The 1984 discovery of DNA fingerprinting marked the start of a whole new era in the study of our DNA. Genetics has become a key to unlocking criminal and immigration cases, essential to our food safety, to the protection of threatened wildlife and to resolving questions of history and archaeology, ancestry and even, for some, identity.

Professor Turi King, one of the world’s most eminent authorities on DNA and genetic research, takes us on a journey to understand the real science behind some of the world’s most famous crimes,from dead kings to modern murders, showing how DNA can both convict and exonerate. And moving from mistaken dinosaur DNA to Angelina Jolie’s BRCA1 gene, from eugenics to epigenetics, and the study of Hitler’s DNA, she explains how genetics informs every aspect of our lives, why it affects us all, and what it can—and can’t—tell you about who you are.

Fascinating, compassionate and entirely captivating, The Secrets of Our DNA shows us how we are all interconnected. It also reminds us that while our DNA can yield information about our predisposition to disease and other conditions, it need not be our destiny. And, perhaps most importantly, she shows us why we should all be a part of the discussion as to how new genetic discoveries are used for the benefit of all life on earth.