  Jim Shapiro synthesizes a great many observations about the mechanisms of
evolution to reach the remarkable conclusion that large-scale modification,
exchange, and rearrangement of the genome are common and should be viewed as
fundamental features of life. In other words, the genome should be viewed not
as mostly read-only with a few rare mutations, but rather as a fully-fledged
read-write library of genetic functions under continuous revision. Revision of
the genome occurs during cellular replication, during multicellular
development, and during evolution of a population of individuals. DNA
formatting controls the timing and location of genetic rearrangements, gene
expression, and genetic repair. Each of these events is under the control of
precise cellular circuits. Shapiro reviews the toolbox of natural genetic
engineering that provides the functionalities necessary for efficient long-term
genome restructuring.
