The invisible history of the human race : how DNA and history shape our identities and our futures / Christine Kenneally.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"How biology, psychology, and history shape us as individuals We are doomed to repeat history if we fail to learn from it, but how are we affected by the forces that are invisible to us? In The Invisible History of the Human Race Christine Kenneally draws on cutting-edge research to reveal how both historical artifacts and DNA tell us where we come from and where we may be going. While some books explore our genetic inheritance and popular television shows celebrate ancestry, this is the first book to explore how everything from DNA to emotions to names and the stories that form our lives are all part of our human legacy. Kenneally shows how trust is inherited in Africa, silence is passed down in Tasmania, and how the history of nations is written in our DNA. From fateful, ancient encounters to modern mass migrations and medical diagnoses, Kenneally explains how the forces that shaped the history of the world ultimately shape each human who inhabits it"--Provided by publisher.

Ideas about what is passed down are passed down. Do not ask what gets passed down ; The history of family history ; The worst idea in history ; The Reich Genealogical Authority -- What is passed down? Silence ; Information ; Ideas and feelings ; The small grains of history ; DNA + culture ; Chunks of DNA ; The politics of DNA ; The history of the world -- How what is passed down shapes bodies and minds. The past is written on your face : DNA, traits, and what we make of them ; The past may not make you feel better : DNA, history, and health.