Title: Traced
Author: Nathaniel T. Jeanson
Genre: Scientific Research
Rating: 4/5 stars
Overview: I have a sneaking interest in genetics. I also have a less-sneaking interest in theories pointing towards a young earth. And I furthermore have a great interest in genealogies. So when I heard about this book that shares a genetical approach to providing evidence for a young earth by tracing genealogy through the Y chromosome, I naturally had to buy it. This was a fascinating read that, while sometimes over my head, has given me much to think about and has taught me things I never knew I didn’t know.
Writing: The author is a Harvard graduate, so he’s pretty sinking smart. Yet he also possesses the ability to make complex subjects simple—or at least, as simple as possible. He does an admirable job of keeping the text at a lay person’s level, but some topics are just too complex to avoid getting into the technical side of things. There’s also just a lottttt of information to unpack, and at times I would just have to nod and move on, having gleaned the basics of what I needed to know from the summary at the end of each chapter. Taking notes throughout would have helped, but I didn’t think about it until I was halfway through, and by that point, what would have been the use?
Summary: This book is exciting. It takes our ideas about where people came from and turns them on their heads. The book is written from an unabashedly young-earth, biblical-authority perspective, and it sheds an intriguing light on how genetics points to a common ancestor with three sons. I highly recommend this to those interested in learning more about these fascinating new studies and who will enjoy wrestling with the complexities presented.