馬特・裏德利過去是《經濟學傢》的科技編輯、駐華盛頓記者和美國地區編輯。他是《紅色皇後：性與人類本性的進化》、《美德的起源：人類本能與閤作的進化》，和《藉助於後天培養的自然力量：基因、經曆以及造就瞭我們人類的一切》的作者，現居英國。

譯者簡介

劉菁，畢業於北京大學生物係，在美國加州理工學院取得生物學博士學位，現在美國斯坦福大學從事博士後研究工作。

The most important investigation of genetic science since The Selfish Gene, from the author of the critically acclaimed and best-selling The Red Queen and The Origins of Virtue. The genome is our 100,000 or so genes. The genome is the collective recipe for the building and running of the human body. These 100,000 genes are sited across 23 pairs of chromosomes. Genome, a book of about 100,000 words, is divided into 23 chapters, a chapter for each chromosome. The first chromosome, for example, contains our oldest genes, genes which we have in common with plants. By looking at our genes we can see the story of our evolution, what makes us individual, how our sexuality is determined, how we acquire language, why we are vunerable to certain diseases, how mind has arisen. Genome also argues for the genetic foundations of free will. While many believe that genetics proves biological determinism, Ridley will show that in fact free will is itself in the genes. Everything that makes us human can be read in our genes. Early in the next century we will have determined the function of every one of these 100,000 genes.