Features
- Cover Type: Hard Cover with 176 pages
- Published by: Yale University Press May 28, 2008
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0300125836
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0300125832
-
Book Dimensions:
8.3 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
- Weighs: 11.2 ounces
From Publishers Weekly
Duke University geneticist Goldstein was part of a team that did groundbreaking, headline-making research on Jewish genetic history. Goldberg clearly and succinctly explains such concepts as haplotypes and genetic drift as he reviews such findings as that more than half of contemporary
Cohanim, or priests—traditionally believed to descend from the biblical Aaron—actually share a genetic marker called the Cohen Modal Haplotype. Among other subjects, he also explores evidence consistent with the claim of the unusual Lemba tribe of southern Africa to be descendants of ancient Israel. Lastly, in taking on a 2005 study of a group of so-called Jewish genetic diseases—such as Tay-Sachs—and their putative evolutionary connection to high intelligence among Jews, Goldberg notes that this hypothesis is easily testable but firmly rejects pseudoscientific genetic determinism. Goldberg's role in much of the research into Jewish genetic history, his sober, unsensationalist tone and his emphasis on the limited conclusions that can be drawn from such work lend credibility to his account of his stunning results.
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Product Review
"Even readers unfamiliar with science will have no difficulty understanding this great book. David Goldstein clearly explains how modern genetics integrates with multiple aspects of Jewish history and demography."-Kenneth Kidd, Yale University (Kenneth Kidd 20080612)
"Goldstein is one of a handful of people qualified to write a book such as this, and he succeeds very well in providing accounts both of scientific studies and of Jewish historical background."-Stephen Schaffner, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, The Broad Institute (Stephen Schaffner )
"To complement the rich heritage of ancient Jewish text, Dr. Goldstein brings a new kind of ancient record-the history contained in our DNA. From the patterns of DNA variation among populations, he gleans insight into the social history of the Jewish people. Dr. Goldstein is a superb scientist and a captivating storyteller. Jacob's Legacy is a gem."-Eric Lander, Director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and one of the principal leaders of the Human Genome Project (Eric Lander )
"An inspiring example of a awesome analysis, written for a general audience, showing how multidisciplinary research using information from history, genetics, anthropology and more can give precious light on a great ethnos, the Jews."-Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza, professor of Genetics emeritus active, Stanford Medical School (Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza )
"With a special gift for translating complex scientific concepts into language understandable to all, Goldstein delivers an accessible, personal, and fascinating book that tells the history of a group of people through the lens of genetics."-Duke Today (
Duke Today )
"[An] important and illuminating book-written with keen intelligence and deep love of its subject. . . . [A] short but masterful book."-Jerome Groopman, New Republic (Jerome Groopman
New Republic )
Reader ReviewsThis is a trial of explaining how genetic investigation can help historial investigation. It's not a new device: the patron of those studies is Luca Cavalli-Sforza. The author jewishness relates to his study and we understand some trends from jewish diaspora: the Lemba have the male genetic markers of jewish priests but have some, not many, jewish traditions; the abyssinian jews that are halachic jews do not have those markers. The askenazi have some markers that suggests strongly the contribuition of a turkish tribe, the Khazars, to their gene pool. The book is easy to understand with somebody with biological information basis, it will be not so easy for completly lay persons.
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