The Secrets of our DNA

Name: The Secrets of our DNA
Price: 39.99 AUD
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ISBN: 9781529980752

How Genetics has Changed the World

Professor Turi King

$39.99

Paperback

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English

Doubleday
28 May 2026

Anthropology; Forensic science; Mathematics & Sciences; Popular science; Genetics (non-medical)

From the UK's pre-eminent authority on DNA and genetic research, a myth-busting book that provides a window into the world of modern genetics and shows how it informs so many areas of 21st century life.

Go back even a quarter of a century and few people would have heard of DNA, except perhaps in a forensic case. Now genetics plays a part of our everyday culture and our interest in genetics is booming, particularly in the form of direct-to-consumer genetic testing for health, family history and ancestry testing.

So how did we get to the point where our understanding, and misunderstanding of genetics became so commonplace? Professor Turi King, the UK's preeminent scientist in DNA and genetics takes us on a journey through the key cases, legal and otherwise, which explain modern genetics and how it now informs policing, personal histories, migration, politics and health. From eugenics, to mistaken dinosaur DNA, the OJ Simpson trial to Angelina Jolie's BRACA1 gene, we are led through the science to discover how genetics has impacted and shaped our society, and how our growing knowledge of the building blocks of life can inform our understanding of our past and how it will affect our future.

By: Professor Turi King
Imprint: Doubleday
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm, Spine: 40mm
Weight: 700g
ISBN: 9781529980752
ISBN 10: 1529980755
Pages: 480
Publication Date: 28 May 2026
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Professor Turi King is the pre-eminent authority on DNA and genetic research, and is renowned for presenting complex findings on DNA and genetic science in an accessible and compelling way. She is Director of the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath and was previously Professor of Public Engagement and Genetics at the University of Leicester. She is an Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association, a Fellow of the Society of Biology, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, a Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences and a Member of the International Society of Forensic Geneticists. She is well-known for her work on identifying Richard III, Mary Jane Kelly (the last victim of Jack the Ripper), and the descendants of Sir George Yeardley, colonial Governor of Virginia, of Jamestown.

Reviews for The Secrets of our DNA: How Genetics has Changed the World

A glimpse into the fascinating world of DNA under the guidance of a true expert. Always accessible, enjoyable and thought provoking. Who could ask for more? -- Professor Lady Sue Black, Baroness Black of Strome, author of All That Remains