In the Blood : God, Genes and Destiny

by Steve Jones

This work is about human origins. It draws on all the latest knowledge from anthropology and archaeology, via genetics and evolution, to psychology and medicine. It tackles issues such as hereditary genes in criminal behaviour and homosexuality.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Genetics, Biology, Evolution, Popular Science, History

381 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 1996

About the author

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

John Stephen Jones is a Welsh geneticist and from 1995 to 1999 and 2008 to June 2010 was Head of the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment at University College London. His studies are conducted in the Galton Laboratory. He is also a television presenter and a prize-winning author on the subject of biology, especially evolution. He is one of the contemporary popular writers on evolution. In 1996 his writing won him the Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize "for his numerous, wide ranging contributions to the public understanding of science in areas such as human evolution and variation, race, sex, inherited disease and genetic manipulation through his many broadcasts on radio and television, his lectures, popular science books, and his regular science column in The Daily Telegraph and contributions to other newspaper media".

Reviews

[Huw Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the non-creationist this book pulls together all the evidence based strands of evolutionary theory and tries to explain how the species H sapiens sapiens came to be. In his inestimable lucidity, Steve Jones separates genetic fact from genetic fiction and tries to set a balance that is soo often lost in the fundamentalism that surrounds our existance. Each time I read this book I remember much and learn more.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well...I'm not quite sure what to say. Unlike the previous books I have read around the subject of biology and genetics, Steven Jones doesn't seem (to me at least) to be making an actual argument for or against a particular point, nor does he seem to be answering any specific question. Instead he seems to tie together a whole host of different topics ranging from where humans first originated to Mormon records of their ancestors, with the main subject of inheritance and genetics.

Even though I wasn't expecting to read a book that wasn't arguing a point, I actually really liked reading it as it involved a lot of anthropology and history, pressed together with theology, all of which also interest me greatly. I also especially liked the sections of extra information in greater depth that were scattered throughout the chapters relating to what he was saying within those pages.

However I still felt like it was missing a conclusion, as the fifth and last chapter sort of tapered into nothingness, with a single sentence seeming to represent his conclusion. I am still rather confused on how to pass a single verdict on this book - but I will do my best.

A great book for anyone who has a strong interest in biological anthropology with a healthy dose of genetics thrown in, but who doesn't want their head to explode from the weight and pressure of scientific jargon and theories every single sentence. Quite a relaxed read actually...

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and accessible introduction to genetics, and how it relates to issues of philosophy, theology, politics, and health.

[Carlos · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although I found this book quite informative in parts, I can’t say that I enjoyed it as a whole. Jones seeks to use the current understanding on genetics to comment on topics like ancestry, race, crime and health. However, Jones spends so long setting up the non-science context for each chapter that the book feels like a collection of articles on Mormon predilection for genealogy, Native American and Jewish identities, racial animus, etc., with a dash of genetics information. The result was a rather taxing reading experience, waiting to see where Jones was going with each new section, usually finding some interesting tidbit of genetics information and then starting all over with the set up for the next chapter.

[M_jelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely worth the read, but I find Jones has a habit throwing so many names and dates around (particular in the sections focusing on the biblical/ religious application of genes) that things get confusing. I also feel he tends to start in the middle of a concept, sometimes using jargon that really needs a thorough explanation first. However, this book has me interested in the subject and was a constant reminder of the detail and complications of the human body. If you can push through the first half, the last 3-4 chapters are really well written and the best in the book!

[Sue Chant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re-read.

[Steve Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, peppered with fascinating facts and insights, but rather random and unstructured. Steve Jones is a good writer and one of the leading experts on genetics, with broad intellectual interests, however in this book he casts his nets too wide, trying to foist genetics on almost every aspect of human culture. The chapter on economics goes wide of the mark when Jones tries to convince the reader that sex and taxes are the same thing, and that socialism is equivalent to sexual biology whereas capitalism is a flawed system akin to asexual reproduction and therefore doomed to fail.

[mensch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great account of the obsession of people regarding "blood" - tracing ancestries, family, "pureness" of race, etc. Jones is a great writer and litters his prose with many relevant and insightful anecdotes.