This really is rather an extraordinary book, being a spin-off from a series of talks on BBC television. J. S. ("Steve") Jones is Professor of Genetics at the Galton Laboratory in the University of London, and incidentally a member of the Galton Institute. He is therefore a reputable geneticist, who originally worked on the ecological genetics of snails, though he has now moved on to human genetics. But he has many other interests, and is evidently widely read in anthropology and history, and also in politics and philosophy, and even in theology. And he has now acquired a considerable reputation as a populariser of science, starting with a well-received series of Reith Lectures in 1991. He also has a regular column, "View from the Lab.", in the Daily Telegraph, dealing with science generally. He has real journalistic flair and, unlike most scientific journalists nowadays, he really does know what he is talking about, certainly in biology and genetics.

But, as is indeed evident from the title, the book is only marginally concerned with science. It deals with much broader matters of general interest, illustrated by a fair amount of biology where this is relevant. It mostly is, and is sound enough so far as it goes, but the approach of much of the rest is a bit amateurish. None the worse for that, though it will lay itself open to criticism by professionals.

In a short review it really isn’t possible to summarise, let alone to comment on, the many different matters dealt with. But the titles of some of the chapters will give an idea of the spread: The Paradox of Armageddon; Sex and Taxes; The Soul beneath the Skin; Original Sin; Death and Resurrection; and so on. Subjects touched upon include Darwinism, Mendel, and Lysenko; human races, from a politically correct point of view; melanin and negritude; the "Out of Africa" hypothesis; native American Indians; Judaism; Mormons; Calvinism; Eugenics; the genetics of blood, mitochondrial DNA, and cancer; the Hapsburg lip; haemophilia in the descendants of Queen Victoria; and much more besides. And there are plenty of well chosen illustrations, many of which will be unfamiliar to most readers.

In no way a textbook or monograph, but rather a splendid example of haute vulgarisation, it is full of stimulating ideas, some of which do indeed seem to be a bit far fetched. But it can be recommended as a good read for those who like that sort of thing, and don’t expect to go along with all of what it says.

C. B. Goodhart