The New York Times this week reviews three new genomics-related books — Eric Topol's The Creative Destruction of Medicine, Robert Klitzman's Am I My Genes?, and Sebastian Seung's Connectome. Reviewing Klitzman's book, the Times says the author charts "genomic medicine as it exists today: a barely mapped terrain of immense overlapping uncertainties." It adds that, per discussion in Am I My Genes?, "the genomic revolution may not wind up changing the landscape of illness quite as much as its proponents may envision."
Of course, Topol views genomic medicine in a different light. In its discussion of his book, the Times says he "presents an array of … ideas, a few now actually being practiced in rudimentary form. These include pharmacogenomics … and cancer treatments that probe tumors for specific genetic targets." Quoting Topol, the Times says that should the fruits of genomic medicine come to bear, "the outcome will be nothing short of a new 'science of individuality,' one that defines individuals 'at a more granular and molecular level than ever imaginable.'"