The Genetic Lottery - by Kathryn Paige Harden

About the Book

"A provocative and timely case for how the science of genetics can help create a more just and equal society. In recent years, scientists like Kathryn Paige Harden have shown that DNA makes us different, in our personalities and in our health-and in ways that matter for educational and economic success in our current society. In The Genetic Lottery, Harden introduces readers to the latest genetic science, dismantling dangerous ideas about racial superiority and challenging us to grapple with what equality really means in a world where people are born different. Weaving together personal stories with scientific evidence, Harden shows why our refusal to recognize the power of DNA perpetuates the myth of meritocracy, and argues that we must acknowledge the role of genetic luck if we are ever to create a fair society.Reclaiming genetic science from the legacy of eugenics, this groundbreaking book offers a bold new vision of society where everyone thrives, regardless of how one fares in the genetic lottery"--

Book Synopsis

A provocative and timely case for how the science of genetics can help create a more just and equal society

In recent years, scientists like Kathryn Paige Harden have shown that DNA makes us different, in our personalities and in our health--and in ways that matter for educational and economic success in our current society.

In The Genetic Lottery, Harden introduces readers to the latest genetic science, dismantling dangerous ideas about racial superiority and challenging us to grapple with what equality really means in a world where people are born different. Weaving together personal stories with scientific evidence, Harden shows why our refusal to recognize the power of DNA perpetuates the myth of meritocracy, and argues that we must acknowledge the role of genetic luck if we are ever to create a fair society.

Reclaiming genetic science from the legacy of eugenics, this groundbreaking book offers a bold new vision of society where everyone thrives, regardless of how one fares in the genetic lottery.

Review Quotes

"A book that is closely argued and packed with compelling scientific and statistical evidence. . . . This is a fascinating and detailed discussion of how genetic and environmental factors are braided together in all of us, shaping our destinies for good or ill. Harden's ideas challenge existing orthodoxies, and she is also aware that complex research such as this is often misused. But her passionate commitment to tackling inequality and changing society is not to be doubted."---P. D. Smith, The Guardian

"Harden has illuminated a path forward free of racial bias and 'superior-inferior' dichotomies to build on seeking applications for greater social equality."---E. B. Boatner, Lavender Magazine

"The ultimate claim of The Genetic Lottery is an extraordinarily ambitious act of moral entrepreneurialism. Harden argues that an appreciation of the role of simple genetic luck--alongside all the other arbitrary lotteries of birth--will make us, as a society, more inclined to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy lives of dignity and comfort."---Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker

"The Genetic Lottery is a good read, peppered with relatable stories and examples. Harden pulls off the trick of simultaneously introducing a technical field to newcomers; addressing deep, specialist debates; and taking seriously the intersection of scientific and philosophical analyses of inequality."---Aaron Panofsky, Science

"The Genetic Lottery is one of the most thought-provoking books I've read this year."---Dan Falk, CBC Radio

"[An] outstanding new book. . . . It's scientifically spot on, historically adroit, and excellently written. Required reading."---Adam Rutherford

"[Harden] is a beautiful writer, weaving together personal narrative and complex technical concepts skillfully. Her writing is accessible to nonexperts, and the argument she makes--that it is both valuable and politically progressive for researchers of social outcomes to study DNA--is provocative. With this argument, The Genetic Lottery invites a necessary debate."---Daphne Oluwaseun Martschenko, Hastings Center Report

"A thought-provoking read."---Jerry Coyne, Washington Post

"A welcome resource for scholars and policy makers who want to advocate for and initiate equitable social changes with the help of reliable, expert knowledge."---J. F. Heberle, Choice

"An engagingly written and highly accessible account of how genes shape our lives. . . . [The Genetic Lottery] richly merits the widespread attention it has received."---Robert H. Frank, Administrative Science Quarterly

"An Economist Book of the Year"

"Harden diligently fights a desperate battle to enlist science to serve progressive social reform."-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"In creating a new synthesis that neither ignores the role of genetics nor misappropriates it, Harden acknowledges the importance the genetic lottery plays in shaping our life outcomes, while cautioning against misinterpreting the genetically laden differences among people as implying inborn, societal superiority. Harden examines the nascent field of behavioral genetics in an intellectually humble way, by detailing in lay terms the science of genetics and its applicability to differential life outcomes among people, and by incorporating this knowledge to advance social policies and social considerations that limit inequities."---Mark Rapala, International Social Science Review

"Kathryn Paige Harden has been waging a noble battle to liberate genetic science from its reactionary connotations, and especially the foul practice of eugenics. Her point, pithily made in this important book, is that knowledge of genetics is essential to any progressive politics and can be harnessed to advance the cause of equality."---Matt d'Ancona, Tortoise ​​​​​​​

"Kathryn Paige Harden's The Genetic Lottery is both a novel contribution to this set and a novel kind of contribution, in that she does something much of the rest of this work does not: take a definite position on the political and social implications of behavioral genetics. . . . The book is a masterly tour of the state of the art of behavioral genetics and its relevance for pressing social questions."---Bryan Cwik, Bioethics

"One of the most impressive things about [The Genetic Lottery] is Harden's crystal-clear exposition of complex scientific research and methods. This alone is a gift to the public and every scientist should be grateful to her for helping the public understand genomic research and causal inference."---Jonathan T. Rothwell, Rothwell's Newsletter

"While acknowledging the roles our environment and experiences play in shaping our lives, Harden makes the case that social scientists who want to address the roots of inequality must reckon with genetics. . . . The more researchers understand about the myriad factors that influence how our lives turn out, the more they can help improve outcomes for everyone. Genetics is one of those factors, Harden argues: when we ignore it, the most vulnerable suffer."---Jennifer Latson, Texas Monthly

About the Author

Kathryn Paige Harden is professor of clinical psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is director of the Developmental Behavior Genetics Lab and codirector of the Texas Twin Project. She lives in Austin. Twitter @kph3k