Why read The Invisible History of the Human Race?

Book cover of The Invisible History of the Human Race: How DNA and History Shape Our Identities and Our Futures

Book description

• A New York Times Notable Book •

“The richest, freshest, most fun book on genetics in some time.” —The New York Times Book Review

We are doomed to repeat history if we fail to learn from it, but how are we affected by the forces that are invisible to…

Explore

Topics

Genres

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Invisible History of the Human Race as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

John Langdon

Author

How did my ancestry help define me? My great-grandfather created a dairy farm outside of Tacoma, and my mother grew up impoverished in Indiana during the Great Depression. These experiences shaped my family, but how far into the past do such influences arise?

I have been fascinated by history and genealogy since childhood, and even my professional role as a paleoanthropologist is an extension of that interest in prehistory. Christine Kenneally addresses in direct language the implicit questions I was seeking–what roles did genes, ancestry, and history play in shaping me and the populations around me? It is not hard…

From John's list on The best underappreciated but eminently readable books that tell us who we are.