How to Argue With a Racist: What Our Genes Do (and Don't) Say About Human Difference

Written by Adam Rutherford

Narrated by Adam Rutherford

Race is not a biological reality. Racism thrives on our not knowing this.

Racist pseudoscience is on the rise-fueling hatred, feeding nationalism, and seeping into our discourse on everything from sports to intelligence. Even the well-intentioned repeat stereotypes based on "science," because cutting-edge genetics are hard to grasp-and all too easy to distort. Paradoxically, misconceptions are multiplying amid today's unprecedented surge of research on human genetics. We've never had a clearer picture of who we are and where we come from, and the science, when accurately understood, is a powerful and definitive ally against racism. But not nearly enough of these findings have made their way into the casual conversations we have about race.

This penetrating guide shows us how being a responsible and enlightened citizen on the matter of race today requires us to know what modern genetics actually can and can't tell us about human difference. Racial categories still vexing our societies do not align with observable genetic differences-and those differences are, in fact, so minute that they serve as evidence of our commonality.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Aug 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781705207642

Reviews for How to Argue With a Racist

[Jados Moreno · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Another low point in the wave of "racism for dummies" books published last year to cash in on America's schizophrenic culture.

Racism was invented, whole cloth, to justify the obviously inhuman barbarities of the slave trade and associated colonial expansion. It is an ideology tailor made by the rich so that they stay that way.

Trying to explain genome science to your racist uncle is an idiot cause that only someone looking to sell a book would think reasonable. Tell your uncle the good news about the class war.

[Nala · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you are not knowledgeable about genetics then this book can take you longer to read due to having to stop and sometimes look up specific terms but otherwise the author does a great job of explaining these terms and basics himself.

Basically a lecture written on paper, I learned quite a bit of genetics and it’s history with race and how it was used correctly and incorrectly in order to reaffirm the biases of racists. In our current society these same biases still exist but Rutherford goes out of his way in order to dispel these biases and what genetics can actually explain and prove with race and biology.

Loved this book and would definitely love to go back at another time in order to relearn and confirm all Rutherford teaches.

[Amy Robertson · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Not impressed at all, racist virtue signaling at its best

[Sarah Connor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Informative and written in such a way that the general public can easily understand. Amazing!!