Dr. Robin L. Bennett has eXtensive experience in the field of medical genetics and is certified as a genetic counsellor 
by the American Board of Medical Genetics and 
the American Board of Genetic Counseling. She 
currently serves as the Senior Genetic Counsellor 

and Co-Director of the Genetic Medicine Clinic in 
the Division of Medical Genetics, Department of 
Medicine, at the University of Washington.

Such extensive expertise has allowed Dr. Bennett 
to provide the scientific and clinical communities 
with two editions of the volume entitled: “The 
Practical Guide to the Genetic Family History”.  
In comparison to the first edition, the second one 
provides an updated version compiling the most 
recent tools and strategies to assess family pedigrees 
in order ultimately to provide diagnoses, evaluate 
risk, and counsel patients. The innovative aspect of 
this second edition lies not only in guiding health 
care professionals on how to record a medical 
family history and establish the family pedigree, but 
also provides clear explanations of why each piece 
of information collected is invaluable. 

This book is a valuable resource which outlines 
the appropriate methods for taking and recording a 
patient's family medical history, allowing the primary 
care physician to be more accurate in diagnosing 
conditions with potential genetic origin. Dr. Bennett 
presents genetic screening forms outlining directed 
questions, pedigree nomenclature, and common 
strategies, thus providing readers with the basic 
knowledge in human genetics needed to diagnose 
inherited disorders and further identify patients 
with familial disease susceptibility.

In addition to providing essential tools that 
will aid the primary care physician in diagnosing 

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BOOK REVIEWBOOK REVIEW

A Practical Guide to the Genetic Family History
Author: Robin L Bennett

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell, 2nd Edition, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-470-04072-0

Orders: www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

SQU Med J, December 2010, Vol. 10, Iss. 3, pp. 412-413, Epub. 14th Nov 10 
Submitted - 3rd Nov 10



Robin L Bennett

Book Review | 413

conditions with inherited genetic components, the 
book outlines the various criteria that will help in 
determining patterns of inheritance; calculating 
risk of disease; referring the patients for genetic 
counseling; informing and educating patients 
about the disease; managing the disease, and 
recommending the patients for genetic laboratory 
testing. 

As an expert in genetic counselling, Dr. Bennett 
also provides specific clues in her book that will 
help the wide range of readers to deal with the 
psychological, cultural, and ethical issues that 
arise when taking family history and breaking 
news to patients. This is an essential aspect of the 
book because genetic counselling relies strongly 
on the environment of the patient, and the health 
practitioner needs to be familiarised with the 
patient’s cultural and social environment. In fact, 
genetic counselling in the Arab world requires 
specific knowledge about the community and its 
culture.

In summary, using clinical examples based on 
hypothetical families, this second edition presents 
the most up to date methods and strategies for 
establishing a family pedigree, including: 1) 
questionnaires to use when preparing a detailed 

medical family history for a specific disease; 2) 
sharing information and education of patients and 
families during genetic counselling; 3) identification 
of individuals with increased risk based on analysis 
of family pedigrees and 4) ethical issues and special 
considerations related to adoptions or gamete 
donors…, etc.

In conclusion, this book is an invaluable resource 
which will enable clinical geneticists, counsellors, 
primary care and specialist physicians, as well 
as nurses, medical social workers, and physician 
assistants to take full advantage of the information 
and strategies provided. This will enable them to 
prepare and establish a family pedigree as a primary 
tool for making a genetic risk assessment and 
providing counselling for patients and their families.

r e v i e w e r

Allal Ouhtit
Department of Genetics
College of Medicine & Health Sciences
Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman

Email: aouhtit@squ.edu.om