MOOD GENES

Genes determine physical characteristics, but can they affect the mental ones, such as the way we feel? Barondes answers the question by focusing on two families with long histories of manic depression. By tracing the path of the illness back through generations, he shows ways to physically isolate the genes that influence human behaviour.

This text explains how our genetic background can affect our emotional and psychological behaviour, especially in mood disorders such as manic depression. Focusing on two families, both with a history of manic depression, the author leads the reader through the process of discovering clues in family histories, and attempts to uncover common DNA patterns in family members now living with the disease.