In the Name of Eugenics: Genetics and the Uses of Human Heredity

I am an engineer and lawyer - my science and legal background attract me to this subject. For those interested in science, it is a lesson against having too much faith in scientific conclusions of the day, especially when it harms people. For those interested in the law, it shows how much constitutional interpretation has changed over the years. In the infamous Buck v. Bell case of 1927, the Supreme Court famously held that "three generations of imbeciles are enough," and that the state had the right to remove "genetic threats" to society by sterilizing whomever they deemed "unfit." This often meant pregnant, unmarried women would go to a hospital to give birth, and have their tubes tied without their permission. Poor families in Appalachia were rounded up and given the snip. All in all, tens of thousands of Americans lost their ability to procreate in this insane chapter of U.S. history - a chapter that even inspired the Nazi's! It's an extremely interesting story thoroughly told in a very readable way in this book.

...This was one of the most widely recommended and referenced books by those who disagree or agree with the eugenics movement in the United States. Those who lambasted the scientific idiots running the eugenics movement as being prejudiced and biased in their science, lauded this book as one of the most complete of all recent books written on this topic. Those who support the motives behind eugenics, fixed upon this particular book and author as the one they needed to tear apart. That gives readers an idea of how accurately Kelves pushed the buttons of those who would practice eugenics, euthanasia, doctor-assisted suicide, and other such controversial practices. Kelves research job is outstanding, and even though the reader can tell the opinion of Kevles from the way he writes, he certainly more than backed up his writing with pertinent references and cross-references. In fact, I enjoyed reading his references and bibliography, because it was just loaded with information that he chose not to use in the text of his book. I also tend to go searching through his index and references for extra information because of all of the books I've read on eugenics here in the U.S. his is the most valid and inclusive of everything I've seen so far. This is a topic which is very difficult to read, let alone write about, without developing very strong opinions not only of the movement itself, but of the people involved one way or another in this particular stain on American history. See...I cannot even keep my own mouth shut for writing a short review on a book on the topic...I cannot imagine researching it for a period of years and being expected to remain distant and objective about it. Kevles does a relatively good job presenting the facts and not becoming too strident about the questionable scientific practices which flourished in order to 'prove' preconceived ideas and beliefs. The book is extremely readable (especially compared to most textbooks for sociology or ethics), and I can understand why professors would recommend this book to their students rather than reading a dry textbook. I certainly have no plans to get rid of my copy, and I will be lending it out and recommending it to those I teach concerning the disabled and bioethics. ...

Kevles is a very clear and thorough writer. I have read other articles by him as well as this book, and he presents the history of eugenics and its modern possiblities with a readablility that will be clear to anyone, even w/o a sciene background. The book does cover a lot of information, but is enjoyable. If you have an interest in the possibilities regarding the use of genetic knowledge, this book is worth your time.

I had to read it for school... I am a college freshman...in my Sociology class we had to choose a book off of a reading list to report on. Remembering the mention of Eugenics in High School Biology, and remembering my odd fascination with genetics and hereditiy, I thought I'd give this book a try. I was fully ready to embark on a difficult and heavy book that discussed scientific matter that went over my head (being a film student, eugenics doesn't come up very often.) Much to my surprise I found the book very readable, and I became obsessed with reading it. Everything about the whole eugenics scene was so complex and intereting.I think I could keep up with it all because of the way the author presented the subject. It was laid out so that a person (like me) who knew next to nothing about eugenics, could pick up the book and get a history of the people and the practices of genetics and the uses of human heredity. I recommend it to anyone who is somewhat interested in eugenics, but does not have the background or time to devote life study to it. It satisfied my curiosities and my book report! :)

Daniel Kevles's In the Name of Eugenics is a thoughtful, well-written look at the eugenics movement of the early twentieth century. In an extremely readable manner, Kevles has produced a most accessible and informative study of eugenics that will be of interest to people with various amounts of knowledge of the field. Kevles meticulously examines the lives of the eugenicists as well as the many implications of eugenics in American society. This book is invaluable to anyone studying eugenics and is a great resource.