Genealogy Books - The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey

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Customer Rating:

Summary: A load of fun to read.
Comment: I just had a blast reading this book. What a load of fun! The fact that we can divine the details
of our origins and travels from the minute variations in our Y chromosomes and Mitochondrial DNA
just floors me. The author takes us, step by step, through the data and reasoning behind our
african roots a mere 50,000 years in the past, and our subsequent voyages through Asia, Europe, and
the Americas. The author treats us kindly by regularly reminding us of previous conclusions and
data, and by keeping the big picture always in front of us. His skill is such that we never lose
our place, even though the journey is full of twists and turns.

Customer Rating:

Summary: One family � sibling rivalry continues
Comment: Self proud humans with basic understanding of biology cannot even imagine that 50-60,000 yrs or up
to 150,000 (or more) ago we all came from one man and one woman who mated, until geneticists
revealed the undeniable evidence (our mitochondria DNA or Y chromosome DNA sequences) showing that
we all are related. Yes, no matter what race or whomever you are looking at on this earth, tall or
short, dark or pale, charismatic or repulsive, civilized or primitive, violent or gentle, we all
share the same ancestors. Just like any species. Will knowing that we all share the same ancestors
make us respect or understand each other more? Just think of the cases of sibling rivalry, it is
unlikely that humans will buy much of the fact that we share the same ancestor so that we would live
more peacefully. Nonetheless, science does provide a powerful tool to understand ourselves. Perhaps
the next step is to unravel those genetic traits that render us accumulate hate so easily and manage
this destructive behavior more easily.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Not science?
Comment: If you didn't think that there was much conclusive evidence in the study, maybe you should say so
and you have every right to point it out. However, you seem to know everything already, don't you?
There are intellectual and temperamental differences between races? And race cannot be defined -
nobody is denying its existence. The fact that you are unwilling to debate on the issue and already
have arrived at a conclusion shows you racist tendencies. Is your small mindedness just a product of
your races temperament? Please be fair, because you seem to have the ability to think rationally but
unfortunately you don't appear to be exercising this. Our diversity is in our experiences, of
course. Saying that it is contradictory to celebrate our diversness while pointing out our
similarities is misleading. There are differences in wool sweaters (the colors, the weave)but
essentially it is made of the same raw material. Does that mean that every sweater is the same? Of
course not.

I'm sure there is a lot of evidence to destroy Wells' findings, but nontheless I find
his study compelling.

Sorry for any grammatical errors.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Fascinating History of Mankind Revealed by Genetics
Comment: I first heard the author speak at the Smithsonian on the genetic odyssey of mankind, in the best
talk I've ever heard, and I go to many talks every year. Then I read the book and watched the
two-hour PBS presentation by the same title. The author does a great service by summarizing much
scholarship in genetics, archaeology, and linguistics, to paint a family portrait of the human race
based on analysis of the Y chromosomes of peoples all over the world--an intriguing story, well told
and accessible to the non-specialist, if not the general reader with a minimal background in college
biology and biochemistry. The author's sense of humor adds to the delightful tale of mankind's
journey. This is the most interesting book I've read since Jared Diamond's best seller, "Guns,
Germs, and Steel," and encourages me to read more books in this area. Dr. Wells, who refers to
himself in the PBS show as a "lab rat," has done a great service both to his field and to the public
by sharing the results of detailed and laborious scientific research with the larger human race
whose ancestors are the subject of this fascinating history.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Interesting
Comment: I thought it was a good book- and being a molecular biologist who is familiar with the worlds
advanced knowledge of genetics, I am quite comfortable with my African origins and the obvious fact
that we (meaning all races) are all extremely similar.

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