A Troublesome Inheritance

Genes, Race, and Human History

By: Nicholas Wade

Narrated by: Alan Sklar

Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Drawing on startling new evidence from the mapping of the genome, an explosive new account of the genetic basis of race and its role in the human story.

Fewer ideas have been more toxic or harmful than the idea of the biological reality of race, and with it the idea that humans of different races are biologically different from one another. For this understandable reason, the idea has been banished from polite academic conversation. Arguing that race is more than just a social construct can get a scholar run out of town, or at least off campus, on a rail. Human evolution, the consensus view insists, ended in prehistory.

Inconveniently, as Nicholas Wade argues in A Troublesome Inheritance, the consensus view cannot be right. And in fact, we know that populations have changed in the past few thousand years - to be lactose tolerant, for example, and to survive at high altitudes. Race is not a bright-line distinction; by definition it means that the more human populations are kept apart, the more they evolve their own distinct traits under the selective pressure known as Darwinian evolution. For many thousands of years, most human populations stayed where they were and grew distinct, not just in outward appearance but in deeper senses as well.

Wade, the longtime journalist covering genetic advances for The New York Times, draws widely on the work of scientists who have made crucial breakthroughs in establishing the reality of recent human evolution. The most provocative claims in this audiobook involve the genetic basis of human social habits. What we might call middle-class social traits - thrift, docility, nonviolence - have been slowly but surely inculcated genetically within agrarian societies, Wade argues. These “values” obviously had a strong cultural component, but Wade points to evidence that agrarian societies evolved away from hunter-gatherer societies in some crucial respects. Also controversial are his findings regarding the genetic basis of traits we associate with intelligence, such as literacy and numeracy, in certain ethnic populations, including the Chinese and Ashkenazi Jews.

Wade believes deeply in the fundamental equality of all human peoples. He also believes that science is best served by pursuing the truth without fear, and if his mission to arrive at a coherent summa of what the new genetic science does and does not tell us about race and human history leads straight into a minefield, then so be it. This will not be the last word on the subject, but it will begin a powerful and overdue conversation.

©2014 Nicholas Wade (P)2014 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"It is hard to convey how rich this book is.... The book is a delight to read - conversational and lucid. And it will trigger an intellectual explosion the likes of which we haven't seen for a few decades.... At the heart of the book, stated quietly but with command of the technical literature, is a bombshell.... So one way or another, A Troublesome Inheritance will be historic. Its proper reception would mean enduring fame." (The Wall Street Journal)

"Extremely well-researched, thoughtfully written and objectively argued.... The real lesson of the book should not be lost on us: A scientific topic cannot be declared off limits or whitewashed because its findings can be socially or politically incendiary.... Ultimately Wade’s argument is about the transparency of knowledge." (Ashutosh Jogalekar, Scientific American)

"Wade ventures into territory eschewed by most writers: the evolutionary basis for racial differences across human populations. He argues persuasively that such differences exist.... His conclusion is both straightforward and provocative.... He makes the case that human evolution is ongoing and that genes can influence, but do not fully control, a variety of behaviors that underpin differing forms of social institutions. Wade’s work is certain to generate a great deal of attention." (Publishers Weekly)

Fascinating page-turner

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I already have. Ok, so I didn't actually turn any pages, but I did listen to the last two-thirds of the book in one Saturday sitting. This is a subject matter that I'm passionately interested in, but lack any science background to appreciate previous books that I've read. I would recommend it as a good broad introduction to evolution and natural selection.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The author's theories. He covers many questions that I have pondered on myself, offers some fascinating theories, and compels the reader to continue questioning. There are some interesting rebuttals to Jared Diamonds books. I also appreciated the citing of Fukuyama's books on political order. Wade suggests (I think) that our propensity for different forms of government may be inherited in our genes. This would explain why tribal cultures have difficulty in maintaining democracies.

What about Alan Sklar’s performance did you like?

I found the narrator's voice to be pleasant and commanding. I never want the narrator to be the star. If I'm rarely aware of the voice and delivery, then s/he has done a good job. That was the case here.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I wouldn't say that I was "moved", but what I read is still with me a week after I listened to it, and it has piqued my interest enough to read more about the subject.
Having read some of the book reviews on Amazon, I applaud Wade's courage to write such a controversial book.

Excellent discussion

Liked the discussion. While he skirts around religious discussion he fails to acknowledge the west has a religious difference from the rest of the world.

Great book

Great book discussing genetic and human society. The narrator's voice is too deep. Not very pleasing to hear. Just my personal opinion.

So close to being a good book...

The premiss that a type of society creates evolutionary forces that alter the genome is interesting but is totally unsupported by the data presented.

This whole book reeks of "I'm not a racist but..." Trying to use evolution to explain racial stereotypes gives evolutionary psychology a bad name.

Finally, an honest book on the topic

Genes and culture have co-evolved. Humans have adapted not just too local climates but to prevailing political and economic structures. This is an easy thesis to support, but the work of marshaling the evidence is long overdue because of the unscientific culture of taboo in academia. The book is a fascinating read.

An interesting hypothesis sure....

What did you like best about A Troublesome Inheritance? What did you like least?

An interesting hypothesis that warrants a discussion - perhaps not a full book? The least part was I liked was the first few chapters - almost returned it, but stuck it out. Enjoyed parts of the second half. A recall on Belayev's foxes experiment in this context is interesting

If you’ve listened to books by Nicholas Wade before, how does this one compare?

I haven't

Which scene was your favorite?

I learned that they burned dozens of cats alive at the public square in Medieval times - in front of the King. (Spoiler alert) . Perhaps we have developed a larger sense of empathy since then -- ok perhaps.

Could you see A Troublesome Inheritance being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Uh, No

Any additional comments?

A professor might say "An interesting hypothesis....let me know if anyone finds any evidence to support it." A long way to go to get to that conclusion.

great boom

While it's a bit "sciencey" it's puts things in plain terms that everyday people can understand. This book should be a required read for any senior in high school.

Brave Book!

Good book on a very sensitive subject. Enjoyed the narrator's serious delivery.
Why do they want 8 more words? Huh?

Great Intellectual Introduction to Alternative Critical Race Theory

Nicholas Wade did a marvelously brave job in tackling an emotionally charged topic with intelligence, information, and originality. Not compromising on his own individual writing style, Wade details in breadth and depth the information that is available regarding the biological reality of race and its implications. Avoiding overtly offensive tones, Wade clearly and elegantly explains the reality that is. I would love to hear a refutation of this book; I have none. Well done. Definitely recommend.

The audiobook was also nicely produced and narrated.

very interesting listen

I don't know why we can't talk about these things more openly. Instead we tiptoe around them when we all know that the majority of what is in this book is blatantly obvious.