What We Inherit

“Throughout, the authors provide clear explanations, often unpacking the complex nature of genetics through real-life stories. It adds up to a well-researched and nuanced look at emerging genomic research.” * Publishers Weekly *
“Fresh and exciting.”—Matthew Cobb, Times Literary Supplement
“A perfect combination of expertise to address all angles of the issues… . Indeed, seeing the thoughtful process behind [Sam Trejo and Daphne O. Martschenko’s] opposing views in a discussion format brings home how difficult the discussions around these topics can be… . Yet readers who likely feel more attuned to one of the authors’ views at the start of the book will come to appreciate the other side as they learn more about polygenic scores, social genomics, and their influence on genetic myths.”—Eva Amsen, Undark Magazine
“Daphne O. Martschenko and Sam Trejo both want to make the world a better, fairer, more equitable place. But they disagree on whether studying social genomics—elucidating any potential genetic contributions to behaviors ranging from mental illnesses to educational attainment to political affiliation—can help achieve this goal… . In What We Inherit: How New Technologies and Old Myths Are Shaping Our Genomic Future, we get to see how their collaboration can shed light on our rapidly advancing genetic capabilities.”—Diana Gitig, Ars Technica
“Engaging and exciting… .The conversational back-and-forth between the authors in each chapter makes the content more accessible through overtly presenting the reasoning for each author’s position on the topic of the chapter. It is highly unusual, but effective. Trejo and Martschenko reveal the inheritance of not only DNA but the myths surrounding it, and the ways power is implicated in the process. They do this with great care and flourish.”—Kristen Karlberg, Social Forces
“What We Inherit is a remarkable book, essential reading for anyone who wants to separate the hype around genomic tools from reality.”—Kostas Kampourakis, The Quarterly Review of Biology
“Thought-provoking and insightful, [What We Inherit] advances a crucial discussion about how genetic information should and should not be used.” * Choice *

Sam Trejo is assistant professor of sociology at Princeton University, where he holds the Charles H. McIlwain University Preceptorship.

Daphne O. Martschenko is assistant professor of biomedical ethics at Stanford University.

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