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jhobble10's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
I think Origin was a really great blend of layman explanations and extra depth for people a bit more scientifically inclined. This topic/field really interests me, so the book was a quick and easy read for me. Learning about how scientists use the molecular mutational clock, haplogroups, SNPs, etc. to estimate population origins and then correlate that with archeological sites and lithics to make population models was the coolest part to me. Understanding the history of the field and how that plays into today’s ethical considerations is also an important feature of the book. The only critique is that I felt like she left us hanging on what ever happened with her findings in chapter 5, and in chapter 8 with the Utqiagvik cemetery samples.
khornstein1's review
3.0
A little disappointing. I'm a layperson and I was baffled by all the back and forth in the first third of the book. It was sort of like being at a party and talking to someone who works in a totally different field about their work politics. The middle third which lays out new theories about human habitation of the Americas was good as were the stories based on genetic finds (though maybe a bit romanticized). Also liked the section about working in the genetics lab.
drblockbooks's review
5.0
If you are interested in the pre-Columbian period of the Americas and particularly how humans first arrived in the western hemisphere, read this book. If you are more generally interested in genetics and how genetics can be used to understand the past, read this book.
ORIGIN is scholarly, but written for a non-academic audience. Still, there are sections that may be difficult for someone to understand who does not have a background in genetics or archaeology. I know I had to re-read a few sections to understand them.
I give this book 5 stars because I found it utterly fascinating. Is it the best written science-explainer-type book I've ever read? No. But, it is certainly one of the most interesting. I've already recommended it to several of my friends and family.
ORIGIN is scholarly, but written for a non-academic audience. Still, there are sections that may be difficult for someone to understand who does not have a background in genetics or archaeology. I know I had to re-read a few sections to understand them.
I give this book 5 stars because I found it utterly fascinating. Is it the best written science-explainer-type book I've ever read? No. But, it is certainly one of the most interesting. I've already recommended it to several of my friends and family.
amlibera's review
4.0
Fascinating and well written overview of the genetic and archeological research into the original peopling of the Americas. I appreciated the authors awareness of the complexity around how this affects Native peoples.
emoryp's review
3.0
There's a lot of interesting information and it serves as a good overview of the state of anthro-genetics, but the author spends far too much time talking about unrelated personal experience, like listening to a podcast while doing research.
unladylike's review
5.0
“We must constantly ask ourselves: ‘Am I treating the DNA as sacred?’ We are asking for trust from people whose trust has all too often been violated by our predecessors and colleagues. We must consciously ask ourselves, ‘What assurances can I give that I will uphold this trust now?’ We are asking to destroy small portions of the remains of their ancestors. We must consciously ask ourselves, ‘How will I ensure that this work is respectful? That *I* am respectful?! Whose interests does my research serve? What benefits will I offer in return?’ It is only after we truly grapple with the legacy of our field, interrogate our motives, and deliberately approach our research with intentional respect for the human stories within it that we will be able to see the final pieces of the puzzle of the last great step in humanity’s journey across the globe.”
In this quote at the end of this book you can see the author's core message. When I saw reviews trashing Origin for being too "woke," I was right to recognize major red flags *in the reviewers*. If you are uncomfortable with scientists taking a more ethical approach to work that has historically caused much harm to communities already decimated by genocide, you will probably want to cover your ears during much of this book and go "A LA LA LA LA LA LA LA" or write it off on the basis of it not aligning with what you were taught in high school. From both the text of the book itself and the really valuable interview at the end of the audiobook edition, I believe Jennifer Raff is being authentically humble and sincere in calling out her own fields of scientific research rather than covering herself in trendy neoliberal platitudes.
Here are a couple more quotes I felt compelled to transcribe after finishing listening to the book:
“Once you get down to the poop levels, it’s completely pleasant to dig.”
"'The path forward in paleogenomics will neither be quick nor easy. We are at the mercy of centuries-old relationships and it is our duty to recognize and disrupt those harmful legacies,'” Dine (Navajo) geneticist Justin Lund said in 2021. Likening the disciplines of genetics and archeology to houses with crumbling foundations, he advocated for foundational repair by mending relationships with indigenous groups. 'Creating bad relationships took generations and mending those relationships will also take generations, so plan accordingly. If your work starts and stops in the lab, you’re doing it wrong.'"
In this quote at the end of this book you can see the author's core message. When I saw reviews trashing Origin for being too "woke," I was right to recognize major red flags *in the reviewers*. If you are uncomfortable with scientists taking a more ethical approach to work that has historically caused much harm to communities already decimated by genocide, you will probably want to cover your ears during much of this book and go "A LA LA LA LA LA LA LA" or write it off on the basis of it not aligning with what you were taught in high school. From both the text of the book itself and the really valuable interview at the end of the audiobook edition, I believe Jennifer Raff is being authentically humble and sincere in calling out her own fields of scientific research rather than covering herself in trendy neoliberal platitudes.
Here are a couple more quotes I felt compelled to transcribe after finishing listening to the book:
“Once you get down to the poop levels, it’s completely pleasant to dig.”
"'The path forward in paleogenomics will neither be quick nor easy. We are at the mercy of centuries-old relationships and it is our duty to recognize and disrupt those harmful legacies,'” Dine (Navajo) geneticist Justin Lund said in 2021. Likening the disciplines of genetics and archeology to houses with crumbling foundations, he advocated for foundational repair by mending relationships with indigenous groups. 'Creating bad relationships took generations and mending those relationships will also take generations, so plan accordingly. If your work starts and stops in the lab, you’re doing it wrong.'"
skydude's review
4.5
I sat down and read a book on genetics in one sitting. If that doesn’t tell you how fascinating the topic is, I don’t know how to pitch this to you.