The Compatibility Gene

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A tiny cluster of our genes holds the key to how we combat disease, how our brains are wired, how attractive we are, even how likely we are to reproduce. In The Compatibility Gene, one of our foremost immunologists tells the remarkable history of these genes' discovery and the unlocking of their secrets. Davis shows how the compatibility gene is radically transforming our knowledge of the way our bodies work - and is having profound consequences for medical research and ethics. Looking to the future, he considers the startling possibilities of what these wondrous discoveries might mean for you and me.

Who am I? What makes me different from everyone else? Daniel Davis recounts the remarkable science that has answered one version of these questions
Steven Pinker

About Daniel M Davis

Daniel M. Davis is Head of Life Sciences and Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London. His previous books include The Beautiful Cure, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize, and The Secret Body, which was described variously as ‘an inspiration’ by Tim Spector, ‘beautifully rendered’ by Brian Cox and ‘masterful’ by Alice Roberts. Davis has published over 150 research papers and is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. In 2025, he was awarded an MBE for services to science communication.

Details

Imprint: Penguin
Published: 28/08/2014
ISBN: 9780241956755
Length: 256 pages
Dimensions: 198mm x 15mm x 129mm
Weight: 191g
Price: £10.99

All editions

Paperback 2014
Ebook 2013

The Compatibility Gene

Format:

Buy the book from:

Who am I? What makes me different from everyone else? Daniel Davis recounts the remarkable science that has answered one version of these questions

Ostensibly about a set of genes that we all have and need, this book is really about the men and women who discovered them and worked out what they do. It's a search for the essence of scientific greatness by a scientist who is headed that way himself

The Compatibility Gene cuts through the complexity to reveal the startling truth about perhaps the most important section of the molecule that defines what it means to be human

Davis weaves a warm biographical thread through his tale of scientific discovery, revealing the drive and passion of those in the vanguard of research

Davis makes the twists and turns all count

Davis ranges energetically through the research. Cultural references and anecdotes abound

A fascinating, expertly told story

The genes that make you a true individual ... Davis provides a well-written and easy-to-read account of the sometimes complicated biology behind the crucial genes that affect our lives so profoundly

Wonderful pen-portraits of the many scientists involved in this fast-moving field ... 5 out of 5 stars

Dr. Davis's readable and informative book takes the reader into unexpectedly interesting corners of both the immune system and the lives of immunologists. It is packed with an insider's knowledge - not just of the field, but of where its bodies are buried

About Daniel M Davis

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