Breeding Between the Lines: Why Interracial People Are Healthier and More Attractive

Very thoughtful, very interesting. A look at race completely outside the normal discussion.

A very entertaining book on a controversial topic. As a researcher in intergroup relations, this topic has fascinating implications! Mr. Ziv does a wonderful job of taking very complicated constructs and breaking them down into easy-to-digest chunks. (I'm saying this as someone who hasn't learned anything about DNA since high school biology.) I do think he should have shaved before taking his author's photo though.

I just finished reading "Breeding Between the Lines" and was excited to share the book with other readers. I don't normally like science-based writing, but Mr. Ziv's language was so entertaining and well-stated, I couldn't help but enjoy the book. I was most interested in how Ziv addressed the questions he posed in Chapter 4 about the existence of race, and how many races exist. Ziv made some solid scientific arguments, and his Brazilian example perfectly illustrated how subjective any division is. I also liked how Ziv seamlessly integrated pop culture references, which is always a good thing. It was also cool how he used his friends' stories. Tannaz only had 14 great grandparents? Who knew. I just have one question. What happened when the girl showed up to meet Alan in Vegas, sight unseen?

Okay, so when I got this book for my birthday, I thought two things. First, that it would be too scientific. Second, that it wouldn't convince me of anything. Wrong and wrong. I ended up staying up until 7:00 in the morning reading this thing. It was fascinating! He sets up his premise early on that interracial people are healthier, more attractive, more symmetrical, more athletic, etc. Now this isn't EVERY interracial person, but on average. There are tons of scientific studies documented, and they're interesting. Like the one that concluded that highly symmetrical men are more than twice as likely to bring their partner to orgasm as low-symmetry men. And the studies are presented with humor and examples (as poor Lyle Lovett can attest to...) It's funny, insightful, and discusses everything from the mating habits of snow geese to present day race relations. He presents as incredibly unbiased, he supports his theories, and honestly after reading this it's hard to imagine how any open minded person can disagree with his premise. There's probably only ten to twenty books I've ever read that I would say, "Trust me, just read it." But this would be one of them.

Great read - especially for a science book! I really liked the author's animated, conversational tone. Even when he gets into complex genetic information, it's totally comprehensible for non-scientists (like me). Tons of interesting studies and stories (I know a lot more about bedbug sex than I'd ever imagined). I love books where you learn and are entertained at the same time (Tipping Point, Blink, Fast Food Nation, Freakonimics, etc.) - and this is a great example. Who knew that interracial people had so many genetic advantages?