My European Family: The First 54,000 Years (Bloomsbury Sigma) Hardcover – May 30, 2017

I really tried with this book. It didn't flow well for me. I put it down and came back to it and it just didn't get any easier.There is a lot of interesting information here and it is presented in a unique way, through the ancestral line of the author, but that also ends up being the downfall. Too often the book gets stuck in the muck about the specifics of the specific traits of the author's ancesto. I get it, that's th e premise of the book, but it just wasn't done well. The book slowed and couldn't keep my attention beyond a few paragraphs at a time.I could not bring myself to finish this book.

The book puts DNA in a place so that a lay-person can understand it. It illustrates the difference between and limited similarities to genetics. My eyes were opened to an AHA!! moment or two. For instance I had never heard of Doggerland. The book also, points out how skin color, eye color, etc. does not matter in following a DNA migration pattern. In my opinion, the author spent a little too much time on reminiscing about her family's living places and conditions. I feel that it was a worthwhile read.

Not quite sure what you're supposed to make of the results? This author used it as a jumping off point for a fascinating journey to historically iconic locations all over Europe. How relevant to you is an ancestor going back tens of thousands of years? As a touching point to an archaic era, it might prove more personal than plates in a text book. If nothing else, it will lead you to some of the most scenic spots on the planet. Would we all could take such a trip. But chances are you share some if not all of Karin Bojs's historic genes, so why not latch onto her quest? An educating read.

I previously bought and read this book myself. I love this book, the way it is written, especially the way the author weaves in the history of her family in Europe. The story tells of early man's journey into Europe and the many battles early man had to face, especially the late Ice Age of some 20,000 years ago. I've recommended this book to quite a few friends, and I bought this copy of the book for a friend as a gift. The foundation of knowledge provided to the reader from this book just pushes the reader to seek out other books which will expand the reader's journey into understanding the evolution of early man.

For those interested in the history of human origins this book is amazing. It will totally change ones understanding of human interaction from the misconception of isolated clans to a much broader human network. It is a wonderful study of how DNA can provide evidence that was lacking in how the human race multipled and spread over time and space.

It was my interest in genealogy that made me read this book. It is a very interesting approach to the topic, where the author follows her DNA as far back as it goes and line out the migration routes her ancestors took to end up in Sweden. Being a Norwegian the material Bojs presents is very relevant for my background too.The book presents relevant and sometimes complexed research in a way that is easy to read and understand.

Kudos to Karin Bojs for an outstanding book, that is both informative and entertaining at the same time. A wonderful summary of the latest archaeological findings, now that DNA has been added to the scientific mix. It even includes cats, dogs, and horses! Well done!

i am a fan of shows like finding your roots so i had a smidgen of knowledge of tracing roots through dna. however this book is a fascinating combination of that and archeological research that gives a fascinating account of how we got from Africa to Europe today

I very much enjoyed this book even though I'm not really used to reading about science in a journalistic style. Journalists use many details that are supposed to make the narrative more lively - like what the weather was or what they were drinking when interviewing a person, or what's the latest gossip about work relationships between researchers going sour... I found it redundant and slightly annoying, but there's not too much of it in this book and it did not deter me from reading. The main matter is fascinating, and the author's rich imagination was a boost to my own - there are several imagined scenes of our prehistorical ancestors' travels and meetings, which make the whole story much more alive. I did get lost in some of the terminology in the end - couldn't possibly remember the names of all haplogroups, them being just strings of seemingly random numbers and letters - but that didn't affect my ability to follow the arguments as the narrative is otherwise very accessible to an amateur reader. Last but not least, the author's sensitivity to the beauty of landscapes shines throughout the book and makes the whole reading experience that much more real. Thank you, Karin, I've had a great time with your book!

Non avevo idea di quanto la ricerca sul DNA stesse rivoluzionando l'archeologia e l'antropologia, e di quanto i progressi tecnologici oltre a trasformare il nostro futuro siano anche in grado di svelare molte verità sul nostro passato.Mio nonno, anzi per precisione il secondo marito di mia nonna paterna, ha dedicato diversi anni della sua vita alla ricerca araldica sulla sua famiglia, risalendo attraverso una lunga e faticosa ricerca documentale fino ai primi anni del passato millennio... l'idea non mi attira... certo capire con un semplice campione di saliva se discendo dai cacciatori-raccoglitori, dai coltivatori o dai primi allevatori è un'altra cosa.Ho apprezzato l'approccio dell'autrice che non trascura di affrontare l'argomento scottante dei rischi legati alla ricerca di verità sull'origine di alcune etnie.

Bojs weaves a riveting history of human development and migration from the earliest of times. This book provides an engaging explanation of who we are, where we came from, and how we are all connected - a perfect read for the times we live in.

I found this book fascinating. The author has researched the topic very well and interweaves the history of humankind with her own family's story.

Regalo