She Has Her Mother's LaughShe Has Her Mother's Laugh
Score Modern
What it's about
Science writer Carl Zimmer explores heredity: what we inherit from our parents and ancestors, and what we don't, from the history of genetics and its dark misuse to DNA tests, gene editing and the future of the human species.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Baillie Gifford Prize finalist and was named science book of the year by the Guardian.
You'll love it if you liked
The Gene: An Intimate History
The Double Helix
The Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksGood to know
It's long, but full of engaging stories.
By the numbers
- Readers55 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics24 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller13 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz7 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #100 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #1008 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1862 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Practical, Thought-provoking
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Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is She Has Her Mother's Laugh worth reading?
Yes. It was a Baillie Gifford Prize finalist and was named science book of the year by the Guardian. It ranks #1,862 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is She Has Her Mother's Laugh about?
Science writer Carl Zimmer explores heredity: what we inherit from our parents and ancestors, and what we don't, from the history of genetics and its dark misuse to DNA tests, gene editing and the future of the human species.
How long does it take to read She Has Her Mother's Laugh?
About 17 hours (672 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after She Has Her Mother's Laugh?
If you liked it, try The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Double Helix by James D. Watson or The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.