What's Real about Race?: Untangling Science, Genetics, and Society

Norton Shorts

by Rina Bliss

A paradigm-shifting tour of genetics and identity arguing that race is at once a biological fiction and a social reality.

Biologically, race does not exist. But in our social world, it remains decidedly important. Mainstream scientists embrace these truths, yet misinformation about human variation and genetics persists in our society. What is the true relationship between the two? And how should we talk about identity in science and medicine?

In deeply researched, masterful prose, sociologist Dr. Rina Bliss guides us through the invention and evolution of the concept. She reveals how the myth of distinct, biological races endures in medicine, science, and social policy—warping our understanding of complex topics like intelligence, disease susceptibility, and behavior. Even well-intentioned researchers add to the confusion by introducing racial analysis in contexts where it doesn’t belong, resulting in misleading reports that amplify harmful assumptions and ignore the social forces at work. At a time when misinformation about our bodies and identities is dangerously prevalent, Bliss unmasks what’s truly real about namely, racism’s impact on our bodies and lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Audiobook, Biology, Genetics, Sociology

192 pages, Hardcover

Published February 11, 2025

Reviews

[Corvus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Rina Bliss' What's Real About Race because I have frequently found myself very confused about what race actually is, when it makes sense to call attention to it being made up as a means to control and oppress, when there are real measurable differences in health supposedly genetics based on race, and when race is a culturally existing phenomenon deeply affecting the lives of everyone in different ways. I really enjoyed this book because it does what many authors struggle to do- offers a summary of science, social justice, history, and other elements written in a way that many people outside academia are able to understand.

Bliss is a researcher in sociology and genetic science and seeks to dispel myths around the use of racial categories as distinct genetic groups while also confronting the reality that race is very much at a systemic and personal level. This shows in the ways she navigates across different modalities while conveying information to the reader that weaves them together.

I consider myself fairly well read at this point on ideas about race as a social construct. I am less familiar with how race exists in the genetic realm and it appears that I am not alone in that. Even social justice focused doctors and scientists seem to be consistently confused or knowingly convey inaccurate information in the ways they summarize their findings. The reasons for these mistakes made by scientists and medical professionals have such a wide range that it is odd how they often come to the same place of treating racial categories as clearly delineated, homogenous groups with simplistic origins and similar genomes. For some, it is straight up racism and eugenics. For others, it is habitual use of outdated and disproven classification systems that are sometimes required by certain journals and platforms. For corporations, like geneology DNA labs, it's a capitalist venture, becoming ever more destructive as these companies grow. For others still, it is to seek liberation and appropriate care and attention for oppressed and marginalized racial groups.

What Bliss shows is that even the most social justice minded scientist, including BIPOC ones, can suffer from implicit bias or from improperly categorizing the spectrum of humanity into distinct genetic categories that do not exist. She also offers solutions to these modalities and approaches, directed both towards scientists and medical professionals as well as the reader. She expresses the importance of being able to interpret the way journalists also fall into these traps when reporting on research or demographic disparities in media.

Bliss' ability to navigate all of these elements is a strength that makes this book live up to the title. Is Race real? Yes and no. Here and there. Relevant in many situations and irrelevant in others. All of this packed into a small volume that is readable for the masses makes this a really strong book that is not quite like other things I have read.

This was also posted to my storygraph and blog.

[Michael McEwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise and informed summary of genetics in relation to race. I’ve known about the 99.9% commonality of humans and this book explains what this means (and doesn’t mean).

This paragraph from the end of the books sums it up well:

When I’m asked what’s real about race, this is what I say: Race is a complicated combination of social, structural, and material factors, and must be viewed as such. If we mistakenly view race as a genetic category and ignore the many social factors that construct our differences, we perpetuate an inaccurate view of what’s real about race. Race isn’t in our DNA. Race doesn’t determine our intelligence or our behavior. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. Race often holds personal meanings for us, which shouldn’t be discounted. Race, and racism, are a part of our history. And, more than likely, they’re part of our future. Identity categories are always evolving, but they’re unlikely to disappear anytime soon. We’ll probably always encounter mistaken ideas about identity and biology. But when we misunderstand what race is and isn’t, as even well-intentioned genomic scientists, educators, and policymakers often do, we end up rationalizing injustice through false, unscientific distinctions.

Highly recommended

[Jamie Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always maintained that race has no basis in genetics. Even if you believe race exists due to socialization how different are siblings of different races, when they grow up in the same home? My sister and I are pretty similar. My cousins are similar to me.
What about people of different races who grow up in the same neighborhood? We have the same community culture. At the same time I, as a white woman, do not need to fear racists (I still do but I don't need to). That is enough to make us different.

Naturally I am drawn to books like this.
Thank you for presenting race from this completely new perspective. And thank you for explaining the history. I always keep in mind that eugenics started here.
Right now this read is a lot heavier than it would have been even a few weeks ago. I have been having nightmares every night about ICE.

Thank you for this. I think it should be required reading.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Race doesn’t exist biologically, but its social impact is undeniable. Sociologist Dr. Rina Bliss explores how the myth of biological race persists in science, medicine, and policy, distorting our understanding of health, intelligence, and behavior. She exposes how even well-intentioned research can reinforce harmful assumptions by misapplying racial analysis, ultimately revealing that racism, not race, shapes our lives.

This book highlights what genetics tells us about race—most importantly, that the human diaspora doesn’t align with geographical concepts of race. Race is sociological, not genetic. And yet, humans continue in their attempts to use genetics to create simple ways to classify people. It’s a modern form of eugenics unsupported by science. The book is intelligently written, engaging, and accessible for a lay audience.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Seth · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interrogation of race that falls short. The author can't seem to shake her allegiance to race, in spite of valiant efforts, because of her politics. There are some good points and clear explanations, but also a lot of pretzel logic. She seems to be trying to both dismantle race and save it at the same time - battling with the cognitive dissonance of knowing that it is false, but still needing it to prop up her worldview. In the end she totally fails to deconstruct race at all. She advocates that we stop calling race a social construct and start calling it a social reality - ultimately perpetuating race and race politics as usual. If you are interested in a more successful deconstruction of race, I would suggest The Raceless Antiracist: Why Ending Race Is the Future of Antiracism by Sheena Mason, Ph.D. Her take in a nutshell: Race isn't real but racism is.

[Roger Smitter · Rating 3 out of 5]

“What’s Real About Race: Unchanging Science Genetics And Society” could be a theme of ideas in our world.

But the team seems to be a many themes of big words in the very first chapters: “Anthropologists “anthropologist, and “immateriality”. Most of us have to get another book to understand these words.

And there are many of words like these and are “socioeconomic” and “homophobia’”. Another such of from word to a book called an “psycholinguist”.

And many some of the words go beyond “social” words in this book. I don’t see to have it what way.

[Jesús · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is too short and underdeveloped. It’s meant for audiences who are less familiar with the topics the au their discusses. However, I’m not sure how persuasive her writing will be to people who are less familiar with the points she brings up.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

In another life, when I did less explicit drugs and more math — im a geneticist but in this life I just read every book I’ve found on the topic and this one was fascinating. 👩‍🔬🤓

[Cole Himali · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting but found it hard to read and finish it got a little boring and wasnt very cohesive

[Samantha Panter]

àsw

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worth a read for all scientists! But especially those in the biomedical field!

[Mountaingirl24 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Important information but very dry. Not for me

[Rafael Suleiman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book on the reality of race in our society.