September is upon us and so is another meeting of the Leeds Humanists Book Club. And to celebrate, we have another book, which raises plenty of questions for humanists and anybody interested in science and society. The book: How to Argue With a Racist: History, Science, Race and Reality, by Adam Rutherford, draws on the author’s professional background as a geneticist and takes a deep historical dive into scientific ideas and practices around race and where that leaves us today.

Scientific arguments have often been used to justify prejudice and discrimination. Those who disagree have often been criticised for refusing to accept the science because it is not politically convenient. What this book does is ascertain what the science does say.: the arguments, the studies, the rebuttals. Centre stage is the relationship between science and society: what role should or can science play for the common good?

Dr Adam Rutherford is science communicator and broadcaster who is a trained geneticist. He is a prolific author on genetics and related themes and is the current President of Humanists UK