In recent years, scientists like Kathryn Paige Harden have shown that DNA makes us different, in our personalities and in our health鈥攁nd 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.
Awards and Recognition
- An Economist Book of the Year
"A thought-provoking read."鈥擩erry Coyne, Washington Post
"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鈥攁longside all the other arbitrary lotteries of birth鈥攚ill make us, as a society, more inclined to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy lives of dignity and comfort."鈥擥ideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker
"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鈥檚 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."鈥擯. D. Smith, The Guardian
"The Genetic Lottery is one of the most thought-provoking books I've read this year."鈥擠an Falk, CBC Radio
"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."鈥擜aron Panofsky, Science
"Harden diligently fights a desperate battle to enlist science to serve progressive social reform."鈥�Kirkus Reviews
"[An] outstanding new book. . . . It鈥檚 scientifically spot on, historically adroit, and excellently written. Required reading."鈥擜dam Rutherford
"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."鈥擩ennifer Latson, Texas Monthly
"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."鈥擩. 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."鈥擱obert H. Frank, Administrative Science Quarterly
"[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鈥攖hat it is both valuable and politically progressive for researchers of social outcomes to study DNA鈥攊s provocative. With this argument, The Genetic Lottery invites a necessary debate."鈥擠aphne Oluwaseun Martschenko, Hastings Center Report
"One of the most impressive things about [The Genetic Lottery] is Harden鈥檚 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."鈥擩onathan T. Rothwell, Rothwell's Newsletter
"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."鈥擝ryan Cwik, Bioethics
"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."鈥擬ark Rapala, International Social Science Review
"Harden has illuminated a path forward free of racial bias and 'superior-inferior' dichotomies to build on seeking applications for greater social equality."鈥擡. B. Boatner, Lavender Magazine
"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."鈥擬att d鈥橝ncona, Tortoise 鈥嬧�嬧�嬧�嬧�嬧�嬧��
鈥淭his brilliant book is without a doubt the very best exposition on our genes, how they influence quite literally everything about us, and why this means we should care more, not less, about the societal structures in which we live.鈥濃�擜ngela Duckworth, author of Grit
鈥淭o me, the aim of genetic research should be threefold: to find out which differences between people are real, which of those matter, and how to use that knowledge to get the best outcomes for all people. This fascinating book is a step toward that goal.鈥濃�擠avid Epstein, author of Range
鈥淗arden expertly explains what we can鈥攁nd importantly, can鈥檛鈥攖ake away from genetic research, and does so without shying away from the complexities or controversies. Nobody should be allowed to opine about genetics in public until they鈥檝e read this book.鈥濃�擲tuart Ritchie, author of Science Fictions
鈥淎 thoughtful, brave, and very engaging book. In contrast both to those who see genetic differences as justifying hierarchy and to those who reject the study of the influence of genes on social stratification, Harden argues that understanding the findings of behavioral genetics is essential if we are to create a more just society.鈥濃�擯eter Singer, 91桃色 University
鈥�The Genetic Lottery is a must-read for anyone who cares about understanding why humans differ from one another. Harden lights a clear path toward an anti-eugenic genetics that embraces human diversity and works toward equity for all humans.鈥濃�擱ussell A. Poldrack, author of Hard to Break
鈥淐ompelling and highly readable. Harden dispels the myths that genes are destiny, that their influence is all-or-none, and that those who work on genetics are eugenicists. She makes a persuasive case that if we understand genes this can help us work towards a fairer society.鈥濃�擠orothy Bishop, University of Oxford
鈥淗arden skillfully integrates genetic research and social science to address inequality. She demonstrates that empirical advances in understanding the role of biology and social influence in life outcomes can productively inform our moral debates and public policy decisions, if only we can forthrightly address the blinkered generalizations of the past.鈥濃�擬att Grossmann, author of How Social Science Got Better
鈥淚n this thoughtful, important, and fascinating book, Harden presents a new synthesis of genetics and egalitarianism, showing how an appreciation of the power of genes is essential for moving us towards a good and just society. The Genetic Lottery is going to have a major impact on how everyone thinks about luck, merit, and human nature.鈥濃�擯aul Bloom, Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology, Yale University, author of The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning
