- Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Corgi Books; New edition edition (1 May 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0552148768
- ISBN-13: 978-0552148764
- Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 10.6 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 210,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
In The Seven Daughters of Eve Bryan Sykes has produced a highly readable scientific autobiography depicting the major events in his career as a human geneticist. He was the first to extract DNA from the bones of the 5,000-year-old Iceman, and he solved the problem of the colonisation of Polynesia by tracing modern Polynesians' genetic ancestry. The high point of his work so far is the creation of a genetic map of Western Europe, showing that over 95% of native Europeans can trace their ancestry back to one of seven individual women. To trace this lineage Sykes and his team used mitochondria, tiny structures within each cell, which are passed on purely down the maternal line. Because they do not engage in recombination like chromosomes, mitochondria are easy to trace, changing only as a result of slow mutation. The mutation rate acts as a clock indicating how long different populations have been separated. The science is clearly explained and Sykes gives a good flavour of the life of a working scientist in a series of well-chosen anecdotes, all written in a warm, engaging style. The seven daughters themselves, whom he has named Ursula, Xenia, Helena, Velda, Tara, Katrine and Jasmine, are brought to life in rather whimsical little stories describing how their lives might have been before and during the last great Ice Age. All in all, this is an excellent piece of popular-science writing, unveiling a fascinating story about human inter-relatedness. It deserves to be widely read. --Elizabeth Sourbut
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
Many of the stories concerning DNA and genetics are about the future - they're about what we can do tomorrow, which animals we can clone, which diseases we will be able to eradicate. This book is also about DNA, except it looks the other way, back across the sweep of time to the seven original women whose mitochondrial DNA - or "maternal" DNA if you like - is handed down from generation to generation and is still carried by everyone of European descent today. Sykes, who is Professor of Genetics at Oxford University, describes how he made this discovery in a book that is moving and inspiring and a world away from dry science.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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First Sentence
On Thursday 19 September 1991 Erika and Helmut Simon, two experienced climbers from Nuremberg in Germany, were nearing the end of their walking holiday in the Italian Alps. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
On Thursday 19 September 1991 Erika and Helmut Simon, two experienced climbers from Nuremberg in Germany, were nearing the end of their walking holiday in the Italian Alps. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Having gone through a list of Cavalli Sforza, Jared Diamond and Dawkins I stumbled across this book. I have to say that it was a really enjoyable read and something that for the most part held me to the end.
What I found too simplistic were the life stories of the seven daughters of Eve. What could have made this even more interesting would have been if he could have added the "daughters of Eve" from other continents. Admittedly he does have a genealogical tree depicting human history back to our African origins. Certainly a book to recommend to anyone.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Even to a mere 16 year old teenager, this book was engrossing. The descriptions of the Seven Daughters of Eve were imaginative, and every line was mixed with humour. Even the most scientific parts of the book were very easy to understand, and even enjoyable, which not many popular science books can do. Sykes has a gift of explaining complex notions clearly, and for that alone, he deserves the five stars.
But what is most absorbing about this book is the whole idea of all of us being related to one another. It was definitely an eye opener and made me look at everyone else in the world differently - almost as if I am seeing my brothers and sisters around every corner! The enduring capacity of mitochondrial DNA, and the fact that it stays pure for centuries, was also a gripping concept - and made me realise the power of DNA and our genes.
A must read for anyone who is fascinated by genetics. It even made me consider genetics for a future degree!
But what is most absorbing about this book is the whole idea of all of us being related to one another. It was definitely an eye opener and made me look at everyone else in the world differently - almost as if I am seeing my brothers and sisters around every corner! The enduring capacity of mitochondrial DNA, and the fact that it stays pure for centuries, was also a gripping concept - and made me realise the power of DNA and our genes.
A must read for anyone who is fascinated by genetics. It even made me consider genetics for a future degree!
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The blurb goes on about it being passionate and bubbly and whatever, but don't be put off.. it really is good! It's a rare example of a science book which is hard to put down in the way a 'good read' should be, but is more informative than many pop science books come near.
In brief the book covers what he looked for (identifiable patterns in mitochondrial DNA); what he found (they exist, and are special because they only pass from mother to child); and what that means (he could prove not only that we're all related but how, when and where). He talks about his excitement at the 'we're all related' factor, and although I started out cynical, or rather apathetic, I was excited too by the end of the book. If you're a 'Helena', then you descend from the same great.... grandmother as anyone else with that marker, which could be your bloke, your dad (as well as your mum), your girlfriend, the bloke selling the big issue on the corner, the confused-looking people on the telly in some Baghdad hospital... when you start thinking about the implications, it gives you a rather funny feeling, and that is what Sykes says is the whole point of the work he does.
And even if fluffy we-are-all-one feelings are not for you, I bet you'd be fascinated by the information the book contains!
Oh - and as a painless primer in pre-history it's not half bad either.
In brief the book covers what he looked for (identifiable patterns in mitochondrial DNA); what he found (they exist, and are special because they only pass from mother to child); and what that means (he could prove not only that we're all related but how, when and where). He talks about his excitement at the 'we're all related' factor, and although I started out cynical, or rather apathetic, I was excited too by the end of the book. If you're a 'Helena', then you descend from the same great.... grandmother as anyone else with that marker, which could be your bloke, your dad (as well as your mum), your girlfriend, the bloke selling the big issue on the corner, the confused-looking people on the telly in some Baghdad hospital... when you start thinking about the implications, it gives you a rather funny feeling, and that is what Sykes says is the whole point of the work he does.
And even if fluffy we-are-all-one feelings are not for you, I bet you'd be fascinated by the information the book contains!
Oh - and as a painless primer in pre-history it's not half bad either.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Get to know your remote ancestors
Great book tat describes the remote ancestors of most European population.
Scientific but entertaining too. The make up of the seven women's lives is very nice.
Scientific but entertaining too. The make up of the seven women's lives is very nice.
Published 7 months ago by RS
The Seven Daughters of Eve
The book came well within the stated time, a new book. It was recommened by a friend as being of interest. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Aster 2
Outstanding, though of course from 2001
That's an easy book to read even in spite of the highly scientific knowledge it is bringing because of the great care of the author, an Oxford scientific professor and researcher,... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Jacques COULARDEAU
A great read
There are already many reviews of the book, so I'll be brief: despite its title, The Seven Daughters of Eve is more than seven mini biographies, it is a general introduction to... Read more
Published 9 months ago by P. Toche
The Seven Daughters of Eve
This book was recommended to me during a discussion about feeling more comfortable among some groups of people rather than others. Read more
Published 10 months ago by SheenaM
Tedious yet fascinating
I persevered, but other wouldnt. The book could be written on half the pages without losing the information. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Yorkie
The Seven Daughters of Eve
This is a very interesting and well written book. Although there is a great deal of scientific content Professor Sykes explains this very clearly. Read more
Published on 25 May 2010 by wendy
populist tripe
This is a silly book. The author attempts to trace back each mitochondrial line present in modern human populations to its earliest representative, hence the "daughters of Eve" of... Read more
Published on 14 Nov 2009 by Michael Scuffil
Accessible and fascinating
Sykes traces all European's ancient ancestry using mitochondrial dna back to seven ancient clan mothers and eloquently explains the science behind his extraordinary conclusions. Read more
Published on 5 Oct 2009 by Jo Bennie
Well written story of science in action
The Seven Daughters of Eve
Extremely well written story of how Brian Sykes set out to find the origins of people through DNA and the techiques used along the way to... Read more
Extremely well written story of how Brian Sykes set out to find the origins of people through DNA and the techiques used along the way to... Read more
Published on 27 July 2009 by Mr. P. T. Mcmahon
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