The sequencing of the human genome is being hailed as history's most important scientific discovery. This unprecedented project attempts to map our complete DNA sequence-the key to human history and identity, and to an extraordinary future of scientific and medical progress. Now the editors of Nature, the world's leading scientific publication help everyone understand the human genome. Lavishly illustrated throughout, this full-color guide covers everything from genetics and the basic biology and landmark events, the key players, and its political, social, and scientific impact. It also includes the full text of Nature's papers that unveil the human genome. From the frontline of science reporting, and with a foreword by James Watson, the man who discovered the double helix structure of DNA, here is the one book everyone needs to understand-and appreciate-one of the great revolutions in science.