Taboo respects these justifiable concerns. Yet, pretending there are no slippery questions does not prevent them from being asked, if only under one's breath. . . . For all our differences, we are far, far more similar. In the end, that's my only real message. Entine throws out an enormous intellectual net, bringing all sorts of historical and scientific studies together with anecdotal evidence.
Race science is a hair-trigger subject in the best of hands.
Thankfully, Entine also presents a social history of modern sport, with the stories of such pioneers as Jackie Robinson and such modern superstars as Michael Jordon and Randy Moss. Whether readers agree with him or not, their thoughts certainly will be provoked by Entine's lively writing. Genetics have in the past been used to horrific ends, so caution is always advised and some critics will feel Taboo begs to be misconstrued by committed racists. But legitimate research in genetics is resulting in leaps of fresh information, albeit perhaps only a few steps into what is a marathon of understanding. Humans are different.