Bill Griffeth, longtime genealogy buff, takes a DNA test that has an unexpected outcome: "If the results were correct, it meant that the family tree I had spent years documenting was not my own." Bill undertakes a quest to solve the mystery of his origins, which shakes his sense of identity. As he takes us on his journey, we learn about choices made by his ancestors, parents, and others - and we see Bill measure and weigh his own difficult choices as he confronts the past.

Norma and Jack Sidebottom were thrilled to adopt cheerful, chubby little Kathy Ann. They were modest, humble, dedicated parents. But little did they know they would be raising a drama queen. Kathy's antics and their trials are just a part of the story. Later in life, courtesy of 23andMe, Kathy discovered the origin of her dramatic tendencies. She found her father on the FBI's Most Wanted List and unearthed her birthmother's lifelong secret. Not only is this an entertaining tale with a built-in murder mystery, but It's in My Genes explores the combined roles of nature and nurture in identity development. An addendum explaining the scientific process used to locate each birthparent is included to satisfy genealogy buffs.

“A fascinating exploration of the mysteries ignited by DNA genealogy testing—from the intensely personal and concrete to the existential and unsolvable.” —Tana French, New York Times–bestselling author You swab your cheek or spit in a vial, then send it away to a lab somewhere. Weeks later you get a report that might tell you where your ancestors came from or if you carry certain genetic risks. Or, the report could reveal a long-buried family secret that upends your entire sense of identity. Soon a lark becomes an obsession, a relentless drive to find answers to questions at the core of your being, like “Who am I?” and “Where did I come from?” Welcome to the age of home genetic testing. In The Lost Family, journalist Libby Copeland investigates what happens when we embark on a vast social experiment with little understanding of the ramifications. She explores the culture of genealogy buffs, the science of DNA, and the business of companies like Ancestry and 23andMe, all while tracing the story of one woman, her unusual results, and a relentless methodical drive for answers that becomes a thoroughly modern genetic detective story. Gripping and masterfully told, The Lost Family is a spectacular book on a big, timely subject. “An urgently necessary, powerful book that addresses one of the most complex social and bioethical issues of our time.” —Dani Shapiro, New York Times–bestselling author “Before you spit in that vial, read this book.” —The New York Times Book Review “Impeccably researched . . . up-to-the-minute science meets the philosophy of identity in a poignant, engaging debut.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Science need not be dull and bogged down by jargon, as Richard Dawkins proves in this entertaining look at evolution. The themes he takes up are the concepts of altruistic and selfish behaviour; the genetical definition of selfish interest; the evolution of aggressive behaviour; kinshiptheory; sex ratio theory; reciprocal altruism; deceit; and the natural selection of sex differences. 'Should be read, can be read by almost anyone. It describes with great skill a new face of the theory of evolution.' W.D. Hamilton, Science

The ready availability of donated sperm and eggs has made possible an entirely new form of family. Children of the same donor and their families, with the help of the internet, can now locate each other and make contact. Sometimes this network of families form meaningful connections that blossom into longstanding groups, and close friendships. This book is about unprecedented families that have grown up at the intersection of new reproductive technologies, social media and the human desire for belonging. Random Families asks: Do shared genes make you a family? What do couples do when they discover that their children shares half their DNA with a dozen or more other offspring from the same sperm donor? What do kids find in common with their donor siblings? What becomes of these chance networks once parents and donor siblings find one another? Based on over 350 interviews with children (ages 10-28) and their parents from all over the U.S., Random Families chronicles the chain of choices that couples and single mothers make from what donor to use to how to participate (or not) in donor sibling networks. Children reveal their understanding of a donor, the donor's spot on the family tree and the meaning of their donor siblings. Through rich first-person accounts of network membership, the book illustrates how these extraordinary relationships -- woven from bits of online information and shared genetic ties -- are transformed into new possibilities for kinship. Random Families offers down-to-earth stories from real families to highlight just how truly distinctive these contemporary new forms of family are.

A gripping account that provides solid answers to the age-old question of nature vs. nurture Providing scientifically grounded support for the thesis advanced in Judith Rich Harris′ controversial book The Nurture Assumption, psychologist David Cohen explains why children′s aptitudes and interests depend more on genes than parenting. Drawing on two decades of research in behavioral genetics to support this provocative perspective, Dr. Cohen puts a human face on the age-old nature vs. nurture debate. Children are not born as blank slates, he argues, and he goes on to reveal new research indicating that DNA, rather than parents, determines to a significant extent how children think, feel, and behave. This riveting book uses vivid analogies to illuminate complex genetics research, and explains why parental influence may have far less impact than is normally thought. A surprising account of how our personality traits and behaviors are determined more by nature than nurture

"This memoir traces one man's journey through his family history when a DNA test reveals that his dad was not his biological father"--