Twins, by Lawrence Wright, is that rarity among science books—one
distinguished by elegant writing. The author is a staff writer for The New
Yorker magazine and it shows. This is a majestically objective survey of all the
research that has been done on twins to elucidate the familiar puzzle of
identity: a product of the genes or the environment? Wright’s objectivity may
falter a little on contemplating the activities of the infamous researcher Dr
Mengele at Auschwitz, but he is thoroughly in command of his subject from his
first mention of Galton’s investigations up to the present. The section on the
question of free will is a model, the book a triumph. Published by Weidenfeld
& Nicolson/Wiley, £12.99/$22.95, ISBN 0297819763/0471252204.
More from 51¶¯Âþ
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending 51¶¯Âþ articles
1
The Selfish Gene at 50: Why Dawkins’s evolution classic still holds up
2
How I used psychology to come back from the worst year of my life
3
Photos reveal unexpected details from the world's first atomic test
4
Mathematicians stunned by AI's biggest breakthrough in mathematics yet
5
Putting CO2 into rocks and getting hydrogen out is climate double win
6
Can we harness quantum effects to create a new kind of healthcare?
7
We may finally know why dinosaurs like T. rex evolved tiny arms
8
Epic dreaming is leaving people exhausted and distressed
9
Colossal claims an artificial eggshell will help it bring back the moa
10
The ‘doomsday’ glacier’s giant ice shelf is about to break away
