Not in your genes : the real reasons children are like their parents

Professor Robert Plomin, the world's leading geneticist, said in 2014 of his search for genes that explain differences in our psychology: 'I have been looking for these genes for fifteen years. I don't have any'. Using a mixture of famous and ordinary people, Oliver James drills deep down into the childhood causes of our individuality, revealing why our upbringing, not our genes, plays such an important role in our wellbeing and success. The implications are huge: as adults we can change, we can clutch our fates from predetermined destiny, as parents we can radically alter the trajectory of our childrens' lives, and as a society we could largely eradicate criminality and poverty. Not in Your Genes will not only change the way you think about yourself and the people around you, but give you the fuel to change your personality and your life for the better. There is a prevailing myth - in both modern society and in modern science - that who we are is largely down to our genetic code. Most of us believe that our personalities, abilities and health are down to a combination of both our upbringing and our natural genetic makeup. Labels we are given as a child (of 'intelligent', 'slow' or 'shy') continue through to our adult years - often holding us back and stopping us from change. However, in this groundbreaking new book, Oliver James uncovers the truth about genetics: that our genes actually play very little part in shaping who we are. In fact, nearly all of the psychological differences between us are caused by our upbringing and environment, and in disease only a tiny 5-10 per centage of cases are caused by genes. Oliver James not only demonstrates how our past and present affect us and they way we behave, but shows how this opens us up for unexpected opportunities for change. This exciting new book will not only change the way you think about yourself and the people around you, but give you the fuel to change your personality and your life for the better AProfessor Robert Plomin, the world's leading geneticist, said in 2014 of his search for genes that explain differences in our psychology: 'I have been looking for these genes for fifteen years. I don't have any'. Using a mixture of famous and ordinary people, Oliver James drills deep down into the childhood causes of our individuality, revealing why our upbringing, not our genes, plays such an important role in our wellbeing and success. The implications are huge: as adults we can change, we can clutch our fates from predetermined destiny, as parents we can radically alter the trajectory of our childrens' lives, and as a society we could largely eradicate criminality and poverty. Not in Your Genes will not only change the way you think about yourself and the people around you, but give you the fuel to change your personality and your life for the better