Twins: And What They Tell Us About Who We Are

Rating:
Summary: Everyone should read this book.
Review: An open-minded reading of this book will change the way you think about yourself and everyone you know. It's not just about identical twins, but about all of us, and what makes us who we are. I've read many books about twin research, and this is the best.

Rating:
Summary: A compelling book but lacking in critical insight and detail
Review: Contains many interesting insights into twin behaviour and genetics. Wright shows not only the similarities between twins we'd expect but the differences too. However her writing lacks criticality and depth of understanding.

The book failed to address a few issues. While it discusses genetics factors at great length it fails to look at the function of the genes. Wright writes of genes like they are black boxes with their effects being a mere curiosity rather serving any naturally selected function. This viewpoint leads her to ignore many compelling questions.

For example, identical twins should be expected, from a "selfish" gene view, to have much more compassion for each other than fraternal twins. Do they? I still don't know. When Wright talks of twins who "fought" in the womb she doesn't even mention which sort they were. And with her typical lack of criticality, alternative explanations aren't even considered: couldn't the aggressor have been simply learning to control its motor functions in a natural (and well-documented) way? Wright doesn't give us their age (or stage of development) either, which would allow the readers to draw their own conclusions.

Wright also manages to show a lack of understanding of human emotions. She talks of love between partners as being simply a selection of attributes -- for if it were then identical twins would surely fall in love with the same people more often.

However it's still a compelling book in which the author takes the passenger seat in her tour of twins, their behaviour, historical perspectives and happenings.

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating read
Review: Frankly, if this book does change your view on who you are, you are not paying attention. Authoritative and even handed, the author raises questions that will stay with you long after the book is finished. One of the most absorbing books I've read in a long time (and I read a lot!).

Rating:
Summary: Real insight into the human condition
Review: This book provides proof for the perennial "Environment vs Genes" debate about humankind and personal destiny. After reading this book, I have come around 180 degrees - it's genes. Stories of separated twins leading essentially parallel lives are so compelling, that I realized that we are all propelled through our lives by personality. Our individual fates are controlled mostly by our abilities and instincts than by the conditions of our life. Those abilities and instincts are largely genetic. Far from being a kind of predestination, this frees us to live fully through our personalities, our selves. It frees us from the myth that we are victims of fate - we, our instincts and our abilities are all its shapers.