Knox County Public Library invites the public to join UT alumnus Dr. Jason Fletcher for a discussion of his book The Genome Factor: What the Social Genomics Revolution Reveals about Ourselves, Our History, and the Future at noon on Wednesday, January 24 in the East Tennessee History Center auditorium at this month’s Books Sandwiched In program. Bring your lunch or pick up something downtown. Drinks are available for fifty cents. Reading the book is optional. Books Sandwiched In is generously sponsored by the Friends of Knox County Public Library.
 
“I’m very excited to be returning to Knoxville to share my research,” Fletcher said. “My first experience doing research was as an undergraduate at UT in the economics department and the center for business and economic research (CBER), which gave me many opportunities to learn how to work across disciplines and gather evidence on many policy topics.”   

In The Genome Factor, Fletcher and co-author Dalton Conley take us on what one reviewer called, “an exhilarating and accessible exploration of dangerous and disputed territory: the role of genes in economic and social life.” They reveal that there are real genetic differences by racial ancestry, but differences that don't conform to what we call Black, white, or Latino. Genes explain a significant share of who gets ahead in society and who does not, but instead of giving rise to a genetocracy, genes often act as engines of mobility that counter social disadvantage. 

“It is an honor to discuss my book in the Books Sandwiched In series,” Fletcher said. “I think the ongoing “social genomics” revolution has many important policy implications worth everyone joining in to discuss and consider—this will be the topic of the discussion related to my book.”   

Fletcher is currently Romnes Professor of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He completed a B.S. in economics and public administration at the University of Tennessee–Knoxville, and a doctorate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Applied Economics. 

The authors also address controversial topics such as the future of reproduction in a world where more people are taking advantage of cheap genotyping services like 23andMe.


Upcoming Books Sandwiched In Schedule:

February 28: Dr. Mark Harmon, The University of Tennessee, will discuss The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For by David McCullough.

March 28: Claudia Caballero, Centro Hispano de East Tennessee, will discuss The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life by Lauren Markham. 

April 25: Dr. Nick Geidner, The University of Tennessee, will discuss Whiplash: How to Survive Our Faster Future by Joi Ito.

May 23: Umoja Abdul-Ahad, Zero Waste Neighborhoods/Project 2000, Inc., will discuss Muslims and the Making of America by Amir Hussain.

June 27: Dr. Matt Harris, The University of Tennessee, will discuss A Fine Mess: A Global Quest for a Simpler, Fairer, and More Efficient Tax System by T. R. Reid.

Learn more at www.knoxlib.org.