The Secrets of our DNA
How Genetics has Changed the World
Published on 28. May 2026
480 pages
978-1-5291-9459-3 (ISBN)
Description
A NEW SCIENTIST BEST NEW SCIENCE BOOK MAY 2026: 'An insider's must-read book' - New Scientist
'From the scientist who identified the remains of Richard III, this lively, myth-busting tour of modern genetics unpacks how DNA solves crimes, rewrites history and shapes our lives. It brims with timely questions about what our genes can (and can't) reveal.' - i-paper
'Unequivocally expert.' Sunday Times
'Combines fascinating history and science with brilliant storytelling' - Professor Alice Roberts, anatomist and bestselling author of Domination
'A glimpse into the fascinating world of DNA under the guidance of a true expert...Accessible, enjoyable and thought provoking.' - Professor Sue Black, forensic scientist and bestselling author of All That Remains
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DNA has become one of the most powerful tools in modern science; From unlocking crime and immigration cases, to ensuring our food and animal safety, to resolving questions of history and archaeology, ancestry and even, for some, identity.
In this eye-opening book, Professor Turi King - the scientist who identified the remains of Richard III in a Leicester car park - uncovers how genetics is changing the way we understand the world. Through compelling real-life cases, she shows how DNA has solved crimes, rewritten history, and reshaped ideas of who we are.
From the O. J. Simpson trial to mistaken dinosaur DNA, from Dolly the sheep to Angelina Jolie's BRCA1 gene, King brings genetics to life with fascinating examples that reveal what DNA can - and can't - tell us about who we are.
She reminds us that while our DNA can reveal a predisposition to certain diseases and conditions, it doesn't determine our future. And, perhaps most importantly, she shows why we all need to be part of the conversation about how new genetic discoveries are used for the benefit of life on Earth.
Compelling, compassionate, and entirely captivating, The Secrets of Our DNA is the must-read book about how genetics has changed - and is changing - the world.
'From the scientist who identified the remains of Richard III, this lively, myth-busting tour of modern genetics unpacks how DNA solves crimes, rewrites history and shapes our lives. It brims with timely questions about what our genes can (and can't) reveal.' - i-paper
'Unequivocally expert.' Sunday Times
'Combines fascinating history and science with brilliant storytelling' - Professor Alice Roberts, anatomist and bestselling author of Domination
'A glimpse into the fascinating world of DNA under the guidance of a true expert...Accessible, enjoyable and thought provoking.' - Professor Sue Black, forensic scientist and bestselling author of All That Remains
--------------
DNA has become one of the most powerful tools in modern science; From unlocking crime and immigration cases, to ensuring our food and animal safety, to resolving questions of history and archaeology, ancestry and even, for some, identity.
In this eye-opening book, Professor Turi King - the scientist who identified the remains of Richard III in a Leicester car park - uncovers how genetics is changing the way we understand the world. Through compelling real-life cases, she shows how DNA has solved crimes, rewritten history, and reshaped ideas of who we are.
From the O. J. Simpson trial to mistaken dinosaur DNA, from Dolly the sheep to Angelina Jolie's BRCA1 gene, King brings genetics to life with fascinating examples that reveal what DNA can - and can't - tell us about who we are.
She reminds us that while our DNA can reveal a predisposition to certain diseases and conditions, it doesn't determine our future. And, perhaps most importantly, she shows why we all need to be part of the conversation about how new genetic discoveries are used for the benefit of life on Earth.
Compelling, compassionate, and entirely captivating, The Secrets of Our DNA is the must-read book about how genetics has changed - and is changing - the world.
Reviews / Votes
King comes across on paper much as she does on screen: loquacious, likeable and unequivocally expert. -- James McConnachie * Sunday Times * A glimpse into the fascinating world of DNA under the guidance of a true expert.Always accessible, enjoyable and thought provoking. Who could ask for more? -- Professor Lady Sue Black, Baroness Black of Strome, author of All That Remains Turi King combines fascinating history and science with brilliant storytelling, taking us from homicides to wildlife crime, DNA tests to eugenics. -- Professor Alice Roberts Turi King is a brilliant scientist and an enticing storyteller which makes this book both thrilling and highly informative. I think Columbo would have loved it. -- Robin Ince, comedian and author of The Importance of Being Interested The forensic use of DNA is as close to magic as anything in science today: that a tiny fragment of material can identify a dead king, convict a killer or exonerate the innocent. Turi King's eye-witness account of how this magic was invented is a fascinating read. -- Matt Ridley, author of Genome. Learn about genetics and why it is so useful. -- Sir Paul Nurse OM CH FRS,Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine 2001 This enthralling book explains how modern genetics, underpinned by fast-moving DNA technology, has come to inform myriad areas of 21st-century life. -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller * From the scientist who identified the remains of Richard III, this lively, myth-busting tour of moderngenetics unpacks how DNA solves crimes, rewrites history and shapes our lives. It brims with timely questions about what our genes can (and can't) reveal. * i-paper * You may not know the name Turi King, but you will almost certainly have heard of her work: identifying the bones of Richard III in a car park in the UK city of Leicester and leading the project to sequence Adolf Hitler's genome. So, we can definitely expect amazing stories in her new book, The Secrets of Our DNA: How genetics has changed the world. But underpinning those stories (think everything from O.J. Simpson to mistaken dinosaur DNA to Angelina Jolie's BRCA1 gene) will be a deep account of how genetics has ended up entangled in the lives of us all. King "shows how we are all interconnected and why we must all benefit from this exciting and rapidly evolving science" and reminds us that DNA need not be destiny - nor is it the silver bullet some imagine. * New Scientist * King comes across on paper much as she does on screen: loquacious, likeable and unequivocally expert. * Sunday Times *
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Transworld Publishers Ltd
File size
5,77 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-5291-9459-3 (9781529194593)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
05/2026
Doubleday
€27.50
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Book
05/2026
DOUBLEDAY
€22.50
Available immediately
Person
Professor Turi King is renowned for presenting complex findings on DNA and genetic science in an accessible and compelling way and has won awards for her public engagement in science. She is Director of the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath and was previously Professor of Genetics and Public Engagement at the University of Leicester. She is an Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, a Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences and a Member of the International Society of Forensic Genetics. She is well known both for her academic work leading the genetics and identification Richard III, advising on the case of Mary Jane Kelly (the last victim of Jack the Ripper), leading the project on sequencing Hitler's genome as well as her media work co-presenting BBC's DNA Family Secrets, as well as presenting podcasts, both her own and for the likes of Audible and the BBC.
