A NEW SCIENTIST BEST NEW SCIENCE BOOK MAY 2026
'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
'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.
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.
