56 pages • 1 hour read
Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century
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Book Brief
400
Book • Nonfiction
2010s
2011
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
In Fatal Invention, Dorothy Roberts examines how the belief in a biological basis for race is inaccurate and instead argues that race is a political construct used to uphold systemic racism. She traces the co-construction of race by imperialism and science, exposes how modern genetic research perpetuates these racial biases, and critiques the consequential impact on medicine and surveillance technologies. This book discusses systemic racism, slavery, eugenics, police surveillance, and mass incarceration.
Informative
Challenging
Unnerving
Mysterious
Emotional
Reviews & Readership
2,124 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Dorothy Roberts' Fatal Invention is praised for its thorough examination of race, science, and biotechnology, with critics noting its compelling argument and robust research. However, some feel the book can be dense and challenging for general readers. Overall, it is highly regarded for its thought-provoking insights and critical analysis on the implications of racial science.
Who Should Read Fatal Invention?
A reader captivated by sociological and bioethical discussions, particularly those intrigued by the intersections of race, science, and technology, will enjoy Dorothy Roberts’ Fatal Invention. Fans of Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow or Harriet A. Washington's Medical Apartheid will find it especially compelling.
2,124 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Ashley Montagu
Ashley Montagu
A British American anthropologist who argued against the biological category of race, emphasizing that there is more genetic diversity within political racial groups than between them.
European Naturalists and Taxonomists
European Naturalists and Taxonomists
Figures like Carl Linnaeus and Georges Cuvier, who contributed to early racial classification systems that positioned European humans as superior, influencing subsequent scientific racism.
Bob Cohn
Bob Cohn
A cardiologist known for his role in the racialized marketing of BiDil, a heart disease drug initially approved by the FDA specifically for African Americans.
Samuel Cartwright
Samuel Cartwright
An American physician known for his racist theories, including the notion that Black people were biologically suited for slavery, reflecting broader 19th-century scientific racism.
400
Book • Nonfiction
2010s
2011
Adult
18+ years
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