Genealogy Books - The Seven Daughters of Eve

Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:

Summary: Shameless self promotion
Comment: Not only did Bryan Sykes skew the history of using genetic markers to answer historical questions,
he danced on the edge of irresponsible science. The problems I have with this book are the
following:
1)He makes it sound as if he was the major researcher studying human genetic origins.
[He was one of many]
2)His use of donated samples is shameful (looking up names in the database),
and gives genetic researchers a bad name.
3)His fictionalized daughters of Eve is confusing for
the more gullible reader, and just plain silly for the more astute.
4)His shameless promotion of
his company is in very poor taste. I would be careful about sending in my DNA sample. He will
probably sell his surname/genotype database to the highest bidder.
The field as a whole is very
exciting and important for historians, anthropologists, forensic scientists and family researchers.
It is too bad that this book will be the main way that the general public can learn about the field.

Customer Rating:

Summary: The signature of deep time
Comment: This vivid account brings home the revolutionary implications of the new findings in genetics
applied to mitochondrial DNA and its invariant traces travelling in a cellular time machine to our
present. Beginning with the discovery and analysis of the Alpine man, the author takes us through
the detective work and analysis of a series of enigmas now resolvable in the laboratory, from the
origins of the inhabitants of the Cook islands, to the differences of Cro-Magon and the Neanderthal
and the relationship of hunter-gatherers to farmers. The book traces the genes of modern Europeans
to seven Eves or clan mothers, telling their tale in a series of charmingly whimsical snapshots.
This epic told induces a fine sense of man's genetic unity as man, even as his mutational clock is
ticking to record his journey. The author also brings in a strong case against racist conceptions of
man, as the mitochondrial signature is found to pop up in the strangest of corners of a global
mixture. Fascinating saga I found hard to put down.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Changes history as we knew it!
Comment: I could not put "Eve" down. For those with only a sketchy background in anthropology and genetics,
what an eye opener! I found bits and pieces of history learned previously suddenly falling into
place or, indeed, out of place! Onward Dr. Sykes! Heads up, textbook authors!

Customer Rating:

Summary: We're all related
Comment: This is a very interesting and readable book about human evolution. Bryan Sykes and other
researchers have been able to trace DNA from modern humans back to our early ancesters. Along the
way they have discovered how closely all humans are related to one another. We also get to see that
it works the other way around, too. DNA samples from some of the earliest human remains can be
related to modern day people. The author takes the reader through his field work and laboratory
tests, consultations with other scientist, right throught presenting a conference paper and its
publication. The reader travels the process of taking the data and turning it into knowledge. Really
good science writing.

Customer Rating:

Summary: fantastic read
Comment: If you are interested in archeology, origin of man or social history this is a must read.

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