Someone Else's Twin

May 16, 2011
For more than two decades, psychologist and fraternal twin Segal (Entwined Lives) has studied twins reared together and apart to draw broad conclusions about human development. In this insightful book, she now considers cases of twins unintentionally separated by health-care workers, the frequency of such mistakes, efforts to safeguard infant identity, and the difficulty of gauging adequate compensation. While Segal discusses other instances, much of her book relates her fall 2009 visit to Spain's Canary Islands to interview a pair of separated-at-birth identical twins, who discovered their twinship as adults; their parents; and siblings. With a solid mix of clinical observations (e.g., that genetic influences outweigh environment on personality and intelligence) and compassionate reflections (e.g., that twins suffer from the time of a separation), Segal assesses complex legal, moral, and ethical questions.

August 1, 2011

Noted twin-study expert Segal (Psychology/California State Univ., Fullerton; Indivisible by Two, 2007, etc.) doubles the fascination with switched-at-birth twin research.

The author's latest study took her to Spain's Canary Islands to interview identical twins Alicia and Blanca, and Blanca's biologically unrelated sister Carla. All three women were born in the same hospital in 1973, but hospital officials mistakenly sent Carla home as Blanca's "identical twin." Alicia, the real twin, was released to a different family and raised as a single child. Over the years, things seemed odd—Carla didn't really look or act like her twin, for one—but the switch was only revealed after a coincidental encounter in a shopping mall when the women were 28. The shocking discovery had many effects, including emotional trauma and a lawsuit that dragged on for years. Both families were thrust into the media spotlight. Segal's study of switched-at-birth twins reveals much insight into the nature-vs.-nurture paradigm. Identical twins Alicia and Blanca had the same walk and gestures, but Alicia also had similarities to her biological mother, whom she had never met—they even wore the same lipstick. Segal, a fraternal twin, spearheaded the study of virtual twins—i.e., "same age unrelated children reared together since infancy." The author references other cases as well, like that of Brent and George, identical twins who met for the first time while at college.

An expert glimpse into the many-faceted world of genetics, family culture and identity.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

July 1, 2011

Twin studies have proven to be a valuable tool for assessing the influence of genetic factors on individual traits and behavior. Here, however, Segal (psychology, California State Univ.; Entwined Lives: Twins and What They Tell Us About Human Behavior), who has an extensive research background in twin studies (and is a twin herself), provides a novel twist on the traditional nature vs. nurture debate. Though other twin scenarios are reviewed, the main focus is a case study of three young women from the Canary Islands who faced the trauma of being switched at birth. Segal covers the complex issues arising from such a scenario--which may affect approximately 20,000 children annually in the United States--including maternal/paternal certainty, infant ID systems, long- and short-term best interests of children, damage assessments, and effects on other family members. Several of these issues may affect other planned and less dramatic forms of collaborative parenting. Original research forms the basis for this book, but the reporting style is more journalistic than technical. Comprehensive notes accompany the text. VERDICT Authoritative and accessible, this is recommended for public libraries and professional collections serving counselors, advocates, and administrators concerned with this unique form of malpractice.--Antoinette Brinkman, M.L.S., Evansville, IN

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