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Everyone Is African

How Science Explodes the Myth of Race

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
What does science say about race? In this book a distinguished research geneticist presents abundant evidence showing that traditional notions about distinct racial differences have little scientific foundation. In short, racism is not just morally wrong; it has no basis in fact.

The author lucidly describes in detail the factors that have led to the current scientific consensus about race. Both geneticists and anthropologists now generally agree that the human species originated in sub-Saharan Africa and darkly pigmented skin was the ancestral state of humanity. Moreover, worldwide human diversity is so complex that discrete races cannot be genetically defined. And for individuals, ancestry is more scientifically meaningful than race.

Separate chapters are devoted to controversial topics: skin color and the scientific reasons for the differences; why ancestry is more important to individual health than race; intelligence and human diversity; and evolutionary perspectives on the persistence of racism.

This is an enlightening book that goes a long way toward dispelling the irrational notions at the heart of racism.

From the Trade Paperback edition.
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    • Booklist

      March 1, 2015
      In an emotionally charged period during which racial tensions run high and notions about diversity are increasingly complex and divisive, renowned geneticist Fairbanks examines the nature of racial difference from a scientific perspective. Analyzing research performed by hundreds of scientists, himself included, across multiple disciplines, Fairbanks summarizes current thinking on DNA lineage, ancestral heritage, geographic fluctuations, and social influences to support conclusions that humanity is more similar than not, that few genetic variations contribute to perceived racial differences, and that racial classifications are based more on social constructs than physical evidence. Tracing human DNA back more than 100,000 years, Fairbanks pinpoints Africa as the wellspring from which future ancestries grew and defines the term race through precise dissections of genetic traits and piercing discussions of migration patterns, cultural practices, and historical upheavals. Though technical analyses of genetic science may preclude a wider audience, Fairbanks' keen conclusions regarding the nature of race will appeal to readers curious about the deepest aspects of human relationships.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

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  • English

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