good authors. The one disappointing aspect of this book is its one-sided approach. It is not polemical; on the contrary, the prose is always calm and reasoned, and the authors don't flinch when the story they are telling necessitates providing evidence that could be taken for anti-biotech arguments. However, they make little to no effort to summarize other points of view. (One gets the feeling that they believe, if you really understand the science, there IS no other valid point of view - this would explain why they have trouble articulating opposing viewpoints.) This book doesn't represent itself as "balanced" -- it makes it clear that it is a treatise in favor of GMF. That's fine. But I guess I would have preferred to read a book that let me hear a little bit about what the other side was saying. As convincing as their arguments seem, I'd like to study all sides of an argument before making up my own mind. This book alone doesn't permit one to do that - you'll have to keep reading elsewhere if you want to hear what anti-biotech forces have to say. But by all means, if you are prepared to read several books about GMF with an open mind, make this book one of them.