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.

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.

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.

Dorothy Roberts

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “Believing in Race in the Genomic Age”

Part 1 Fatal Invention Part 1 Summary & Analysis

Part 2: “The New Racial Science”

Part 2 Fatal Invention Part 2 Summary & Analysis

Part 3: “The New Racial Technology”

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Part 4: “The New Biopolitics of Race”

Part 4-Conclusion

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Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century

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