Who We Are and How We Got Here

De: David Reich

Narrado por: John Lescault

A groundbreaking book about how ancient DNA has profoundly changed our understanding of human history

Geneticists like David Reich have made astounding advances in the field of genomics, which is proving to be as important as archaeology, linguistics, and written records as a means to understand our ancestry.

In Who We Are and How We Got Here, Reich allows listeners to discover how the human genome provides not only all the information a human embryo needs to develop but also the hidden story of our species. Reich delves into how the genomic revolution is transforming our understanding of modern humans and how DNA studies reveal deep inequalities among different populations, between the sexes, and among individuals. Provocatively, Reich's book suggests that there might very well be biological differences among human populations but that these differences are unlikely to conform to common stereotypes.

Drawing upon revolutionary findings and unparalleled scientific studies, Who We Are and How We Got Here is a captivating glimpse into humankind - where we came from and what that says about our lives today.

A New York Times best-seller in Science Books. A #1 Amazon.com bestseller in the Biochemistry List.

©2018 David Reich (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Great book

A well informed book from a well informed genetecisist. with relevant data and good well fundamented arguments. A great reading for the casual or a more interested reader.

The narrator is quite monotone, which to me, helps understanding the material but understandably might be a cause for boredom for some. You guessed it, this is not a funny book but a highly knowlegable and entertaining one.

✔️ Outstanding ‼️

Confirmed Audible Addict, so I have a rather large collection that’s grown over the years. What makes this particular offering so rewarding is that I actually finished it; although I did a lot of backing up to listen to particular segments over, just yo be sure I got all the important points. And the point I’m making is simply this: If you want to know where your ancestors came from as you respect their struggles, while you learn the latest genetic research, then in that case—this Audible offering is for you. Enjoy . . . Keith

Highly informative and entertaining.

Great book for anyone wanting a more in depth understanding of human origins, genetics, and the implications of uncovering ancient ancestry.

Fantastic Portrayal of New Advances

As a former student of anthropology I found this riveting, informative, and well thought out!

It is quite technical at times, for those unfamiliar with genetic studies, but on the whole should be quite enjoyable for most audiences.

Outstanding science, some questionable editorializing

I am a former bioinformatician. As a scientist this book blew me away. I am not sure what my favourite parts are: the stories about what they discovered, or the stories about how they developed and applied methods to make those discoveries. It's a great example of the power of computation and the power of careful statistical thinking. And I learned a ton about the current state of anthropology, which was instructove and exciting for me.

However, I can understand the criticisms of this book, even if I don't agree with most of them. He does name and struggle with the very real impact that unethical medicine and science has had on indigenous populations, but I can't shake the feeling that he's a little cavalier, and a little deep in the motivated reasoning, on his quest for knowledge. Which... I mean, if you're doing research, I get it. I also want more data. I also want mysteries solved. I also want to discover new things.

He calls out bad science and bad public policy. He calls out the misuse of the trust placed in researchers. I'm just a little concerned that some very real, reasonable, and well-grounded concerns of indigenous people are named but dismissed without full consideration.

All in all, I loved this book. I'm going to go in search of another work that struggles more directly and more carefully with the social implications of this kind of work, but for the science alone I heartily recommend this book to anyone, with or without a biology background.