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A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived

The Stories in Our Genes

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A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived

By: Adam Rutherford
Narrated by: Adam Rutherford
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About this listen

This is a story about you. It is the history of who you are and how you came to be. It is unique to you, as it is for every one of the 100 billion modern humans who has ever drawn breath. But it is also our collective story, because in each of our genomes we carry the history of the whole of our species.

Since scientists first read the human genome in 2001, it has been subject to all sorts of claims, counterclaims and myths. Drawing together the latest discoveries in this rapidly changing area of science, Adam Rutherford shows that in fact our genomes should be read not like instruction manuals but more like epic poems. Genes determine less than we have been led to believe about us as individuals but vastly more about us as a species.

In this captivating journey through the expanding landscape of genetics, written with great clarity and wit, Adam Rutherford reveals what our genes now tell us about human history and what history tells us about our genes. From Neanderthal discoveries to microbiology, from redheads to dead royals, criminology to race relations, evolution to epigenetics, A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived is a demystifying and illuminating new portrait of who we are and how we came to be.

Written and read by acclaimed science writer and broadcaster Adam Rutherford.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2016 Adam Rutherford (P)2016 Orion Publishing Group
Biological Sciences Evolution & Genetics Genetics History History & Philosophy Science Funny Suspenseful Genetic Disease Discovery

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What listeners say about A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived

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Excellent

Just a great listen. This particular ape learned so much!! Would highly recommend it.

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Informative, illuminating, myth-busting book

Loved this deep dive into the history of discovery, with fascinating insights into how prejudice develops and is ultimately utter nonsense.

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Genetics made easy

This tells the story if genetics in a relatively easy format, making it entertaining as well. Its informative about how to interpret stories in the press and how the science is changing all the time.

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Excellent book.

Fascinating subject made simple enough for anyone to listen to. Very worth the time. Highly recommended.

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Interesting and entertaining

The author reads this book very well. I felt that we were having a very interesting chat over a coffee rather than I was listening to a lecture. Nevertheless this is a book packed with interesting and complex ideas about genomics. I found it accessible to understand but scientifically robust and did not feel at all 'talked down to'. A very enjoyable listen, I heartily recommend.

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Great!

Great book, interesting from start to finish, and read really well. Really loved it. Highly recommended.

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Great subject

Easy to listen voice and content easy to absorb for the layman.

Chapters are not listed in order tho

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Clear and engaging

Read by the author, this is a lively account of genetics which doesn’t avoid the problematic history of the subject. There are some PDFs to accompany the text, but these can be examined later. From the perspective of a retired Arts academic who has taken a spit test as so many of us have, this is an informative account of the issues. Recommended listening.

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a much more entertaining book than I expected

loved it. Had some great factoids, entertaining stories related to genes, history, Darwin etc.

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Genetics and You and History

This is about you and your genes and how it relates to the past and the future. Although there is technical "stuff" in here that only those in the field will fully understand you can still follow it. You might need to go through it twice for a lot of things to sink in but you will enjoy it even more. Fascinating stuff that will make you think twice about any glib media statements about what the science of genius is all about and how it relates to all of us.

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