The Violinist’s Thumb by Sam Kean

The Violinist’s Thumb by Sam Kean is a book about DNA that is highly entertaining and also manages to teach you quite a lot about the subject. This one is for fellow geeks like me, and also those who just want to sound like they know about DNA the next time it comes up in conversation.

Book Description

“In The Disappearing Spoon, bestselling author Sam Kean unlocked the mysteries of the periodic table. In THE VIOLINIST'S THUMB, he explores the wonders of the magical building block of life: DNA.

There are genes to explain crazy cat ladies, why other people have no fingerprints, and why some people survive nuclear bombs. Genes illuminate everything from JFK's bronze skin (it wasn't a tan) to Einstein's genius. They prove that Neanderthals and humans bred thousands of years more recently than any of us would feel comfortable thinking. They can even allow some people, because of the exceptional flexibility of their thumbs and fingers, to become truly singular violinists.

Kean's vibrant storytelling once again makes science entertaining, explaining human history and whimsy while showing how DNA will influence our species' future.” – The Violinist’s Thumb

My Thoughts

The Violinist’s Thumb is a book about DNA that is fun to read. This isn’t a college textbook that will bore you to death. Although I have read many of those boring college science books that will in fact put you to sleep without the use of melatonin, this one is entertaining to read.

I’ve taken quite a few college science courses, so this was an easy book for me to read and understand. However, for people who haven’t taken any of these courses, or it has been awhile, it might be a little bit hard to understand in a few places. It isn’t enough for someone to not be able to get the main idea though, so don’t let this stop you from reading it.

Overall, I found this to be a fun science book that I actually enjoyed reading and learning from. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Violinist’s Thumb, Little, Brown and Company, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.