The Seven Daughters of Eve

The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry, by Bryan Sykes; W. W. Norton & Company, 2001

Reviewed by J. Anne Holman

Now here is a true scientific mystery, marvelously written by the man who did much of the original work on decoding mitochondrial DNA. The Seven Daughters of Eve describes how genetic evidence from all humans tested (so far) can be traced from seven major groups that originated from one woman. With a subject matter that could have been dry and dull, this book is well written and clearly explained, and the British humor kept me laughing. Gina Kolata's Flu is an exhausting review of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. Kolata's journalistic background comes through the story in careful reporting of the names, title and qualifications of the people searching for the origins of this deadly illness. As a scientific report, it was very complete; as a flowing story, it began to drag. By midway, I'd had enough of The Flu, and the politics that surrounded it. As a change of pace, I read Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love. Here's yet another take on food, memories, longing, loneliness, and being lost in foreign lands. This story is blended together with words and images that held my attention and stirred my memories. Good, deep humor was generously sprinkled on top.