David S. Moore
American statistician and influential textbook author, best known for introductory statistics works such as The Basic Practice of Statistics and Introduction to the Practice of Statistics; longtime Purdue University professor and past president of the American Statistical Association.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
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1. The Dependent Gene
The Fallacy of 'Nature vs. Nurture
This work dismantles the nature-versus-nurture dichotomy, arguing that genes are not blueprints but participants in complex, context-dependent developmental systems. It explains how gene expression is regulated by interactions among cells, bodies, and environments, highlights the roles of plasticity and epigenetic processes, and critiques simplistic claims about the heritability of traits like intelligence or personality. The result is an accessible case for replacing genetic determinism with a developmental perspective that shows how biology and experience co-construct human traits.
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2. The Developing Genome
An Introduction to Behavioral Epigenetics
A clear, skeptical tour of how genes and environments interact across development to shape behavior, this work challenges genetic determinism and the nature–nurture dichotomy. It introduces behavioral epigenetics—mechanisms like DNA methylation and histone modification—to show how experiences from the prenatal period onward can modify gene expression with lasting effects. Through accessible examples and critiques of twin studies and “gene-for” claims, it explains what heritability does and doesn’t imply, warns against hype, and highlights real implications for health, education, and policy. The result is a nuanced framework emphasizing developmental systems and the dynamic, context-dependent biology underpinning human traits.
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