The genetic lottery Why DNA matters for social equality

The title of this book announces that the contents will be controversial and important. Harden (Univ. of Texas at Austin) clearly explains DNA and its role in problematic social outcomes while making her argument against either ignoring or elevating genetics in seeking solutions, showing why such positions are not only misguided but also immoral. The book comprises two parts, the first seven chapters addressing misunderstood concepts and conclusions with respect to behavioral genetics, and the subsequent five chapters guiding the reader along a path that demonstrates the error of connecting genetics to human value. Harden combines appropriate personal stories with careful analysis and integration of current research. Her use of metaphor will be helpful for readers not well versed in genetics. No author can reasonably be expected to discuss every trend connected to their topic, but the absence of any mention of epigenetics research in this text is surprising, as recent research in this area would certainly add strength to Harden's arguments. Aside from this lacuna, the book offers a thorough review of genetics research and related controversies, both old and new. It will be a welcome resource for scholars and policy makers who want to advocate for and initiate equitable social changes with the help of reliable, expert knowledge. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. General readers. --Julia F. Heberle, Albright College

Behavioral geneticist Harden considers the luck of the draw involved with DNA. Harden, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, treads a veritable minefield by venturing into a field whose discourse has been dominated by eugenics and White supremacists. Nature doles out genetic advantages, which can be measured by a weighted "polygenic" score. Those with higher scores usual experience better results in life: health, higher levels of satisfaction, and substantially higher lifetime earnings. "You didn't get to pick your parents," writes the author, "and that applies just as much to what they bequeathed you genetically as what they bequeathed you environmentally." Having that polygenic array is akin to winning the lottery, just as having biological parents at home who read aloud and otherwise nurture curiosity and learning builds on that luck. Drawing on twin studies, Harden examines differences within families and within populations, skirting the unhappy reality that most genetics research, as she acknowledges, "does not just disproportionately study White people. It also is disproportionately conducted by White people." In other words, we need broader data to disprove the notion that one race--a meaningless concept in biology--is superior to another. Working her way through some difficult science in a somewhat repetitive explication, Harden proposes that identifying the lottery winners is one thing. What remains is to put this body of scientific study to work to mitigate the less desirable effects of the social inequalities that result when one segment of the population has better access to wealth than others. As she notes, "the heritability of child cognitive ability is lowestfor children raised in poverty and highest for children from rich homes." It's a discussion fraught with political as much as scientific considerations, and Harden diligently fights a desperate battle to enlist science to serve progressive social reform. A daring though sometimes tangled argument for using genetics to mend the consequences of inequality. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.