Covers of the Canadian and American editions differ slightly.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 317-352) and index.

Offers a provocative examination of the scientific and social history of blood, and on the ways that it unites and divides us today. Blood runs red through every person's arteries, and fulfills the same functions in every human being. However, as much as the study and use of blood has helped advance our understanding of human biology, its cultural and social representations have divided us perennially. Blood pulses through religions, literature, and the visual arts, and every time it pools or spills, we learn a little more about what brings human beings together and what divides them. Is a fascinating historical and contemporary interpretation of blood, as a bold and enduring determinant of identity, race, culture, citizenship, belonging, privilege, deprivation, athletic superiority, and nationhood. -- Amazon.com.

Go careful with that blood of mine: blood counts -- We want it safe and we want it clean: blood, truth, and honour -- Comes by it honestly: Blood and belonging -- From humans to cockroaches: blood in the veins of power and spectacle -- Of presidential mistresses, Holocaust survivors, and long-lost ancestors: secrets in our blood.