A Troublesome Inheritance: Genes, Race and Human History

While rejecting unequivocally the notion that there is any superior race, Wade argues that the study of recent revolution holds information critical to the understanding of human societies and history, and that the public interest is best served by pursuing the scientific truth without fear.

A new account of the genetic basis of race and role of evolution in human history.

Human evolution, conventional wisdom holds, ended long before prehistory began. Convenient as this view may be, new research into the human genome shows it cannot be right. Nicholas Wade, a science reporter for many years with The New York Times, cites mounting evidence that humans have continued to evolve up until the present day, giving rise to the various races of humankind and to the variations in social behavior that may help make human societies distinctive. While rejecting unequivocally the notion that there is any superior race, Wade argues that the study of recent revolution holds information critical to the understanding of human societies and history, and that the public interest is best served by pursuing the scientific truth without fear.
‘Extremely well-researched, thoughtfully written and objectively argued … The real lesson of the book should not be lost on us- A scientific topic cannot be declared off limits or whitewashed because its findings can be socially or politically incendiary.'Scientific American

'Nicholas Wade combines the virtues of truth without fear and the celebration of genetic diversity as a strength of humanity, thereby creating a forum appropriate to the twenty-first century.’ Edward O. Wilson, University Research Professor Emeritus, Harvard University