About this item
What does science say about race? In this book a distinguished research geneticist presents abundant evidence showing that traditional notions about distinct racial differences have little scientific foundation. In short, racism is not just morally wrong; it has no basis in fact.The author lucidly describes in detail the factors that have led to the current scientific consensus about race. Both geneticists and anthropologists now generally agree that the human species originated in sub-Saharan Africa and darkly pigmented skin was the ancestral state of humanity. Moreover, worldwide human diversity is so complex that discrete races cannot be genetically defined. And for individuals, ancestry is more scientifically meaningful than race.Separate chapters are devoted to controversial topics: skin color and the scientific reasons for the differences; why ancestry is more important to individual health than race; intelligence and human diversity; and evolutionary perspectives on the persistence of racism.
About the Author
Daniel Fairbanks is an accomplished scientist, artist, author, and teacher. He is a geneticist with a wide breadth of expertise in evolutionary genetics, international scientific development, science education, and the history of science. His most recent book is Everyone is African: How Science Explodes the Myth of Race, published by Prometheus Books and available beginning April 2015. Other books include Evolving: The Human Effect and Why It Matters, Relics of Eden: The Powerful Evidence of Evolution in Human DNA, Ending the Mendel-Fisher Controversy (with A. Franklin, A.W.F. Edwards, D.L. Hartl, and T. Seidenfeld) , and Genetics: The Continuity of Life (with W.R. Andersen) . He is a prolific research scientist whose articles are published in a wide range of prestigious scientific journals.Having been raised in a family of four generations of artists, Daniel is also a professional artist with commissioned work in sculpture, painting, and drawing on permanent exhibit in museum, public, and private collections, and published book illustrations. His diverse talents in art and science merge through artistic human anatomy, scientific illustration, and forensic sculpture. Daniel uses his skills as an artist to promote scientific awareness and education through live sculpture demonstrations.
