Genie - by Russ Rymer (Paperback)

About the Book

From an acclaimed article in The New Yorker comes the true story of a young woman rescued from a childhood of epic abuse. Having spent her early years strapped to a chair, Genie, when discovered, had to begin her new life with the rudiments--how to walk, talk, even chew--and provided scientists with insight into a deeper mystery: what it means to be human.

Book Synopsis

"A tragic tale of obsession, exploitation, and lost souls. And the questions Rymer poses about human experience and experiments on humans make the story both intellectually absorbing and emotionally disturbing. Genie is a wondrous feat of storytelling and investigative journalism, compulsively readable while forcing us to think hard about our own humanity." --Amy Tan, New York Times bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club

The compelling story of a young woman's emergence into the world after spending her first 13 years strapped to a chair in a closed room, and her rescue and exploitation by scientists hoping to gain new insight into language acquisition.

From the Back Cover

The compelling story of a young woman's emergence into the world after spending her first 13 years strapped to a chair, and her rescue and exploitation by scientists hoping to gain new insight into language acquisition.

Review Quotes

"I am dazzled by Rymer's literary skills and his expertise in delineating the debate--or rather the feeding frenzy--that Genie's 'case' stirred among scientists, academics, and caretakers. It is a tragic tale of obsession, exploitation, and lost souls. And the questions Rymer poses about human experience and experiements on humans make the story both intellectually absorbing and emotionally disturbing. Genie is a wondrous feat of storytelling and investigative journalism, compulsively readable while forcing us to think hard about our own humanity." - Amy Tan, New York Times bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club

"A rarity among popular science books, a luciously written page turner." - New York Times Book Review