The book that dares to ask: what if "it's genetic" is the most expensive misdiagnosis in medicine?
For decades, families have been told that certain diseases are written into their DNA — inherited, inevitable, untreatable. In Epigenetics, Dr. Joel Wallach, Dr. Ma Lan, and renowned trace-element researcher Dr. Gerhard N. Schrauzer challenge that story head-on. Drawing on Dr. Wallach's decades of comparative pathology — thousands of animal and primate autopsies — the authors make their case that many conditions long labeled "hereditary" may instead trace back to nutritional deficiency and environment.
The publisher calls the findings potentially "as critical to our understanding of human health as Pasteur's research in bacteriology." Read it and decide for yourself.
Paperback edition: $22.95
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- Foreword — Dr. Jeffrey S. Bland, PhD
- Introduction: The Question No One Was Asking
- What Epigenetics Actually Means — Beyond the buzzword: how environment and nutrition switch genes on and off
- Lessons from the Autopsy Table — Dr. Wallach's comparative pathology findings
- Diseases Re-Examined — Conditions the authors believe are misclassified as hereditary
- The Trace-Element Evidence — Dr. Schrauzer's mineral research and gene expression
- The Livestock Paradox — How farmers eliminated "genetic" conditions with mineral supplementation
- Nutrition, Environment, and What You Can Do
- Conclusion: Rethinking Heredity
- References & Bibliography
“When I began performing autopsies on zoo animals in the 1960s, I was not looking for a revolution. I was looking for causes of death. What I found, again and again, was that the animals — creatures with no access to processed food, no sedentary lifestyle, no cigarettes — were dying of the same diseases we label hereditary in humans. Cystic fibrosis in a cub. Muscular dystrophy in a young primate. Heart disease in a gorilla who had never eaten a hamburger.
I did what any veterinarian would do: I looked at the diet and the mineral content of the soil where the food was grown. In almost every case, a deficiency turned up. When we corrected it, the condition improved or disappeared in subsequent generations. The genetics had not changed. The expression of the genetics had.
‘It runs in the family,’ the specialists would say when I raised these cases with medical colleagues. I kept wondering: so does the family’s soil. So does the family’s mineral water. So does the family’s table.”
— Dr. Joel D. Wallach, Epigenetics: The Death of the Genetic Theory of Disease Transmission, Introduction. Excerpt approved for promotional use. Educational content presenting the author's research perspective.
Most books on epigenetics stay in the laboratory. This one was written by a veterinary pathologist who spent his career curing so-called "genetic" diseases in animals with nutrition — then asked the question the medical establishment didn't want asked: if it works in animals, why has no one tried it in people? Whether you finish it convinced or arguing with every page, you won't look at the words "it runs in the family" the same way again.
What's included
- The full-length paperback — Epigenetics: The Death of the Genetic Theory of Disease Transmission (SelectBooks), softcover edition.
- Three authors, three disciplines — veterinary pathology (Wallach), medicine (Ma Lan), and biochemistry (Schrauzer), with a foreword by Dr. Jeffrey S. Bland, widely known as the father of functional medicine.
- Decades of research context — the comparative-pathology observations, mineral-deficiency studies, and historical background behind the authors' thesis.
- Shipped with tracking — processed in 1–2 business days, tracking number sent to your email.
What you'll explore inside
Educational content presenting the authors' research and perspective
The case against genetic determinism
Why the authors argue that "you inherited it" has become a convenient explanation that ends the search for causes — and what they believe should be examined instead.
Diseases re-examined
Dr. Wallach's research on conditions long considered hereditary — including cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy — and the nutritional connections he observed in both animals and primates.
Nutrition and gene expression
How minerals, nutrients, and environmental factors influence which genes are switched on and off — the emerging science that gives the book its title.
The veterinary evidence
Livestock producers eliminated dozens of "genetic" conditions in animals with mineral supplementation. The authors ask why that playbook was never applied to human health.
The trace-element science
Dr. Schrauzer's decades of biochemistry research on selenium and trace minerals — the laboratory grounding behind the book's arguments.
What it means for you
An invitation to look beyond "bad genes" when thinking about everyday wellness — and to take a more active role in the factors you can actually influence.
About the authors
Dr. Joel D. Wallach (BS, DVM, ND) is a veterinarian, naturopathic physician, author, and researcher with more than 40 years in biomedical research and nutrition. He began his career as a veterinary pathologist, performing thousands of autopsies on animals and comparing his findings with human disease, before training as a physician. His other works include Dead Doctors Don't Lie, Rare Earths: Forbidden Cures, and Let's Play Doctor.
Dr. Ma Lan, MD earned her medical degree at Beijing Medical University and has co-authored numerous health books with Dr. Wallach.
Dr. Gerhard N. Schrauzer, PhD was an internationally recognized biochemist and a pioneer in trace-element research, best known for his decades of work on selenium. The foreword is contributed by Dr. Jeffrey S. Bland, PhD, widely regarded as the father of functional medicine.
Get all 8 Wallach paperbacks in one bundle
Epigenetics is one chapter of a much bigger body of work. The Complete Wallach Library Bundle brings home all 8 paperback books — the full arc of Dr. Wallach's research — for one bundle price of $129.
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If this book doesn't change the way you think about health and heredity within 30 days, write to us and we'll make it right. We stand behind the work.
This book is sold for educational purposes and is not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Health claims within reflect the opinions and research interpretations of the authors.
