Addresses the question, re-opened by the birth of Dolly the sheep: what is the point of males? Begins with the discovery of the Y chromosome 100 years ago, and draws on the latest research to produce an astonishing portrait of manhood. Shows how genetics is helping to reconstruct the past, from the infidelity of Thomas Jefferson to the origins of the Indian caste system.
A Prof. of Genetics at University College, London he has worked at universities in the USA, Australia & Africa. He gave the Reith Lectures in 1991 & presented a TV series on human genetics & evolution in 1996. A columnist for the D. Tel. he frequently appears on radio & t.v.