Structure

The Gene is written in six parts, plus a prologue and an epilogue. For the most part, the story following a chronological structure, tracing the history of genetics and gene science up until the present day. There are some brief nonchronological digressions in which Mukherjee diverts from that narrative to include a personal family story. However, the overall structure of the book remains chronologically linear. The six parts of the book and their component chapters all vary in length, depending on the scope of the topic at hand and the amount of historical or scientific material available on the subject.

Each of the books six parts is divided based on a historical timeframe, though there are overlaps in this structural division. Part One covers 1865-1935 with brief references to Antiquity and the Middle Ages; Part Two spans 1930-1970; Part Three covers 1970-2001; Part Four takes place from...