The genetic lottery : why DNA matters for social equality / Kathryn Paige Harden.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Harden, Kathryn Paige, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Genetics--Social aspects.

Genetics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 300 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Princeton ; Oxford : Princeton University Press, [2021]

Summary:

"A provocative and timely case for how the science of genetics can help create a more just and equal society. In recent years, scientists like Kathryn Paige Harden have shown that DNA makes us different, in our personalities and in our health-and in ways that matter for educational and economic success in our current society. In The Genetic Lottery, Harden introduces readers to the latest genetic science, dismantling dangerous ideas about racial superiority and challenging us to grapple with what equality really means in a world where people are born different. Weaving together personal stories with scientific evidence, Harden shows why our refusal to recognize the power of DNA perpetuates the myth of meritocracy, and argues that we must acknowledge the role of genetic luck if we are ever to create a fair society.Reclaiming genetic science from the legacy of eugenics, this groundbreaking book offers a bold new vision of society where everyone thrives, regardless of how one fares in the genetic lottery"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

PART I Taking Genetics Seriously

1 Introduction

2 The Genetic Lottery

3 Cookbooks and College

4 Ancestry and Race

5 A Lottery of Life Chances

6 Random Assignment by Nature

7 The Mystery of How

PART II Taking Equality Seriously

8 Alternative Possible Worlds

9 Using Nature to Understand Nurture

10 Personal Responsibility

11 Difference without Hierarchy

12 Anti-Eugenic Science and Policy

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

NOTES

INDEX

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher.

ISBN:

9780691226705

0691226709

OCLC:

1269268445