Overview

From the UK's pre-eminent authority on DNA and genetic research, a myth-busting book that provides a window into the world of modern genetics and shows how it informs so many areas of 21st century life. Go back even a quarter of a century and few people would have heard of DNA, except perhaps in a forensic case. Now genetics plays a part of our everyday culture and our interest in genetics is booming, particularly in the form of direct-to-consumer genetic testing for health, family history and ancestry testing. So how did we get to the point where our understanding, and misunderstanding of genetics became so commonplace? Professor Turi King, the UK's preeminent scientist in DNA and genetics takes us on a journey through twelve key cases, legal and otherwise, which explain modern genetics and how it now informs policing, personal histories, migration, politics and health. From eugenics, to mistaken dinosaur DNA, the OJ Simpson trial to Angelina Jolie's BRACA1 gene, we are led through the science to discover how genetics has impacted and shaped our society, and how our growing knowledge of the building blocks of life will affect our future.

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9780857529107

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Reviews

A glimpse into the fascinating world of DNA under the guidance of a true expert. Always accessible, enjoyable and thought provoking. Who could ask for more? -- Professor Lady Sue Black, Baroness Black of Strome, author of All That Remains

Author Information

Professor Turi King is Professor of Public Engagement and Genetics at the University of Leicester. She is the pre-eminent authority on DNA and genetic research, and she is renowned for presenting complex findings on DNA and genetic science in an accessible and compelling way, taking the reader on a journey of personal discovery. She is well-known for her work on identifying Richard III, Mary Jane Kelly (the last victim of Jack the Ripper), and the descendants of Sir George Yeardley, colonial Governor of Virginia, of Jamestown.

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