The Colour of the Skin - Between Myth and Science

On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama wrote a new page in history. To describe and explain this event, opinion makers must draw on their imaginations. Was it his eloquence, his charm, or rather, his ideal of racial brotherhood, or perhaps the reinvention of the American dream? All, nevertheless, agreed on one thing: The colour of his skin amplified the event. Beyond its cosmetic aspect, what is the meaning of the colour of one's skin? What are the advantages and disadvantages of different skin tones from medical and cosmetic standpoints? Why is it that when facing two horses (one black and one white), we instinctively admire their elegance and energy without paying attention to their colour, while when facing two men (one black and one white), colour becomes the main criteria to define and even to classify them? How to explain this phenomenon? What does science have to say about this? Can the election of a person of mixed race to the United States presidency change something in this regard? This book offers a thrilling journey into the universe of skin colour between myth and science. Aroll Exama has a doctoral degree in Science (Food Biotechnology). He was born in Dame-Marie, a small village in Haiti and is presently a Research and Technology Adviser at the Canadian government. He has written this book as a modest contribution to the collective effort already undertaken by many others to fight against slippages and the simplistic, dishonest and wilful interpretation of science. Publisher's Web site: http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/TheColorOfTheSkin.html