Born That Way
Genes, Behavior, Personality
-
- $6.99
-
- $6.99
Publisher Description
A comprehensive view of the most heated debate of our time -- are genes the primary influence on human personality and behavior? In presenting the recent findings, William Wright argues that in a century dominated by psychoanalytic thought, there has been an insistence that humans, unlike all other species, are brought into the world as blank slates on which personalities are etched by the environment. Wright describes the overthrow of this view by psychologists and geneticists whose discoveries, most dramatically through studies of identical twins separated at birth, have resulted in the recognition of the major role played by genes in personality and behavior. Wright describes how molecular biologists have reinforced these findings by locating the links between genes and behavior in DNA itself. And he explores the exciting future prospects of treating such conditions as depression, addiction, and hyper-aggressiveness that are implicit in the behavioral-genetic revolution.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In spite of fascinating material and an engaging writing style, Wright (Sins of the Father) is largely unsuccessful in his attempt to portray the current state of the nature-vs.-nurture debate as it pertains to the underlying causes of human behavior. On the positive side, Wright does a fine job of explaining the controversy between those who believe that human behavior is significantly controlled by genetic influences and those opting for the primacy of environmental factors. Similarly, his descriptions of the results, both anecdotal and scientific, of the Minnesota Twin Study of identical twins raised apart and brought back together later in life are compelling, clearly demonstrating the importance of heredity. What detracts greatly from these successes is Wright's relentless attack on those who disagree with his pro-genes position (e.g., "Richard Lewontin, one of the Not in Your Genes authors, who has repeatedly proved he needs no collaborators in his campaign of distortion"). Wright's calling his opponents "gene police," "radical environmentalists" and "genophobes" does nothing to elevate the level of the debate. And while Wright interviews and fully develops the personalities of many of the scientists on the "nature" end of the continuum, he presents caricatures of those on the "nurture" side. Nonetheless, many important public policy questions are touched on in this otherwise useful book.
