Home > Archive > Volume 59, No. 2 > This paper
Book Review Article: Latest Research in Behavioral Genetics, and What It Means for Us All
Julien Delhez
Published: 2018/12/01
Abstract
Robert Plomin’s Blueprint is a concise monograph whose purpose is to inform the lay reader about the latest discoveries of behavioral genetics. It contains two parts. The first gives an up-to-date picture of the findings obtained through the traditional methods of behavioral genetics, such as adoption studies and twin studies. These include the finding that heritability increases with age for many traits, and the discovery that even measures that were previously thought to be purely environmental (e.g. divorce or television watching) are actually under the influence of genetic factors. The second part of Blueprint relates to the “DNA revolution” of the latest years, which made it possible to predict school achievement or psychological disorders on the sole basis of DNA, even for newborns. Blueprint is a very accessible, enjoyable, and sometimes mind-blowing book, which I hope will encourage many readers to debate these crucial issues.
Download PDF