You and Heredity

The author of this book writes on heredity, as he puts it, "from the outside looking in"; that is, from the point of view of a layman peering into the laboratories of the scientists. He has, however, carefully guarded his accuracy by free consultation with numerous scientific authorities, and the result is an easily readable yet accurate discussion of the present knowledge of human heredity. The two chapters on the inheritance of musical talent, which constitute an original genetic study, are most interesting and clearly demonstrate the failure of many human qualities to manifest readily identifiable hereditary characteristics. It is pleasing to find some commonly credited misbeliefs accurately handled, such as the idea that the entire hair can turn suddenly white. In listing the twelve diseases which take the largest toll of life in the United States yearly, the year from which the figures are taken should be stated, since