Discussion Questions

  1. Did you know that the U.S. once had a eugenics program? What was your initial reaction to hearing about this?
     
  2. Do you look like anyone in your family? If so, how can you explain that similarity?
     
  3. Do you know anyone who has a genetic disorder? What is life like for that person? What are his/her challenges?
     
  4. Why is genetic counseling important? The book discusses ethical concerns regarding genetic counseling.  What are your thoughts about this?
     
  5. Think about the interests of people in your immediate family.  Are your interests similar or different from theirs? How do you explain your answer?
     
  6. Think about passive, active, and evocative gene-environment interactions.  Give an example of each of these using information from your own life.