A review of Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are by Kevin J. Mitchell. Princeton University Press (October 16, 2018) 304 pages.Kevin Mitchell's Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are is a book for high school students. And I mean that as a compliment. Profound misunderstandings about the genetic nature of human beings lie at the heart of the social justice movement, as well as some education reforms, attitudes toward mental disorders, aspects of the self-help industry, and social policies including but not limited to immigration, welfare, racism, and sex/gender issues. What a person understands or misunderstands about genetics is a foundation for evaluating new ideas encountered in college, forming political opinions, dealing with difficult co-workers, tackling issues of parenthood and family, and generally living day-to-day life.
If read early enough, Innate might provide some inoculation against bad or naïve information about human nature and the indisputable role played by genes. That is why it belongs on high school reading lists, not just in science classes. Think general liberal education.
Comment: The denial of biological science seems to be reaching a fever-pitch, with attacks on biologists, psychologists, geneticists and others happening almost daily. The ideological left is completely uncomfortable with the truth and are in-turn smearing anyone who dares to report it. This can not be allowed if we expect to continue as a species. Scientific truths should never be so controversial as to be silenced. Science is how we make progress - denial is regression.
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