Books like A troublesome inheritance by Nicholas Wade

Richard Dawkins’ classic, The Selfish Gene reexamines evolution from the perspective of genes as primary agents, arguing that organisms serve as vehicles for gene replication.

Joseph L. Jr. Graves examines how scientific misunderstandings of human genetic diversity fuel racism, arguing that without a proper biological basis for race, prejudice remains an ideology that must be dismantled.

Stephen Jay Gould dissects the historical use of craniometry, intelligence and personality tests, revealing the scientific flaws and biases that have shaped our understanding of human ability and genetics.

"Epigenetics can potentially revolutionize our understanding of the structure and behavior of biological life on Earth. It explains why mapping an organism's genetic code is not enough to determine how it develops or acts and shows how nurture combines with nature to engineer biological diversity. Surveying the twenty-year history of the field while also highlighting its latest findings and innovations, this volume provides a readily understandable introduction to the foundations of epigenetics. Nessa Carey, a leading epigenetics researcher, connects the field's arguments to such diverse phenomena as how ants and queen bees control their colonies; why tortoiseshell cats are always female; why some plants need cold weather before they can flower; and how our bodies age and develop disease. Reaching beyond biology, epigenetics now informs work on drug addiction, the long-term effects of famine, and the physical and psychological consequences of childhood trauma. Carey concludes with a discussion of the future directions for this research and its ability to improve human health and well-being."--Amazon.com.

Testing for racial differences in behavior has been much neglected over the past sixty years. And when not subject to neglect, to strongly negative imputations among professionals and politicians alike. According to J. Philippe Rushton, substantial racial differences do exist and their pattern can only be explained adequately from an evolutionary perspective. In Race, Evolution, and Behavior he reviews international data and finds a distinct pattern. People of East Asian ancestry and people of African ancestry are at opposite ends of a continuum, with people of European ancestry intermediate, albeit with much variability within each broad grouping. Rushton's thesis is that when fully modern humans migrated out of Africa, perhaps only 100,000 years ago, the colder Eurasian climate selected for larger brains, more forward planning, greater family stability, and increased longevity with concomitant reductions in sex hormone, speed of maturation, reproductive potency, and aggressiveness. Rushton's theory emphasizes a trade-off between parenting and mating and brings into focus the concept of a coordinated life history of characteristics, evolving together, to replicate genes more effectively. The selection for large brains and parenting skills was taken furthest in east Asia. Rushton's theory explains differentiation in intelligence and predicts other, seemingly unrelated race effects, such as differences in frequency of twinning. The capacity to unify disparate phenomena is usually considered a virtue in theories. Rushton's gene-based evolutionary models explain ethnocentrism and racial group differences, and may provide a catalyst for understanding individual differences and human nature. Chapters in Race, Evolution, and Behavior include "Character Traits"; "Behavioral Genetics"; "Race and Racism in History"; "Race, Brain Size, and Intelligence"; and "Sexual Potency, Hormones, and AIDS.". This volume is sure to be controversial as Rushton attempts nothing less than a paradigmatic change in the way social scientists approach their work, especially those concentrated in the study of racial differences. Race, Evolution, and Behavior must be read by sociologists, anthropologists, genetic scientists, psychologists, and black studies specialists.

"What causes rich countries to lose their way? Symptoms of decline are all around us today: slowing growth, crushing debts, increasing inequality, aging populations, antisocial behavior. But what exactly has gone wrong? The answer, Niall Ferguson argues ... is that our institutions--the intricate frameworks within which a society can flourish or fail--are degenerating"--Dust cover flap.