Decoding our DNA: Craig Venter vs. the Human Genome Project by Karen Gunnison Ballen-ADVISABLE

Ballen, Karen Gunnison, Decoding our DNA: Craig Venter vs. the Human Genome Project. Twenty-First Century Books, 2013. Pgs. 64. INFORMATION.

In mid-1980s, some geneticists proposed a project to sequence the human genome. By figuring out the exact order of three billion chemical pairs that make up human DNA, they would be able to map the Human Genome. In 1990, they launched the Human Genome Project, By 1991, Craig Venter, one of the scientists, became fed up with the slow progress of the HGP. He challenged the HGP to move faster and started his own company to compete with them. This book is their journey and how ambition, persistence, greed, and principle combined in the quest to decode our DNA.

With bold, attention-getting chapter beginnings, a good layout, and implementation of photos and primary sources, students interested in DNA or doing a report of the Human Genome Project will appreciate the usefulness and informative nature of this book. Included are a Table of Contents, timeline, glossary, further information, source citations, and an index. EL(4-6), MS, HS. ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.