DNA USA: A Genetic Portrait of America by Bryan Sykes
"DNA USA" is the ambitious but overall disappointing book about the genetic makeup of America. Bryan Sykes, author of the successful book, "The Seven Daughters of Eve and Saxons, Vikings, and Celt" and professor of human genetics at the University of Oxford and founder of Oxford Ancestors, takes the reader on a literal three-month journey through America as he collects DNA and assembles a genetic portrait. The author though engaging and making the book accessible for the masses fails at reaching his ultimate goal of providing a thorough or compelling portrait of America. This 384-page book is broken out into three sections called movements.
Positives:
1. An engaging, conversational prose that is accessible to the masses.
2. Effective overall format. Keep the highly technical aspects of genetics in a separate appendix thus allowing the body of the book to have a smooth narrative.
3. Does a good job of going over the basics of DNA. In particular, the differences between DNA and mDNA which is fundamental in this book.
4. A brief history of genetics and its progress.
5. A wonderful look at the history of various Native Americans populations of America.
6. A brief look at American history with a focus on the early colonies.
7. The beauty of modern genetics, unraveling ancestry.
8. Sykes does a great job of establishing what genetics can do and its limitations.
9. Many genetic misconceptions debunked, "Many people naturally think that increasing accuracy will come by increasing the number of markers tested. It will not."
10. Some chapters are much better than others...chapter 8. The Jews and chapter 9. The Africans were among my favorites.
11. Fascinating look at genetics and diseases and the complexity of pinpointing diseases through genetics.
12. A look at slavery and its impact to America. Some mind-blowing numbers and facts.
13. A look at inheriting DNA...how it works. Enlightening.
14. DNA tests to the public...its importance.
15. A look at the Human Genome Project and its impact.
16. A look at why some populations have an understandable indignation over cooperating in genetic projects.
17. Some interesting personal stories regarding the people who provided their DNA. Even the author provides some interesting insights into his own ancestry.
18. An enlightening look at why a third of African American men carry a European Y chromosome.
19. Good use of pop culture (movies) to engage the reader.
20. Does a good job of wrapping up his overall work.
21. Interesting overall findings.
22. Links worked great.
Negatives:
1. The expression "You have bitten more than you can chew" comes to mind with this book. It's a fantastic idea for a book that came up way too short. The author recognizes early on in his travels that he wasn't going to get all the cooperation he needed to reach all his goals.
2. The book is uneven, that is, some chapters are so much better than others.
3. Some chapters are laborious to read; even the author acknowledges that unless you are of that population group it will get tedious to get through.
4. Overall the author comes across as an engaging person you want you to sit down with but some of the comments were shall I say off putting. The comment regarding a Mexican named Jesus who left his violent hometown and implying that he didn't have the guts to him ask a question because he just recently watched the movie; "No Country for Old Men" is uncalled for.
5. As a person with Spanish roots I was hoping to get a little more than Puerto Ricans are more susceptible to asthma than Mexicans.
6. Overall I was disappointed; I was expecting a more comprehensive genetic portrayal of America. Many parts of the country were left out.
7. No formal bibliography.
In summary, I have mixed feelings about this book. The topic is fascinating, the goal too ambitious and the execution was overall disappointing. Professor Sykes deserves credit for taking on such an ambitious project but early on he knew he wasn't going to be able to deliver the goods. He didn't get all the cooperation he required to be able to end up with a comprehensive genetic-portrayal of America. The author also made some questionable sensitive remarks that I thought were off putting but you be the judge of that. All that being said, some of the chapters are truly fascinating and provides valuable insight. Read with reservations noted.
Further suggestions: "
The Universe Inside You: The Extreme Science of the Human Body From Quantum Theory to the Mysteries of the Brain" by Brian Clegg, "
The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution" by Gregory Cochran, "
Relics of Eden: The Powerful Evidence of Evolution in Human DNA" by Daniel J. Fairbanks, "
Deep Ancestry: Inside The Genographic Project" by Spencer Wells "
Why Evolution Is True" by Jerry A. Coyne, "
The Making of the Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution" by Sean B. Carroll, "
Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body (Vintage)" by Neil Shubin, "
Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors" by Nicholas Wade and "
A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present" by Howard Zinn.
