Since 2015, after attending a genealogy cruise where I learned about genetic genealogy, the field has become a passion of mine. I even started a monthly study group in my home, which is now seven years strong. Being an avid reader, I’ve sought out books on the topic over the years. This book revisits much of what I’ve learned and offers a fantastic summary of the field’s evolution up to 2020. As a bonus, I found it at a genealogy book sale!
Libby Copeland tells the fascinating story of Alice, a retired, meticulous genealogist who took one of the earliest consumer DNA tests with 23andMe in 2012. That test revealed a discrepancy in her family history, setting her on a journey to unravel the mystery. Alice’s quest serves as a compelling backdrop to the broader story of consumer DNA testing. Copeland interviews industry pioneers, including Bennett Greenspan of FamilyTreeDNA, scientists from 23andMe, Ancestry’s DNA team, and Yaniv Erlich from MyHeritage, to trace the field’s origins and progress.
I was delighted to encounter familiar names, such as Colleen Fitzpatrick, Barbara Rae-Venter, CeCe Moore, and other early women practitioners who were instrumental in launching this discipline.
The author masterfully weaves together Alice’s personal search with the larger narrative of scientific advancements, all while addressing critical issues like privacy, security, the rights of biological parents, and the ethical use of DNA data.
I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking an overview of the origins of DNA-based family research and the resolution of a compelling mystery!
Quotes/Notes
[mentioned] Alondra Nelson, Columbia University sociologist and author of The Social Life of DNA.
[mentioned] Nelkin and Lindee authors of The DNA Mystique
"as people we are the sum of other people's choices"
"We are empowering consumers, patients, family members, caregivers to obtain all kinds of information that we couldn't provide before..."
[mentioned] Diane Harman-Hoog class is an author of The Methodology, the DNAAdoption steps for working cases.
[mentioned] Veil Maternity Hospitals for unwed mothers in Missouri and Pennsylvania
"concept of Georgetown University Law professor Paul Ohm that we are all at the mercy of massive troves of data that businesses collect and keep on us...the 'data base of ruin'...our genomes have become them."
Published: 2020 Read: November 2024 Genre: Science
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