Twins separated at birth are endlessly fascinating and give us some of the best scientific insights into nature and nurture. No one can tell this story better than Nancy Segal, gifted scientist, raconteur, and wise observer of human nature. -- Steven Pinker, author of The Better Angels of Our Nature This is a vivid and intimate account of one of the classic episodes in the history of the nature-nurture debate by somebody who was part of the team. The Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart made a vital difference, against often entrenched conventional wisdom, to the understanding of human development. Nancy Segal tells the story of the project superbly. -- Matt Ridley, author of Nature via Nurture Born Together-Reared Apart is a tour-de-force in the history of psychology and twin research. Describing the twins' life stories as well as the scientific data, Segal gives us a compelling account of the findings, implications, and controversies from the world famous Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart. The book will be essential for anyone seriously interested in the genetic and environmental influences affecting human health and behavior. -- Robert Plomin, Professor of Behavioral Genetics, King's College London If you harbor any curiosity about why people turn out the way they do, Segal's topic will fascinate. How big are the effects of nature, nurture and everything else? ...A joy to read when she describes the awe of reuniting twins--and the joy of seeing many become soul mates before her eyes. -- Bryan Caplan * Wall Street Journal * In this inclusive overview, Nancy Segal...examines the study that turned ideas on parenting, teaching, health and sexual orientation upside down. * Nature * No study of twins has generated as much publicity, media attention, and discussion in the field of behavior genetics as the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart (MISTRA)... All readers will find Born Together-Reared Apart a highly valuable account of the entire project. -- Dorret I. Boomsma * Science * Segal has provided a thorough history and detailed analysis of the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart (MISTRA), a multi-decade investigation that, she convincingly argues, influenced a paradigm shift in U.S. psychology. -- J. Mercer * Choice * In Born Together--Reared Apart, [Segal] has written a meticulous and fascinating account of the study that involved a total of 137 pairs of twins, including 81 identicals raised apart, mainly from the USA and the UK. It wasn't the first study of its kind, but it was the largest and certainly the most influential. -- Tim Spector * Lancet * It is an important book because many of the study's findings were serious contributions to our bed of knowledge and the book explains why...An important read for any one seriously interested in genetics or the [Nature-Nurture] debate...If you are a professional associated with genetics you will find this book of interest and of value. For those engaged in the Nature-Nurture debate it may be crucial in understanding what traits may be more influenced by nature and which by nurture, and for the layperson it will be of interest for the anecdotes about the twins themselves and how a major study evolved and fared. -- Milton Diamond * Twin Research and Human Genetics *