Book Reviews 1218 the perinatologist and geneticist alike. For selected topics, it is a worthy reference and warrants inclusion in the reproductive genetics library on this basis alone. MELISSA H. FRIES Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology/Reproductive Sciences Reproductive Genetics Unit, University of California, San Francisco San Francisco o 1991 by The American Society of Human Genetics. All rights reserved. 0002-9297/91 /4806-0038$02.00 Am. J. Hum. Genet. 48:1218, 1991 Schizophrenia Genesis: The Origins of Madness. By Irving I. Gottesman (with the assistance of Dorothea L. Wolfgram). New York: W. H. Freeman and Co., 1991. Pp. xiii and 296. $14.95. It is always a special pleasure to read a book in which a master of long-standing reputation summarizes results of research, experiences, and views assembled over a lifetime. Irving Gottesman is such a master in the field of schizophrenia, and he shares with us in this monograph his profound knowledge and his ways of thinking. It begins with "early accounts of schizophrenia." Strangely enough, early reports on this disease (or group of diseases) are rare or nonexistent, quite in contrast to the situation regarding other psychiatric conditions. This raises the possibility that schizophrenia might be a "new" disease that has been existing only since the late 18th or early 19th century. In the next chapters, problems of diagnosis and results of epidemiological research are discussed. Twin and family studies, older as well as more recent ones, point to strong but not overwhelming influence of genetic variability. Accumulation of cases in families -and even higher concordance in MZ than in DZ twins - do not point necessarily to genetic influences: the disease might also be "contagious psychologically." Com- parison of adopted children with their biological and adoptive parents and relatives helps to clarify this issue. Such studies point to a strong genetic component. This does not mean, however, that "psychological and environmental stressors" should be neglected. They might interact with genetic susceptibilities in a very complex way. Brain injury, for example, might both act as a releaser in genetically predisposed individuals and cause similar symptoms in the nonpredisposed. "Seek simplicity and distrust it" - this is a good principle not only in schizophrenia research but in science generally. Schizophrenia, with a life prevalence of about 1%, has strong implications for society; problems such as criminality, violence, sexuality, marriage, and divorce are discussed in a special chapter which also describes the "solution" of these problems attempted in Nazi Germany. In a last chapter, neurobiological approaches as well as the new methods and first results in molecular biology are discussed. Compared with enthusiastic forecasts as to the elucidation of the biological basis, Gottesman's views are rather sober. Such methods will help, but they are certainly not the arcanum for a final understanding of this fascinating disease. They have to be supplemented by the accumulated knowledge at many levels. True understanding of schizophrenia cannot be achieved by mere lists of symptoms and statistical data. To put some flesh on this skeleton, the "scientific" chapters are interspersed with reports from patients and their close relatives, in which they describe both how they experienced this disease and in which ways it influenced their social interactions, their personal development, and their lives in general. These reports add to the more scientific chapters a strong touch of humanity that is rare - maybe all too rare - in scientific writing. Knowing the author for a long time, I started reading this book with great expectations -and I was not disappointed. F. VOGEL Universitat Heidelberg Heidelberg o) 1991 by The American Society of Human Genetics. All 0002-9297/91 /4806-0039$02.00 rights reserved.