The Language of Life

DNA and the Revolution in Personalized Medicine

By: Francis S. Collins

Narrated by: Greg Itzin

From New York Times best-selling author and world-renowned doctor and geneticist Francis Collins, a book that will forever change how you think about your body, your health, and the future of medicine.

A scientific and medical revolution has crept up on us, based on study after study, from hundreds of laboratories around the world. It is no longer just a theoretical shift: every one of us will be touched by it, and many of us already have been. The meaning of disease, our understanding of the human body, and crucial decisions about what we all need to know and what choices we make about our health are at stake.

Welcome to the new world of personalized medicine. Twenty-one million Americans are affected by 6,000 so-called rare and orphan diseases, many of which are primarily attributable to misspelled genes. And virtually all diseases have a significant hereditary component. Heart disease, the common cancers, mental illness, asthma, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, and more - all of these diseases are having their secrets unlocked.

Francis Collins has been at the forefront of this revolution. He was, for 15 years, the head of the international Human Genome Project, and he now serves as the director of the National Institutes of Health. He knows, better than anyone, how widespread are the misperceptions about human genetics. Just in the past decade, most of what you think you know about DNA has been overturned. Nearly every day, diseases that were barely understood, or completely misunderstood, are being redefined. Families that faced common problems, without hope, are now discovering a new world of understanding, treatment, and prevention. You owe it to yourself to learn about your DNA: how it works, what it reveals, and the benefits and limits of this new knowledge.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2010 Francis S. Collins (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"The future of customized medicine is in your DNA; don't wait until you are sick to learn why." (Dr. Mehmet Oz, author of You: The Owner's Manual)
"I am a better doctor today because Dr. Collins was my genetics professor in medical school, and now, the world gets to benefit from his wisdom by reading The Language of Life." (Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Neurosurgeon at Emory University and Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN)
"His groundbreaking work has changed the very ways we consider our health and examine disease." (Barack Obama)

Great work!

well written and exceptional narration! would love to have an updated version produced due to the rapidly changing world of science.

Very valuable information shared by a practitioner

Great and useful scientific information from a forward thinking practitioner. The scientific community has made serious progress but ethics (which is fear of the unknown in this context) prevents our generation from taking giant leaps. The faster we move forward the better the discoveries (refinements, corrections, adjustments etc.) I applaud the leaders in the industry. Whenever the debate of ethics comes up please refer to 2000-4000 years ago. Great book.

The Future is in Our Genes

Would you listen to The Language of Life again? Why?

Again and Again and Again. This audiobook teaches a lot. A lot of stuff to be known by medical practioners and the layman as well. It gives the genetic and basic understanding into some rare genetic disorders and finally gives hope into these diseases.
Francis Collins did a very good job with the subject area, his practical illustrations and as someone in the field, I really enjoyed the practical nature of his presentations.
Talking of the narrator: Greg Itzin, I really enjoyed his reading due to his aggressive voice which will keep you awake all the time and his ability in differentiating all the characters.

Any additional comments?

This book is a must read/listen and I recommend it to all.

Great Book

A little hard to follow due to my limited knowledge in the area. After listening two times I found the book to be much more understandable and revealing.

Very good.

I really enjoyed both the story and narration. I was interested in learning more about our current technological abilities when it comes to using and understanding DNA.

Collins does a very good job with the subject and I enjoyed the practical nature of his presentation. I still doubt that we will be the DNA society that he hope we will become in his best case scenario example. But, it does make me interested in DNA testing and what it can reveal and I wonder if it will change how a person decides improve their health with that information.

I love the narration - Itzin does a great job.