My title is taken from the heading to an e-mail sent to me by 'SoD'. By Jove, that 'boy' has a capacity for a marvelous turn of phrase, I wonder where he got it from? Attached was a straightforward link to a book review by Ed West at The Coffee House which in turn is entitled "Darwin's unexploded bomb". Given the contents of the book, neither title is over-fanciful.
The book in question - and, boy, is it going to be questioned! - is by the British-born science editor of the New York Times, Nicholas Wade, and it is called A Troublesome Inheritance. That is the understatement of the year! In essence, Wade is telling us that all the latest scientific evidence points inescapably to the fact that in evolutionary terms race does matter! You may read the review - or better still, the book - for yourself and judge but I am delighted to have one of my own racial 'prejudices' confirmed:
It is obviously understandable why Jewish intelligence and success, the subject of extreme and violent jealousies through the ages, makes people nervous. But the outsized contribution of Jews to almost all fields must surely interest all but the dullest of minds: just 0.2 per cent of the world population, Jews accounted for 29 per cent of Nobel Prizes in the late 20th century, and 32 per cent so far in 21st century. That tiny, remarkable country Israel recently won its fifth Chemistry Prize in a decade.
One can admire Jewish culture and the Jewish work ethic, but the idea that this enormous level of achievement is purely cultural, while possible, certainly does not pass the Occam’s razor test. As Wade says, ‘People are highly imitative, and if the Jewish advantage were purely cultural, such as hectoring mothers or a special devotion to education, there would be little to prevent others from copying it.’ They haven’t.
Only the other day I mentioned my regret at not owning (at least, as far as I know) a drop of Jewish blood but at least now I know why I'm not (quite!) the genius I sincerely believe I should be! The moronic Left and Right will seize this book for, respectively, attack and defence. But, as any good, intelligent, Jewish boy will tell you, in the end scientific evidence will out!
