The Human Genome Project aims to map all the genes spelled out by the entire three-billion-letter genetic code embodied in the DNA of human cells. The multi-billion-dollar project, estimated to last for ten to 20 years, has already proved to be a subject of considerable controversy. In this account of the protracted struggle to launch the genome project, the author unravels the tangled scientific and political threads of the story, relying on primary documents gathered as events unfolded and supplemented by interviews with all the main players. The result is a case study on a project with far-reaching medical and ethical implications.