Name: The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Upending Who We Are
ISBN: 9781419747939

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The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Upending Who We Are

Libby Copeland

Paperback

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Critic Reviews

Good

Based on 5 reviews on

"Before you spit in that vial, read this book." --New York Times Book Review

In The Lost Family, journalist Libby Copeland investigates what happens when we embark on a vast social experiment with little understanding of the ramifications.

She explores the culture of genealogy buffs, the science of DNA, and the business of companies like Ancestry and 23andMe, all while tracing the story of one woman, her unusual results, and a relentless methodical drive for answers that becomes a thoroughly modern genetic detective story.

Gripping and masterfully told, The Lost Family is a spectacular book on a big, timely subject.

"An urgently necessary, powerful book that addresses one of the most complex social and bioethical issues of our time." --Dani Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author

"A fascinating exploration of the mysteries ignited by DNA genealogy testing--from the intensely personal and concrete to the existential and unsolvable." --Tana French, New York Times bestselling author

"Impeccably researched . . . up-to-the-minute science meets the philosophy of identity in a poignant, engaging debut." --Kirkus (starred review)

Book Details

Publisher: Abrams Press
Publish Date: Jun 1st, 2021
Pages: 304
Language: English
Edition: undefined - undefined
Dimensions: 8.20in - 5.40in - 0.90in - 0.65lb
EAN: 9781419747939
Categories: • Life Sciences - Genetics & Genomics• Genetics• Research

About the Author

Copeland, Libby: - Libby Copeland is an award-winning journalist who has written for the Washington Post, New York magazine, the New York Times, the Atlantic, and many other publications. Copeland was a reporter and editor at the Post for eleven years, has been a media fellow and guest lecturer, and has made numerous appearances on television and radio.

What people are saying

Akron-Summit County Public Library

@akronlibrary

3 years

Includes Main Library in downtown Akron, 18 branch locations throughout Summit County, two bookmobiles, and a Mobile Services van.

The Lost Family with Author @libbycopeland - Sat, May 1, 10:30am - Join us via Zoom for a deeply reported look at the rise of home genetic testing and the shock it has had on individual lives. Free. Register: http://services.akronlibrary.org/event/5019966 Borrow the book: http://bit.ly/3nsYdUI https://t.co/azWNy4IP0p

Read Science! host, book lover, biology lecturer, STEM advocate. Increasing your science TBR pile since 2008. Find me on other social media by this same handle.

Popsci books read in 2020 Category: DNA/genes/etc Rebel Cell by @Kat_Arney Editing Humanity by @KevinADavies Hidden Valley Road by @bobkolker Lifespan by @davidasinclair (2019) The Lost Family by @libbycopeland Native American DNA by @KimTallBear (2013) https://t.co/vlkN9Xr6SN

The Art of Books. Also visit us at @abramskids.

From @AARP: 5 new nonfiction books to read, including OVERGROUND RAILROAD by @candacytaylor and THE LOST FAMILY by @libbycopeland https://bit.ly/2vyGpAH

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Critics’ reviews

Praise for this book

"So many families have been touched--and will continue to be touched--by the secrets unearthed by home genetic testing. We are in an epidemic with few signposts, little to guide us as we contend with the unintended consequences brought upon us by scientific advancement. The Lost Family is an urgently necessary, powerful book that addresses one of the most complex social and bioethical issues of our time."--Dani Shapiro "New York Times bestselling author of Inheritance"

"Not long ago, the idea of sequencing your DNA was as plausible as booking a trip to Jupiter. Now we give each other DNA tests as holiday gifts. As tens of millions of people look at their genes and link them to their ancestry, this science is having a profound impact on our society as a whole. It is reuniting relatives, breaking up families, and sending criminals to jail. The Lost Family is a deeply reported, deeply humane exploration of our ongoing redefinition of our identity and our kinships."--Carl Zimmer "author of She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity"

"The Lost Family is a fascinating exploration of the mysteries ignited by DNA genealogy testing--from the intensely personal and concrete to the existential and unsolvable. In the world Copeland's 'seekers' are exploring, 'Who am I?' becomes a mystery more intricate and more crucial than any novel's 'Whodunit?' Copeland deftly weaves together individual stories, technical explanations and sociological discussion to make a book that's both gripping and deeply thought-provoking."--Tana French "New York Times bestselling author of the Dublin Murder Squad series and The Witch Elm"

"A compellingly readable narrative that takes us down the rabbit hole of modern personal genomics. Libby Copeland brings a gripping story from the front lines of genealogy and genomics."--Razib Khan "The Insitome Institute"

"A riveting mystery combined with a beautiful meditation on family and identity. I read it in one sitting and immediately preordered copies for everyone I'm related to, both by blood and by love."--Monica Hesse "author of American Fire and Girl in the Blue Coat"

"A fascinating account of consumer genetic testing's 'fundamental reshaping of the American family' over the past two decades. ... impeccably researched ... up-to-the-minute science meets the philosophy of identity in a poignant, engaging debut."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Page-Turner."--Alison Stewart "WNYC's All Of It"

"Copeland takes readers inside America's first DNA testing lab dedicated to genealogy, to Salt Lake City's Family History Library--the largest genealogical research facility in the world--and into the living rooms of dozens of people whose lives have been turned upside down due to the results of a recreational DNA test. It is at once a hard look at the forces behind a historical mass reckoning that is happening all across America, and an intimate portrait of the people living it."--Wired.com

"Before You Spit in That Vial, Read This Book."--New York Times

"[The Lost Family] wrestles with some of the biggest questions in life: Who are we? What is family? Are we defined by nature, nurture or both?"--The Washington Post

"A fascinating account of lives dramatically affected by genetic sleuthing."--The Wall Street Journal

"A fascinating deep dive into the massively popular world of direct-to-consumer DNA testing."--Associated Press

"Journalist Libby Copeland's deep dive into the family secrets uncovered and privacy questions untested will blow your mind."--OZY.com

"...well-researched, thorough and fascinating"--The Columbus Dispatch

What people are saying

Akron-Summit County Public Library

@akronlibrary

3 years

Includes Main Library in downtown Akron, 18 branch locations throughout Summit County, two bookmobiles, and a Mobile Services van.

Read Science! host, book lover, biology lecturer, STEM advocate. Increasing your science TBR pile since 2008. Find me on other social media by this same handle.

twitter.com