Book Reviews

Book Reviews Science & Society By comparing genes from a large number of ethnic groups, and using a technique called principal components analysis (don’t ask—even the book’s basic explanation mentioned eigenvectors), Cavalli-Sforza has produced maps that show genetic diffusion. The results are fascinating. Some maps illustrate very specific migrations, such as the spread of Greeks after Alexander’s conquests. We also learn that, on average, African Americans have received about a third of their genes from “mostly white settlers.” Other claims by the author could make some readers uneasy. CavalliSforza argues that the concept of race is simplistic and misguided, but he later uses genetic analysis to produce a very similar classification. Europeans are “about two-thirds Asian and one-third African,” he says, and the “earliest split” between human populations is between “Africans and non-Africans.” This said, Cavalli-Sforza’s argument against racism seems honest, and he is widely credited for helping scientists move away from race to classify humanity. The reason to study genetic similarities between populations, he implies, is to better understand disorders. As interesting as some of the findings are, the book is somewhat dry; perhaps something was lost during the translation from Italian. Whatever the reason, Cavalli-Sforza avoids elaboration. Don’t expect a read filled

A History Lesson in Our Genes

Book Review: Genes, Peoples, and Languages by Manu Lakkur

Will we ever learn about the earliest parts of human history? Historians, linguists, and archae-

ologists have deciphered ancient tongues and uncovered thousands of artifacts. Their discoveries have taught us about past empires, forgotten trade routes, and the migrations that established modern peoples. But dead languages and fragments of ceramic only tell us a fraction of the story. Where else can we look to learn about our distant past? A remarkable amount of human history may be written in our DNA, according to Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza. In his book Genes, Peoples, and Languages, the famous geneticist argues that comparing genes between people of different ethnicities can reveal the patterns of human migration. He uses genetic studies, along with data from archaeology and linguistics, to trace the movement of early humankind as it spread across the world from Africa. Comparing genes between people of different ethnicities can The idea is as follows: mutations in genes occur randomly, but at an approxi- reveal the patterns of human migration. mately constant rate. If a population splits in two, the genes of each new group will mutate separately. Over time, with facts about history and languages that you can use the next time you these two groups of genes will grow different from one another. Through play Trivial Pursuit. What you do get, however, is a coherent overview genetic testing we can find out exactly how much the genetic pools have of genetic anthropology and the author’s multidisciplinary approach to diverged. And, if in addition to this information, we know how many mu- human history in a slim two hundred pages. If you enjoyed Guns, Germs, tations happen in a year, we can calculate when the two groups separated. and Steel or have an interest in human history, consider reading Genes, Peoples, and Languages. Or, at least, give it a skim. S A gene, basically, can serve as a clock.

Globalization Bulldozer Book Review: The World is Flat by Ryan Propper

New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman knows globalization. In his travels from Singapore to Silicon Valley, Bangalore to Beirut, and everywhere in between, Friedman has witnessed first-hand how individuals can transcend their local and national boundaries. Now, in The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, he’s out to prove that the latest phase of global-

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ization—one beset by fears of outsourcing, offshoring, and economic catastrophe—is a positive force in modern society. Friedman’s premise in The World is Flat is that recent advances in computer and electronics technologies have shifted globalization into overdrive. The increasing prevalence of high-speed Internet, mobile phones, and advanced software platforms allows individuals to communicate instantly from anywhere in the world and to compete economically on a level playing field. “The lever that is enabling individuals and groups to go global so easily and so seamlessly,” Friedman argues, “is not horsepower, and not hardware, but software…in conjunction with the creation of a global fiber-optic network that has made us all nextdoor neighbors.” Specifically, he identifies four classes of technology— digital, mobile, personal and virtual—which he calls “the steroids,” due to their ability to catalyze even faster global change.