Disputed Inheritance

“The archives for this episode in the history of biology are almost too rich: sheaves of correspondence among the protagonists, minutes of meetings, committee reports, Weldon’s unpublished manuscripts. Radick recounts every twist and turn of the debate, and his account of the Bateson-Weldon stand-off is surely definitive . . . allow[ing] the reader to experience the uncertainty and messiness of real science in the making. . . . Everyone now knows that Bateson and the Mendelians won in the end. Radick wants us to imagine that it could have and should have turned out differently, had all the evidence and arguments been weighed and had Weldon not died prematurely in 1906, aged 46.” * London Review of Books *
“An ambitious work . . . In paying attention to today's sophisticated ideas about genetics, Radick poses a deceptively simple question: why, he asks, knowing what we do now, do we still bother with Mendel? . . . This isn’t the first attempt to lay history’s ghosts to rest and reset our ideas about genetics. That said, I can’t think of one that is better argued, more fair-minded, or more enjoyable.” * New Scientist *
“Radick provides a scholarly, detailed and perceptive analysis of why Mendelian genetics has long dominated our approach to understanding inheritance, despite valiant attempts to propose alternatives. . . . By describing how the debates of scientists shaped the field of genetics, Disputed Inheritance provides a basis for understanding the work that has led, over the past century, to a richer understanding of heredity than Mendelian genetics could ever have provided.” * Nature *
“‘You name it,’ writes Radick in his brilliant, provocative new book, Disputed Inheritance, ‘and there is, we are told, a gene for it, invisibly pulling the strings, determining how our bodies grow and our lives go.’ . . . Radick argues that, had genetics taken a Weldonian turn in the early twentieth century, we need have sacrificed nothing in our understanding of biology and would have reduced the hereditarianism that remains so prevalent today. . . . Radick has an extraordinarily rich research program in front of him that has the potential for significant impact on both science and society.” * FASEB Journal *
“Radick is raising the stakes here with an inventive approach . . . Disputed Inheritance gives centrality to contingency, and in so doing presents convincingly a ‘what could have been’ argument. The book culminates in a reiteration of the desire to elevate the study (and presentation) of counterfactuals to be part and parcel of standard methodology. It is a difficult argument to dismiss, and this book is the reason why: Radick’s meticulous research and balanced presentation can help redefine the essential struggle against historical amnesia—arguably the main culprit for reductive thinking and facile generalizations.” * H-Sci-Med-Tech *
“Marks a new milestone in the historiography of this famous episode. . . . The extreme fluidity of the writing, the richness of the historical information, as well as the boldness of the theses put forward make for an irresistible invitation to discussion.”  * Revue d’histoire des sciences *
“In letters, both antagonists kept friends and allies continually up to date on their thoughts and feelings at every stage of the debate, enabling Radick to provide a vivid new narrative and analysis. . . . Present-day misconceptions about genetic determinism or genes for traits stand in need of correction, and Radick deserves kudos for trying to do so by reforming science education.”  * Journal of the History of Biology *
“If your job involves teaching genetics (or if you’re just interested) you should take the time to read and digest this book. It presents a reasoned alternative to the standard narrative. It illuminates a lot of history that was much more complex than I had realized. It introduces the sympathetic figure of Weldon. . . . And it makes a case that, as Radick succinctly puts it, Mendel was not a Mendelian.”  * Adelphi Review *
"This work examines a foundational belief in biology: 'heredity is destiny.' . . . [and] should provoke considerable debate among historians and philosophers of biology. . . . Highly recommended." * Choice *
“This is a magnificent book. It is really a tour de force, elegantly written and diligently documented. There is so much that I learned while reading it that has made me now better understand this story. I think it will be fascinating reading for everyone interested in the early history of genetics. Disputed Inheritance deserves to be widely read, and Radick deserves praise for an intellectual achievement that will change not only our understanding of history but also our approach to its study.” -- Kostas Kampourakis, author of Understanding Genes
“Radick’s magisterial study scrutinizes common understandings—the ‘folk wisdom’—of the history of genetics. Informed by unusual historical depth and philosophical sophistication, Radick offers a compelling rival view, one that reinterprets both the history and the science itself. In a world often affected by loose talk about ‘genes for’ interesting traits, this book supplies a welcome antidote to simplistic thinking. It is as important as it is fascinating.” -- Philip Kitcher, author of In Mendel’s Mirror: Philosophical Reflections on Biology
“There are few ideas in biology as powerful—and dangerous—as the notion that genes determine who we are and what we can become. In this deeply researched and beautifully written history, Radick reveals the contingent pathways through which genetic determinism took hold among biologists and beyond. Disputed Inheritance rewrites the story of genetics with care and verve, in the hopes that future students will learn to see both history and biology differently.” -- Helen Anne Curry, author of Evolution Made to Order
“Radick underscores some of the most vital but neglected facts of genetics—that genes don’t work in simple ways, and that variation and context matter. This is a beautifully researched, important book. It may be a work of history, but the lessons are also relevant for us today.”
  -- Angela Saini, author of Superior: The Return of Race Science