This study chronicles the saga of gene therapy, a medical revolution unparalleled in human history. The authors recount the story of the race to be the first to do gene therapy, revealing the behind-the-scenes machinations and rivalries among researchers at the world's leading hospitals. They also reveal the details of the initial human experiments in gene transfer, and the agonizing decisions faced by the families of the first children to be submitted to the therapy.

Prizes

Jeff Lyon and Peter Gorner received the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism

Reviews

Fast-paced, highly readable. . . . As engaging as any thriller, [it] brings to life the pathos, the excitement, and the drudgery inherent in this sort of research.