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An Upcoming Talk "Bad to The Bone: Horrors!-Can Our Genes Help Make US Act Bad

Praise for the tongue-in-cheek titled, best-selling, meticulously researched book the lecture is based on: Evil Genes: Why Rome Fell, Hitler Rose, Enron Failed, and My Sister Stole My Mother's Boyfriend, by Barbara Oakley, Prometheus Books, October, 2007.

"A fascinating scientific and personal exploration of the roots of evil, filled with human insight and telling detail."

-Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor, Harvard University, and author of The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, and The Stuff of Thought

"Remarkable - and difficult to put down ... a wonderfully readable tapestry of family autobiography, historical biography, and biological psychology. Without oversimplifying their psychosocial complexity, Evil Genes explores new research on the genetics and neurobiology of personality disorders. Shining this light on some of the most problematic figures of our era, it challenges our assumptions about the roots of terrorism, genocide, crime, corruption-and even the sinister sides of politics, business, and religion."

-Terrence W Deacon, Professor of Biological Anthropology and Neuroscience, University of California, Berkeley, and author of The Symbolic Species

"Barbara Oakley brilliantly reveals the falseness of one of the ego's evil little lies: That all our behavior is decided by us."

-Gavin de Becker, Bestselling Author, The Gift of Fear

"From historical figures, through the science of neurotransmitters and neuroimaging, and ultimately to events in her own life, Oakley interweaves many ideas to present a fascinating treatise on the nature of evil in the world. Using an exceptionally easy and readable style, Oakley challenges us to think about evil- the interaction of complex forces of nature and the painful events of history- in a unique way."

-Kenneth R Silk, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI

"This story is not only good science writing, it's also achingly personal, as Oakley recounts the story of her selfish sister and relates it to what science is revealing about the way our brains work and how genes influence even our ability to tell right from wrong. It's not often that a book about science can also break your heart. Oakley's achievement is astonishing."

-Orson Scott Card, award-winning author of Ender's Game, Enchantment, and Empire

"Many of us encounter people whose reactions are puzzling. They are easily hurt and offended. Even when someone is being generous, or kind to them they might react with anger, revengefullness, defensiveness, suspiciousness or aloofness. These are difficult people to have as friends, relatives, colleagues and even as patients. Dr. Oakley has written a comprehensive and compassionate explanation for why some people are like this that will be fascinating to anyone who has encountered this type of person and cared enough to wonder 'why?'"

-Regina Palley, MD, psychoanalyst, author of The Mind-Brain Relationship