Designer Genes

Seven years ago, Wesley and Marian's son, beset with a multitude of inherited maladies, died a tragic death. Vowing they would never again have a natural child, they have contacted Designer Genes, Inc., to create the perfect son who will bring them only happiness and joy. Alice Fleming, the company rep for Designer Genes, Inc., arrives with her sample cases to make her pitch golden hair and blue eyes, the flexibility of a gymnast, the mathematical computation skill of an Einstein whatever they wish. But there have been glitches along the road to genetic bliss. Some experimental subjects exhibited bizarre behavior, sometimes aggressive, sometimes well, unnatural in the worst sense of the word. Designer Genes, Inc., cannot guarantee their work.

There was a shocking mix-up at the sperm bank. Now blonde L.A. sophisticate Buffy Arden arrives in Nowhere Junction, Texas, to introduce her cute little girl to the infant’s unprepared father, auto mechanic Carter Murchison. Carter has only a vague memory of his experiences while attending a conference in the City of Angels. Thanks to the effects of spiked punch, he thought he was making a donation to benefit his favorite charity. A very strange donation… He’s not sure how to deal with this smart-mouthed lady who happens to have the same name as his cat and who quickly turns his life upside-down, opening a boutique in his garage and matchmaking for his reclusive widowed father. And what about this sweet baby daughter who lays claim to his heart? Worst of all, her mother appears to be doing the same. USA Today bestselling author Jacqueline Diamond is known for her romantic comedies, medical romances, Regency romances and mysteries—more than one hundred titles. You’ll love this fast-paced tale of opposites drawn together by a very unexpected baby. Romantic Times calls it “a comical tale with witty dialogue, humorous scenes and fun characters.”

A biologist and a Christian theologian examine the scientific and philosophical implications and potential impacts of genetic technologies. God, Science, and Designer Genes: An Exploration of Emerging Technologies provides a unique approach to the central ethical dilemma in contemporary science, offering both an up-to-date account of the current state of genetic technologies and insightful discussions of the moral/theological questions these technologies raise. Coauthored by professors of biology and theology, God, Science, and Designer Genes examines a range of from-the-headlines issues, including the relationship between science and religion, "designing" our children, stem-cell research, cloning, genetics and behavior, genetics and privacy, and using genetic technologies for social justice. Who should benefit—personally and financially—from DNA technology? Who might be harmed? How do we protect individual rights and guard against discrimination? How will embryo modification affect the identity of those so modified? God, Science, and Designer Genes gives readers an eloquent, thoughtful, and objective foundation for considering these and other questions about the potential conflict between scientific achievement, personal faith, and social responsibility.

Malibu, California. The sun has just come up and there is no fog along the beach. Suddenly all hell breaks loose. Retired Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Richard Greene's wife, Jenny, discovers the gruesome corpse of a man wedged between rocks at the foot of a cliff. There should have been blood, lots of it, because one of the man's legs is missing, severed just below the hip, the frayed edges of his jeans exposing a fresh stump. All identification, including fingerprints, has been removed, the only clue, a peculiar hand-embroidered design on the right-rear pocket of his jeans. Was it a revenge killing, a hate crime, the work of a satanic cult? Inspector Greene, in L.A. to deliver the keynote speech at the International Forensics Symposium, suspects the bizarre presentation is the work of ALOPEX, master of disguise, scourge of Scotland Yard, purposely designed to draw the Inspector into another deadly game of chess. When Alopexs's first taunting postcard arrives, the Inspector's worst suspicions are confirmed. Alopex's victims are always members of the medical profession who have through financial influence or membership in the "old boy's club," circumvented the judicial system, their patient's deaths never avenged. His latest victim, Dr. Louis Bronsib, a lustful egomaniac, covets a Nobel Prize at any price. In bed with organized crime, he ruthlessly tests an untried AIDS vaccine in Africa where he becomes Alopex's quarry. When the young son of a Greek shipping magnate dies after mistakenly receiving a bone-marrow transplant containing hyped AIDS-virus instead of Bronsib's "miracle designer genes," maliciously added by one of Bronsib's discarded lovers, Bronsib becomes the target of a mob-style hit while fishing in Capri. Taban, Alopex's partner in crime, accidentally overhears the plot to kill Bronsib.

Until now, human evolution has been exceedingly slow. But now, it will soon be possible for parents to consciously choose the genes of their children. The ramifications could be enormous, with each generation smarter, more technologically proficient, and better able to design the genes of their own offspring. An expert in human gene modification and research explores the ethical questions surrounding science's new power to guide the genetic destiny of humanity.

A biologist and a Christian theologian examine the scientific and philosophical implications and potential impacts of genetic technologies. God, Science, and Designer Genes: An Exploration of Emerging Technologies provides a unique approach to the central ethical dilemma in contemporary science, offering both an up-to-date account of the current state of genetic technologies and insightful discussions of the moral/theological questions these technologies raise. Coauthored by professors of biology and theology, God, Science, and Designer Genes examines a range of from-the-headlines issues, including the relationship between science and religion, "designing" our children, stem-cell research, cloning, genetics and behavior, genetics and privacy, and using genetic technologies for social justice. Who should benefit—personally and financially—from DNA technology? Who might be harmed? How do we protect individual rights and guard against discrimination? How will embryo modification affect the identity of those so modified? God, Science, and Designer Genes gives readers an eloquent, thoughtful, and objective foundation for considering these and other questions about the potential conflict between scientific achievement, personal faith, and social responsibility.