Donald N. Yates

This collaboration by two authors with different specialties shows that interests can intersect to solve some of our personal and collective mysteries. It could not have been written by one author without the other one, and I found Panther-Yates' personal story compelling. Many people around the world have taken DNA analysis, finding more questions and sometimes more family discord than they ever expected. The authors searched for answers and have found some surprising bits of information.

A large number of people in the US with Scottish ancestry are avid followers of Highland Games, ceilidh celebrations and Rabbie Burns days, to the point of taking up Scots Gaelic lessons and finding the best single malt to go with their own haggis recipe. It should not be surprising that there will be some resistance to the answers the book proposes to questions that have come up in our own families. I find the "evidence" a little sketchy in places (ex-depending on old portraits to conclude one certain ancestry), but the DNA does not lie. The "what" being supplied by DNA, the "how?" can be answered by historical records. On my trips to Scotland, I found (to my surprise) a very culturally and racially diverse population which made for some good conversation and great eating that was not all black pudding and salmon. If the Scots have always been so welcoming of others who came in peace, the DNA results should not be surprising.

While I am not on board with 100% of the information in the book (being of a naturally skeptical nature), I find it great food for thought and highly educational, informing me about history that I thought I knew but had much more to learn .If we are open to learning more about ourselves and not just confirming an idee fixe that we have, this book is great reading.… (plus d'informations)