I finally got round to reading Professor Bryan Sykes’ book “The Seven Daughters of Eve”. Professor Sykes is a leading world authority on DNA and human evolution. If you have an interest in DNA and how genetics affects family history you must read this book. In my opinion, it has, by far, the best layman’s description of what mitochondria is, the tiny structures within each cell, which are passed on purely down the maternal line. He briefly touches on the Y-chromosome only in so far as it backs up the maternal evidence. Amazon readers have given the book four stars. My personal verdict would be four stars.
Be warned, the book does touch on his famous ‘Ice-man’ case and his work with the Polynesians but it is really geared to the European daughters of Eve. Readers in the US, may still be interested especially if you are of European descent.