See more: An illustrated version of this article will be published within the next two weeks on our CultureLab books and arts blog
THE waitress stopped as she passed my table. “Is that a mystery you’re reading? Cover looks like it.” “No,” I answered. “It’s a fast-paced, breezy romp through history using DNA as a unifying theme – it’s nerd-vana.”
In truth, it’s a wonder that I broke away for long enough to converse at all, given the wealth of engaging information contained in every paragraph of this book.
In it, science writer Sam Kean sets out to explain many human…
