Categories

She Has Her Mother's Laugh

She Has Her Mother's Laugh

By Carl Zimmer

The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity. Dutton, 2018.

0.0 / 0

20 mins read

16 Key insights

A brief summary of She Has Her Mother's Laugh

A captivating, comprehensive text on the history of heredity regarding science, politics, and social status, with modern viewpoints on how our genes connect us to our parents and long-forgotten ancestors.

Key insights in She Has Her Mother's Laugh

1
What do you get from this book? Heredity’s distorted history and how genes shape our lives
2
Heredity began as a legal matter, leading to racism, slavery, and inbreeding as families tried to keep their blood “pure”
3
Crossbreeding sheep led to Darwin’s “pangenesis” theory, which later gave way to the idea of “feeblemindedness” being an inherited trait
4
Hitler began killing the feebleminded, though scientists proved diseases like PKU were responsible for developmental disorders
5
Modern scientists can observe Mendel’s Law as they research DNA and chromosomes, but “bald eagle evidence” once trumped blood
6
Biology is often linked to race, propelling stereotypes, though tests like 23andMe make it easier to dispel myths
7
It’s possible to categorize human DNA, but things like race and height are difficult to map, even with modern-day software
8
Height research paved the road for twin research, demonstrating that intelligence can be inherited
9
Freemartin studies identified the body’s ability to transfer cells while in the womb, leading to improvements in organ transplantation
10
Zygote mutations and mosaics help explain anomalies in humans, animals, and plants that can lead to deformities or even death
11
There are thousands of bacteria living symbiotically inside us getting passed between parents, children, and ancestors
12
Culture plays a large role in behavior, health, and intelligence, yet scientists continue their efforts to control genes
13
CRISPR technology can prevent or cure disease by altering DNA, but debate rages regarding its ethical use
14
Summary of the key insights
15
Selected critiques in brief
16
Final word

Who should read She Has Her Mother's Laugh

Scientists • educators • historians • health workers • anyone with an interest in genetics

About the author of She Has Her Mother's Laugh

Science writer Carl Zimmer has been featured in National Geographic and Discover and his column, “Matter,” appears in The New York Times. Zimmer is the recipient of the Stephen Jay Gould Prize for his journalistic work, and the 2019 National Academies Communication Award for his text She Has Her Mother’s Laugh, also named the “Best Science Book of 2018” by Guardian.

author avatar

Carl Zimmer

Books similar to She Has Her Mother's Laugh

Related books that discuss topics similar to the book She Has Her Mother's Laugh

How We Learn

How We Learn

Benedict Carey

The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens. Random House, 2014.

15 mins read

3 reads

Pandemic

Pandemic

Sonia Shah

Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond. Sarah Crichton Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016.

15 mins read

2 reads

How to Create a Mind

How to Create a Mind

Ray Kurzweil

The Secret of Human Thought Revealed. Viking Press, 2012.

19 mins read

2 reads

Shrinks

Shrinks

Jeffrey A. Lieberman

The Untold Story of Psychiatry. Hachette Book Group, Inc., 2015.

17 mins read

3 reads

Follow Your Gut

Follow Your Gut

Rob Knight

The Enormous Impact of Tiny Microbes. Simon and Schuster, 2015.

13 mins read

4 reads

Behave

Behave

Robert Sapolsky

The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst. Penguin Press, 2017.

21 mins read

0 reads

A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived

A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived

Adam Rutherford

The Stories in Our Genes. Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2016.

15 mins read

18 reads

Childhood Disrupted

Childhood Disrupted

Donna Jackson Nakazawa

How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal. Atria Paperback, 2016.

14 mins read

6 reads

Related topics discussed in other books

Other books on similar topics in other fields and categories that may interest you

You might be interested in

Related books discuss other topics that are not necessarily similar to the topics of the book She Has Her Mother's Laugh

How to Create a Mind

How to Create a Mind

The Secret of Human Thought Revealed. Viking Press, 2012.

19 mins read

2 reads

Why Is Sex Fun?

Why Is Sex Fun?

The Evolution of Human Sexuality. Basic Books, 1998.

12 mins read

3 reads

The Code

The Code

Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America. Penguin Press, 2019.

21 mins read

1 reads

The Man Who Knew Too Much

The Man Who Knew Too Much

Alan Turing and the Invention of the Computer. Atlas Books, 2006.

18 mins read

2 reads

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? HarperOne, 2022.

19 mins read

2 reads

How to Lie with Statistics

How to Lie with Statistics

How to Lie with Statistics. W.W. Norton & Company, 1982 edition.

14 mins read

2 reads

Diversity and Complexity

Diversity and Complexity

Princeton University Press, 2010.

19 mins read

16 reads

Childhood Disrupted

Childhood Disrupted

How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal. Atria Paperback, 2016.

14 mins read

6 reads

Fooling Houdini

Fooling Houdini

Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks, and the Hidden Powers of the Mind. HarperCollins, 2012.

13 mins read

0 reads

Shakespeare in a Divided America

Shakespeare in a Divided America

Shakespeare in a Divided America. Penguin Books, 2021.

13 mins read

0 reads

See all books in Science & Technology

Explore more in these categories

Discover other books in various fields that contain the topics of She Has Her Mother's Laugh

What Lobab users are saying

Not sure if Lobab e-book and audiobook summaries are for you? Take a look at what a few of our satisfied users are saying about our powerful platform.

Ramogh

Lobab is a standout in the world of book summary apps, offering concise, insightful summaries of a wide range of books. Its user-friendly interface and well-crafted summaries allow users to quickly grasp the essence of complex works, making it an invaluable tool for those looking to learn more in less time. Whether for personal growth or professional development, Lobab is a game changer for anyone wanting to expand their knowledge efficiently. Highly recommended!

Benjamin Roche

Top quality app with plenty of brilliant summaries!

Nedal Ahmed

I found a really great book app that has made reading even more enjoyable ⭐️📚. It is super easy to use, has a lot of books to choose from, gives personalized recommendations, works well with e-readers, has an active community, and is accessible to everyone. I highly recommend it to all book enthusiasts!

Shaabi12A

I really liked the idea of the combination between the facts of the book and the issues of it in one summary. Well done.

iiMaan18ii

High quality and standards, the dark mode is good idea and good experience. So excited about the new books you’re going to add.

Eyad

Excellent experience, I can read and listen to a book within 15 mins. I appreciate the ease of use as well.

Fahad

Unique experience of book summaries delivering high quality, bestseller books, and very well-designed app. Highly recommend 👍👍

Understand books and audiobooks in 15 minutes - with Lobab!

books

Featured Topics