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

This authoritative debunking of racist claims that masquerade as “genetics” is a timely weapon against the misuse of science to justify bigotry—now in paperback

Race is not a biological reality.

Racism thrives on our not knowing this.


In fact, racist pseudoscience has become so commonplace that it can be hard to spot. But its toxic effects on society are plain to see: rising nationalism, simmering hatred, lost lives, and divisive discourse. Since cutting-edge genetics are difficult to grasp—and all too easy to distort—even well-intentioned people repeat stereotypes based on “science.” But the real science tells a different story: The more researchers learn about who we are and where we come from, the clearer it becomes that our racial divides have nothing to do with observable genetic differences. The bestselling author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived explains in this explosive, essential guide to the DNA we all share.