Product Description
Taking us behind the scenes with today’s foremost researchers and pioneers, bestselling author Joel Garreau shows that we are at a turning point in history.  At this moment we are engineering the next stage of human evolution.  Through advances in genetic, robotic, information, and nanotechnologies, we are altering our minds, our memories, our metabolisms, our personalities, our progeny–and perhaps our very souls.  Radical Evolution reveals that the powers of our comic-book superheroes already exist, or are in development in hospitals, labs, and research facilities around the country–from the revved-up reflexes and speed of Spider-Man and Superman, to the enhanced mental acuity and memory capabilities of an advanced species. Over the next fifteen years, Garreau makes clear in this New York Times Book Club premiere selection, these enhancements will become part of our everyday lives. Where will they lead us? To heaven–where technology’s promise to make us smarter, vanquish illness, and extend our lives is the answer to our prayers? Or, as some argue, to hell–where unrestrained technology brings about the ultimate destruction of our species? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

More than minor wear
Said Very good condition. Pretty much every other page was dog eared and way too many underlines and highlights.

A journey into the future
"Radical Evolution" by Joel Garreau is an exciting, well-written, and insightful book on the possible future(s) we are creating for ourselves through advances in genetics, robotics, information and nanotechnologies or GRIN technologies he subsequently refers to them. The author assumes the role of a soothsayer, making his reader glimpse into his crystal ball predicting four possible futures. He takes us into the lives of today's leading researchers and innovators involved in cutting edge research, each of whom transform concepts that were once part of science fiction into reality.

A brief synopsis:
The book is divided into eight chapters, out of which four are devoted to describing four futuristic scenarios - Heaven, Hell, Prevail, and Transcend. The author weaves each chapter around the life of an inventor/futurist. The author introduces and defines concepts such as the "Curve", "Moores Law", and the Singularity", that are fundamental to each of the four scenarios that form the bulk of the book.

Style and structure:
Garreau is a gifted writer who does great justice to each of the scenarios, individuals, and scientific concepts he presents in his book. His prose is unbiased, focused, and vivid. The book is neatly organized making it enjoyable and easy on the reader. In the prologue, Garreau clearly sets the stage for the predictions he is going to state in the chapters following. He makes sure the reader understands the utmost importance and significance of what he is discussing. The author explains complicated scientific concepts in anecdotal form, easily understandable by the lay person. However, even though the book comes across as a light read for the casual reader, it contains more than mere anecdotes. It serves as a treasure chest of sources and references for the "futures" scholar.At the end of each chapter, Garreau does a fantastic job of summarizing major themes discussed in each chapter. In addition to this, the last 67 pages of the book, provides the reader with an in-depth list of books, chapters, journal articles, and other references to help further satiate the reader's curiosity.

A look in-depth:
Chapters 1 (Prologue) and 2 (Be all you can be):
The author strategically sets the framework for the reader in the first two chapters. Garreau tickles the reader with brief references to cutting edge scientific research such as the telekinetic monkey, Belle, the GRIN technologies, the all powerful yet mysterious DARPA, the "curve", and introduces the term "The Enhanced". He cleverly succeeds in lighting the reader's curiosity. The second chapter focuses mostly on DARPA and opens our eyes in understanding the very critical role the military plays in the development of cutting edge technologies.

Chapters 3 (The Curve):
This chapter is dedicated, as the title points, to the concept of the "curve". The author states that we are riding on an exponential curve of such rapid technological growth, that it is almost getting impossible to control where we are headed in the future. But the most important topic that is introduced in this chapter is that of the "singularity". The concept is described through the words of the novelist Vernor Vinge who states that "we are on the edge of change comparable to the rise of human life on earth". Garreau goes on to explain that Vinge is "anticipating the possibility of greater-than-human intelligence". He further goes on to list situations that lead us closer to the singularity. For example, "the curve drives supercomputers, intentionally or unintentionally; to cross the line to greater-than-human intelligence" or "biological technology, probably through genetic engineering produces humans with greater-than-human-intelligence".

Chapters 4 (Heaven), 5 (Hell), 6 (Prevail), & 7 (Transcend)
The meat of the book is crammed into these four chapters. The content of each of these chapters is largely the author's conversation with some of the most brilliant minds in the country. The first of the four main visionaries interviewed in this book is Ray Kurzweil, renown for his belief that we are traveling so rapidly up the exponential curve that the Singularity is not just a theory, but an imminent event in the very near future. He is the father of the movement whose underlying belief is that our technological advancements will lead us to a paradise on earth.
The second luminary whose life and thoughts Garreau sketches out in the fifth chapter entitled "Hell" is Bill Joy, co-founder of SUN Microsystems and nicknamed "Edison of the Internet". Reading this chapter is nothing short of experiencing a nightmare with your eyes wide open. Mr. Joy calmly states frightful possibilities such as the human race being turned into a pile of gray goo by all powerful and destructive nanobots.
However, somewhere in between the optimistic Kurzweil and pessimistic Joy is virtual reality inventor Jaron Lanier, a genius who believes that humans have always been creative and have the power of creativity and imagination that mere lines of computer code cannot in a million years (or rather EVER) overpower. His ideas inspired the author to pen the chapter "Prevail" where as the word suggests - humans prevail and NOT technology.
The final chapter of the series of scenarios described by the author revolves around the author's personal take on the future. He brilliantly highlights his point of view through conversations with Francis Fukuyama, American philosopher and neoconservative. He brings out an extremely important point about the definition of a human through his thoughts on "cultural evolution". He states that a major reason why people are against human alteration rests in the assumption humans have stayed constant over time. Garreau however states that humans change and HAVE been changing over the past millions of years and that we will continue to evolve, both culturally and biologically, and that these two factors are closely intertwined.

Quotes:
* "Even if technology is advancing along an exponential curve, that doesn't mean humans cannot creatively shape the impact on human nature and society in largely unpredictable ways. Technology does not have to determine history"
- Futurist and innovator of virtual reality, Jaron Lanier's take on whether technology controls human history or humans control where technology will lead us.
* "The power of information technology will double every 18 month . . . a doubling is an amazing thing"
- Moores Law as it is accepted by the global computer industry.
* "The essence of The Heaven Scenario is stealing fire from the gods, breathing life into inert matter and gaining immortality"
- The author Joel Garreau in the chapter Heaven
* "The physician who waits until dead certain of a diagnosis before acting is likely to wind up with a dead patient. Sometimes things develop so rapidly that only early action - back when you're still somewhat uncertain - stand a change of being effective, as in catching cancer before in metastizes"
- Bill Joy, also known as the Edison of the Internet and co-founder of SUN microsystems, speaking about the possibility of a Hell like scenario to occur if we do not take action NOW to prevent it.

Final thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading every single word of this book. It is brilliantly written and the author delivers his thoughts with the utmost clarity. Not only is the book fun to read, but the reader finishes the book being much wiser and educated. The book has wonderfully depicted different sides to the same story and it is this aspect of numerous perspectives that make it a wonderful read. I would recommend this book to any individual - science fan, philosopher, student, teacher, politician, or Luddite.

If you are into Sci-fi, check this out.
Pretty interesting book, very creative ideas and topics that he discusses. If you are into Sci-fi or engineering this is a good find, ties fantasy and super humans into the real world and tells you how it is being done today.

Bait and Switch!
Where are the pictures of the nude female form???The cover has a naked woman on the cover - yet inside just a bunch of boring stuff about growing arms or wings or something.What's that got anything to do with the naked chick on the cover?Wait... Is it because she's blue?Are we going to evolve into Smurfs?The book didn't say a single word about Smurf evolution - that might be cool.Three apples high, permanent employment, and plenty of singing and dancing.Downside: one Smurfette.Also, no naked picture of smurfette.

I was tricked I tell you.Tricked.

Where's my Mag-Lite....

The Ascension of the Gods
Garreau sheds a definitive light on the subject of technology, and our current human endeavors that may not be known by the masses. Too often after college or grade school people separate themselves from academic reality, and even more so, especially in America, from reading in general. Some may say all of this is "fantasy" or science-fiction posited as constructive journalism, with those I have to dissent. This book gives credible references and attempts, by my interpretation, to draw forth a biased perspective. Those that naysay on the subject matter of this book are overlooking the fact that everything we as humans have created started off as a thought, and subsequent to that thought we achieved the fiscal support and intellectual minds to experiment, persevere and manifest that thought through trial and error into reality. I think by far, one of the most vivid elements of this book is how well it shows how close the gap of science-fiction and reality really is. The thing that elicits the most fear is the fact that these are the items of technology that are declassified or been around for a while; what about those that are classified? How far are we ahead in the realm of technology when it comes our inconspicuous technology?

The book itself is a gem for the possibility of the future and current expeditions in technology, both theoretically and practically. All of this is presented in a very eloquent fashion that exemplifies Garreau's superb writing skills that can even appeal to the laymen. The level of detail that Garreau delves shows how well researched the book actually is. Within the first forty pages of the book there is a myriad of examples showing the foresight of the human population and its technology. This piece of literature is also a very good initial point to begin in reference to our technological endeavors, because it harnesses so much of it. With thirty-four pages of end notes and references, along with thirty-three pages of suggested reading, Garreau gives those that are interested in learning more about the subjects, and/or those interested in refuting his work, plenty of information to vet the information at hand.

The only negatives I can bring are: Garreau over extends the need for "painting" the picture. There is a lot of excessive and unnecessary supplemental writing in the book, but in his defense, keeps it from being so dry; also, it lacks pictures, I would think that would be essential for investigative reporting.

Some quotes that standout throughout the book that exhibit profundity on the subject at hand:

Pg.42 "It is a snapshot of one small portion of one organization is working on in the first decade of the 21st century." - This is in reference to DARPA and their technological plans.
Pg. 52 "...it's not clear that there are any practical limits represented by quantum physics, human ingenuity and the market...Whether our will can shape limits is the core issue..."
Pg. 106 "In every civilization, in every era, we have given the gods no peace." - On human ingenuity and intellect

In the end this book caused me to revisit much more than my conception of technology. Our human culture is being transcended, by my opinion, by it and we need it to expand into the cosmos. Garrea's book caused me to think about a number of things and from this reading I have written thirteen pages of notes, so it definitely causes one to think. - D.R.Thomas
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Product Description
In our current era of holy terror, passionate faith has come to seem like a present danger. Writers such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens have been happy to throw the baby out with the bathwater and declare that the danger is in religion itself. God, Hitchens writes, is not great.

But man, according to George E. Vaillant, M.D., is great. In Spiritual Evolution, Dr. Vaillant lays out a brilliant defense not of organized religion but of man’s inherent spirituality. Our spirituality, he shows, resides in our uniquely human brain design and in our innate capacity for emotions like love, hope, joy, forgiveness, and compassion, which are selected for by evolution and located in a different part of the brain than dogmatic religious belief. Evolution has made us spiritual creatures over time, he argues, and we are destined to become even more so. Spiritual Evolution makes the scientific case for spirituality as a positive force in human evolution, and he predicts for our species an even more loving future.

Vaillant traces this positive force in three different kinds of “evolution”: the natural selection of genes over millennia, of course, but also the cultural evolution within recorded history of ideas about the value of human life, and the development of spirituality within the lifetime of each individual. For thirty-five years, Dr. Vaillant directed Harvard’s famous longitudinal study of adult development, which has followed hundreds of men over seven decades of life. The study has yielded important insights into human spirituality, and Dr. Vaillant has drawn on these and on a range of psychological research, behavioral studies, and neuroscience, and on history, anecdote, and quotation to produce a book that is at once a work of scientific argument and a lyrical meditation on what it means to be human.

Spiritual Evolution is a life’s work, and it will restore our belief in faith as an essential human striving. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Hope?Chapter 6
The chapter 6 is called Hope. Hope is not wish. "Hope reflects our ability to imagine a realistic positive future" Now, what is realistic? Who decides if the hope is realistic or not? Hope is emotional, the author states. So how can that be realistic?

The author continues to state that the greater the suffering, the greater the power of hope (page 111). On page 112, he uses Freud definition of humor for hope as " means of obtaining pleasure in spite of the distressing effects", only to use the examples of cancer patients or starving explorers like Robert Scottin the Antartic, who had hope and died anyway. He even hints that despair breeds hope, and this hope has no real effects other than motivate our surviving children and grandchildren.

Realistically hope does not save us, it is simply a consequence of desperation, a mechanism to alleviate suffering in the author book, hope is not going to transform in reality.

I stop reading this book. This is depressing. Hope is useless in my lifetime? The entire chapter 6 has nothing to do with neurology and medicine. It is a psychiatrist who tries to be a writer, a musician and literature preacher. This book damages me. This book does not heal and shatters whatever hope with butchering via deconstruction the very meaning of Hope

templeton buys academia
IM going to keep this short-due to the fact i could throw a clot or herniate- a few point's1)all of the reviews are sycophants both of the john templeton multi-million dollar propaganda campaign to prove god exists by locating him in our brain-get some reviews out-side of dr.v's click. 2)the scientific method and critical thinking are so pathetically absent and obvious, that one wonders if any opposition is allowed at all 3)despite numerous editors,proof readers,etc dr.v completely misrepresents, Ghandi,Dr. Schweitzer and mother Theresa has paragons of his version of christian belief-he champions them as pillars and personal examples of exemplars of u.s. civil and conservative faith. Mother T. clearly in her journals is apostate,Dr. S became a M.D. after he renounced his faith(read all about it !) and to think Gandhi embraced christianity is so absurd it defies reason,in fact dr.v's book is the most shameful absurd illogical personal fantasy if he were not a name this book would never have been hatched.5)The inclusion in the last chapter of the myth of A.A. as being anything but,perhaps, the biggest lie in america( and william r miller who got on board the templeton fund express has written A.A. is one of the 10 worst Tx's for "alcoholism")includes his personal agenda as a trustee or whatever,in A.A. when it has absolutely nothing to do with a ridiculous and specious wish-fulfillment that should send an alarm that medicine is for sale and the abandonment of replication,adequate peer review ,absence of any data whatsoever is a crime against higher learning. This shameful piecmajorie of drivel could not make it out of a sophomore science class-either H.S. or college. He tries to distance his Sci-co babble by naming part's of the brain perhaps unfamiliar to the ty of readers thus creating the illusion that he must know the exact spot to find god in our brain i.e. receptor site!-- It is an ugly thing with a very ugly past when Psychiatry engages in malpractice and immoral behaviour,Racial superiority,slavery,genocide,lobotomies are examples in the not to distant past of what damage is done by evangelical and political agendas.Perhaps DR.Dawkins and the supercolliders must be making a lot of people very nervous and frightened, something is sure making many very lazy,sloppy and obvious. Jay St. J.

Thought provoking......
The book is a wonderful example thanks to the author, that when one studies people from around the world, even if they are of a different belief or religion there are things that they all have in common. This is NOT about religion, far from it. The author writes so well about how cultures have evolved and as wisdom is discovered and put into place that history itself changes.

And we are reminded that religion often if not always, requires some 'leader' or dogma, whereas a universal spirituality can be as simple as sitting on a mountain top and sensing something bigger than ourselves, with no name, has created or allowed all we see to be created.

Spiritual Evolution
The book is wonderful, however, the copy I received was printed upside down -- or the cover was placed on it upside down -- just confusing.

A blend of science, spirituality, AA, and prosocial behavior
If you want to read just one good book about spirituality, I highly recommend George Valliant's (2008) Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith.Vaillant is a research psychiatrist (which means the book is crammed with neurobiology) and directed Harvard's Study of Adult Development for 35 years.His conception of spirituality revolves around the eight positive emotions that involve human connection. He argues throughout that prosocial behavior is part and parcel of natural selection, that positive emotions both promote and follow prosocial behavior, and that this process occurs in the limbic and parasympathetic systems and the amygdala (rather than in conscious, cognitive thought processes), and that humanity is moving (from an evolutionary perspective) in the direction of greater spiritual (prosocial) interaction.

Vaillant would argue that spirituality defies rational, cognitive description. Vaillant's final chapter, entitled "The Difference Between Religion and Spirituality", is primarily a fascinating discussion of Alcoholics Anonymous ("AA"), which he concludes is mostly a spiritual rather than a religious program. AA certainly has its detractors, but it has also helped an awful lot of people to maintain sobriety, and Vaillant's discussion of the spiritual aspect of the program was most interesting. Given my emphasis on the importance of humor, I was also pleased to note his comment that AA meetings tend to be filled with laughter and humor (although, beneath it all there is a "deadly seriousness").Excellent book.

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Product Description
When Michael J. Behe's first book, Darwin's Black Box, was published in 1996, it launched the intelligent design movement. Critics howled, yet hundreds of thousands of readers -- and a growing number of scientists -- were intrigued by Behe's claim that Darwinism could not explain the complex machinery of the cell.

Now, in his long-awaited follow-up, Behe presents far more than a challenge to Darwinism: He presents the evidence of the genetics revolution -- the first direct evidence of nature's mutational pathways -- to radically redefine the debate about Darwinism.

How much of life does Darwin's theory explain? Most scientists believe it accounts for everything from the machinery of the cell to the history of life on earth. Darwin's ideas have been applied to law, culture, and politics.

But Darwin's theory has been proven only in one sense: There is little question that all species on earth descended from a common ancestor. Overwhelming anatomical, genetic, and fossil evidence exists for that claim. But the crucial question remains: How did it happen? Darwin's proposed mechanism -- random mutation and natural selection -- has been accepted largely as a matter of faith and deduction or, at best, circumstantial evidence. Only now, thanks to genetics, does science allow us to seek direct evidence. The genomes of many organisms have been sequenced, and the machinery of the cell has been analyzed in great detail. The evolutionary responses of microorganisms to antibiotics and humans to parasitic infections have been traced over tens of thousands of generations.

As a result, for the first time in history Darwin's theory can be rigorously evaluated. The results are shocking. Although it can explain marginal changes in evolutionary history, random mutation and natural selection explain very little of the basic machinery of life. The "edge" of evolution, a line that defines the border between random and nonrandom mutation, lies very far from where Darwin pointed. Behe argues convincingly that most of the mutations that have defined the history of life on earth have been nonrandom.

Although it will be controversial and stunning, this finding actually fits a general pattern discovered by other branches of science in recent decades: The universe as a whole was fine-tuned for life. From physics to cosmology to chemistry to biology, life on earth stands revealed as depending upon an endless series of unlikely events. The clear conclusion: The universe was designed for life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (119)

Cutting Edge of Intelligent Writing

Dear Prof. Behe,



I am making my way slowly through your book. I studied biology and biochemistry as an undergraduate in college many years ago, but I switched majors to Economics. I would say that your book is written on a level that challenges someone with my background, but still is comprehensible. (However your footnotes are much more daunting!)



I like very much your approach to Darwinian selective adaptations as a kind of ad hoc tinkering with the cellular mechanisms that is akin to "burning a bridge to save a city." I think this is a very compelling and even brilliant analogy. You seem to promote an argument similar to this web site: www.ScienceAgainstEvolution.org, which asserts that most Darwinian type change is degenerative and negative rather than producing a net increase in sophisticated complexity. Indeed, it seems tragic that so much intensive biochemical research seems to be a futile effort to find a way to adulate "nature" and to exclude the Creator. Are such lavish expenditures in the basic sciences just a disguised way to spend God into oblivion? How much good could be done with such funding? It staggers the mind.



I think perhaps this paragraph from your book, The Edge of Evolution, epitomizes your thesis that Darwinist mechanisms cannot be responsible for constructing the incredibly complex forms of biological machinery that we are aware of today thanks to cell biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology:


"Let's pause here for a moment to consider several simple points about the sickle and HbC mutations. The first point is that both sickle and HbC are quintessentially hurtful mutations because they diminish the functioning of the human body. Both induce anemia and other detrimental effects. In happier times they would never gain a foothold in human populations. But in desperate times, when an invasion threatens the city, it can be better in the short run to burn a bridge to keep the enemy out [Note from MPK: a metaphor for the anti-malarial resistance these two mutations confer].



"A second point is that the mutations are not in the process of joining to build a more complex, interactive biochemical system. The sickle and C mutations are mutually exclusive, vying for the same site on hemoglobin -- the sixth position of the beta chain. They do not fit together to do something. A related point is that neither hemoglobin mutation occurs in the immune system, the system that is generally responsible for defending the body from microscopic predators. So the mutations are neither making a new system nor even adding to an established one. In this book we are concerned with how machinery can be built. To build a complex machine many different pieces have to be brought together and fitted to one another.



"A final, important point is that even with just those two simple mutations the process is convoluted almost to the point of incoherence. Even with just the sickle and C genes -- with heterozygote versus homozygote advantage and with varying detrimental effects -- the interplay of the mutant and normal genes is chaotic and tangled. Sickle is better in the beginning but C is better in the end; sickle spreads quickly, establishing itself as king of the hill before C can get started; sickle trait carriers are better off marrying someone outside the clan, but C carriers are better off marrying relatives; and so on. It's not hard to imagine a few more mutations popping up in hemoglobin or other genes to make the process truly Byzantine in its intricacy and cross-purposedness. The chaotic interplay of genes is not constructive at all. In the everyday world of our experience, when many unrelated threads get tangled together, the result is not a pretty tapestry -- it's a Gordian knot. Is that where Darwinian evolution also leads?"



[The Edge of Evolution: The Search for the Limits of Darwinism, by Dr. Michael J. Behe, New York: Free Press, 2007, pages 33-34]





Thank you too for your great courage in maintaining your course and your commitment to rendering these complex ideas, with their ineluctible ramifications about Intelligent Design and Creationism, accessible to the educated lay public (the very people who provide the funding via their taxes for much of the scientific research that so often seems to be undertaken by those eager to debunk and defame the simple faith of their taxpaying patrons).



Sincerely,

Michael Korn

The Edge of Evolution: The Search for the Limits of Darwinism
Got the book in good time and it is as advertised.The book is a very good read.Behe is an excellent writer.

Very interesting and thought provoking
This book is the continuation of the critique begun in Dr. Behe's first book, Darwin's Black Box, where he explored which biological processes and structures are potentially beyond the limits of evolutionary processes.In that book, most examples were on the level of cell structures or processes such as blood clotting.

The primary topic in The Edge of Evolution is the interaction between humans and malaria as an example for what genetic mutation and natural selection can accomplish in terms of evolutionary progress.This exploration is based on the recent advances in our understanding of DNA and the genome.So, the edge of evolution explored is more focused on the DNA information content available to drive biological processes.

Four stars- only for a few minor editing improvements that could be made- other than that, absolutely fascinating!

From the author who claimed 'Astrology' is science
Everything that Behe says evolution can't do in fact does. This is another tautology in the series of un-intelligent design genre from the author who claimed under his definition of science that astrology would be included in Dover vs Kitzmiller.

I am glad to see these books not in the science section at my Borders/Barnes & Noble but rather in "philosophy" where they should be. Or maybe "speculation" if such a header existed. Irreducible Complexity has been proven false by many scientists. Every example that Behe gives has been disputed. He is now known in scientific circles as somewhat of a kook even by other members of his own faculty. His school is "quick" to say they do not agree with his position on intelligent design.

Here is what they have said:

"The department faculty, then, are unequivocal in their support of evolutionary theory, which has its roots in the seminal work of Charles Darwin and has been supported by findings accumulated over 140 years. The sole dissenter from this position, Prof. Michael Behe, is a well-known proponent of "intelligent design." While we respect Prof. Behe's right to express his views, they are his alone and are in no way endorsed by the department. It is our collective position that intelligent design has no basis in science, has not been tested experimentally, and should not be regarded as scientific. "

Scientific Inquiry of the Highest Order
Let me begin by saying that this is a difficult book for me to review.First, I am not a scientist, let alone a biologist.I am a pastor.Therefore, judging the scientific accuracy of all of Behe's writing is beyond my capabilities.The other reason that reviewing this book is difficult for me is because I am an unapologetic Creationist, one of those "morons" or "idiots" that Darwinists so frequently deride.Therefore, reading Behe's book without prejudice was difficult since he is clearly an evolutionist, although not a Neo-Darwinian evolutionist.Although my credentials are limited to say the least, I have read extensively in the area of evolution and intelligent design, including "The Blind Watchmaker" by Richard Dawkins, several titles by Paul Davies, Mark Perakh's "Unintelligent Design", and other titles by Hawkings, etc., in addition to ID works by Behe, Meyer, Dembski and others.

Nevertheless, I will review this book and will give it a very positive review.I frequently read reviews of ID literature that simply dismiss it as non-scientific.Were anyone to make such a statement about this book, it is obvious they have not read it!This is scientific inquiry of the highest order!

Behe uses research data taken from work with the malaria bacteria and the HIV virus (and to a lesser extent E. coli) to demonstrate what random mutation and natural selection (the heart and core of Darwinian evolution) can and cannot do.He reaches the conclusion that any mutations involving more than two protein-protein binding sites are beyond the "edge of evolution."He then extrapolates beyond these micro-organisms to multi-cellular organisms.Since the populations of these simpler organisms carefully studied in the laboratory far exceed the population of living beings such a mammals, it `s clear that the more complex organism are not going to be able to exceed the mutational abilities of the simpler ones. Thus, Behe would say that the edge of random evolution would have to lie somewhere between biological Classes and Species, in the realm of Orders, Families or Genera (or dare I add, Biblical "kinds"?).Anything above that level of variation would have to be purposely designed.

Interestingly, Behe seems to lean toward a "designed" universe that had all the laws of nature carefully fine-tuned and all the information painstakingly pre-specified to produce intelligent life without any outside interference after an initial act of creation.Thus, evolution (although not random but programmed) is still the explanation for the vast diversity of life forms we see today, according to Behe.

His appendix on "nanobots" is especially helpful in understanding how the molecular machinery of the cell functions on the basis of physical laws and actions, like the ordinary tools and machines we see in everyday life. The description of the assembly of the bacterial flagellum alone would convince me that this biological system had to be designed and executed by an agent of great intelligence with foresight and purpose.

If you are open to serious consideration of the limits neo-Darwinian evolution through random mutation(or even domain shuffling, which he considers in an appendix) and natural selection, I would highly recommend Behe's book.It is not light reading.It takes serious concentration to grasp some of the highly technical information that is discussed in the book, however, I believe Behe does a good job of making it accessible even to a layman like myself.It was well worth the read, in terms of increasing my understanding of the complexity of living things and the limits of variation by means of random evolution.

... Read more

Product Description
Brilliant, reminiscent of Lewis Hyde's The Gift in its reach and of Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Time in its haunting evocation of human lives, offers a sweeping view of a surprisingly revealing aspect of human history--from the stone lamps of the Pleistocene to the LEDs embedded in fabrics of the future.

Customer Reviews (12)

A fine, lively survey!
BRILLIANT: THE EVOLUTION OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT provides a lively, fun history of artificial light form early limestone lamps by Ice Age humans to the latest LED technology. This probes scientific developments but also offers a concurrent social history of how light needs and developments have changed mankind. A fine, lively survey!

LET THERE BE. . . errors ?!
Those who pick-up "Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light" expecting an accurate and informative history of electrical lighting will be disappointed, as it soon becomes painfully obvious that Ms. Brox knows next to nothing about electricity, even on the most basic and simple level.

For instance, on pages 148-149 she describes giant "Tesla polyphase motors" *transmitting* power from the hydroelectric station at Niagara Falls.(I thought that everyone knew that motors consume, not transmit, energy. I guess I was wrong.) On page 164, she writes, "If a family purchased a stove, which required insulated wires, or a refrigerator, which ran on higher than normal wattage [sic], they usually had to upgrade the wiring in their home."In my capacity as a slumlord, I have worked on the wiring of many old homes, built during W.W.I and in the 1920s, many of which had the original porcelain knob-and-tube wiring (before the advent of Romex®), and I have yet to see any wiring which was originally devoid of insulation.

And Ms. Brox seems baffled by other household appliances as well! On the topic of New York's 1965 power blackout (curiously, there is no mention of the much larger 2003 blackout which crippled the entire northeastern US and Ontario) she writes, "Gas crews went from house to house to check the pilot lights -- which were powered by electricity -- in the stoves and boilers of every customer." (pg.246)

Her nescience of all things electrical leads her to wander off topic for much of the book. The first third of "Brilliant" (an ironic title, considering the quality of the book) discourses on candles and lanterns -- which, until the 19th century, used animal sources as fuel -- and this leads to an entire chapter on whaling (most of her information comes from a thorough reading of Moby Dick) including a description of a whale's anatomy and diet. That's right; we learn all about baleen in a book about lighting.

Later chapters likewise cover topics only tangentially related to lighting. There are eight pages devoted to the story of the London Blitz during W.W.II, followed by three pages about air raid drills in New York. She spends several pages decrying the injustice of how African-Americans were treated at the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893 as well as bigotry in general. In a book about lighting.

One of my favorite events in American history is the War of the Currents waged in the 1880s between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, who favored Nikola Tesla's alternating-current system (which also employed transformers developed by Lucien Gaulard and John Dixon Gibbs -- their names never appear in this book). It takes a perverse talent to ruin this bizarre story, but Ms. Brox manages to do so.There is no mention of the execution of William Kemmler in the first electric chair, a device which was invented by a man under Edison's pay and at Edison's behest so as to demonstrate the perils of alternating current. (Edison said that Kemmler had been "Westinghoused.") This explains why we in North America are still burdened with inefficient 117-volt home lighting and appliances, while the rest of the world (mostly) enjoys 230-volt service, but that's apparently all too complex for Ms. Brox, and she instead makes such banal observations as, "Most American households at the turn of the twentieth century were much brighter than those of the past." (pg.156)

A thorough account of the War of the Currents can be found in Blood and Volts: Edison, Tesla, & the Electric Chair by Th. Metzger, a far more talented writer.

In The Industrial Revolutionaries: The Making of the Modern World 1776-1914, British author Gavin Weightman makes a cogent argument that Edison invented nothing, and incandescent lighting was instead developed in England: "The use of [Joseph] Swan's lamps in Godalming in 1881 was the first practical use of the modern light bulb."Weightman, I suspect, may be biased, but if you're interested in a thorough and well-researched account of the development of electric lighting, that'd be the book to get.

A great topic concept that would have been better served with a more skilled author
"Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World" and "Salt: A World History" by Mark Kurlansky definegenre of interweavinga common commodity, such as salt, with its impact on human social history, in the case of both cod and salt, was immense. Kurlansky blends science, history and shrewd social observation into a smoothly flowing, informative, engaging and enjoyable narrative.

Jane Brox attempts to do the same with "the evolution of artificial light" and fails.

Brox, at best, is a pedestrian writer who seems to have difficulty constructing artful sentences. She relies heavily on lengthy block quotes that often stray from the subject at hand. She often gets her facts wrong, such as referring to the 200 inch mirror of the Hale telescope at Mt. Palomar observatory as a lens - and that is a huge mistake. She also omits many details of lighting technology, because it is clear she doesn't comprehend the subject she is writing about. Finally and most fatally to this reader, Ms. Brox has loaded down the book with her political and social view.

I was thoroughly enjoying her description of the deployment of incandescent lighting running on Alternating Current at the 1893 Columbian Exposition when Brox suddenly took odd on a three page exposition of the travails of blacks. Essentially this has nothing to do with "the evolution of artificial light" and a lot to do with Brox's political views. Brox compounded the error of her ways by claiming that black rural families were among the last to benefit from the rural electrification programs launched in the 1930s. In fact, farms in the states of the Upper Midwest (Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, etc.) with essentially no black population were among the last to be electrified in the mid to late 1940s, long after the largely rural black areas of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana received electricity. The reasons for this had far more to do with geography and topography than race, but to ideologues like Brox, facts mean nothing.

Frankly, Brox's inclusion of racial politics in a book of this kind is simply inappropriate. When the inclusion is aggravated by coupling it with emotional, but factually incorrect, material, my antennae are up and I no longer trust the author.

This attitude proved justified in Brox's description of the development of the Tennessee Valley Authority, a Depression era make work project that bore uncomfortable similarities to similar make work projects in Germany, Italy and the Soviet Union. Brox's description, while providing a glimpse of the destructiveness of the TVA, is essentially an ode to a centralize state economy. She dismisses the arguments of private utilities against state development in a single general statement that they lost in the Supreme Court. The basis for the Supreme Court decision still haunts us today as does the widespread use of eminent domain to force people off their land, in many cases after generations of ownership.
A talented author, if their objective were to recount the history and role of electricity in bringing artificial light to all of the United States, would have stated the history of the TVA without lionizing Franklin D. Roosevelt or taking a recognizable political position. This is supposed to be a history, not a campaign pamphlet.

Brox's book finally collapses into concerns about a "changing climate" and a desire "to bring the dark sky closer to more people". Of course, this will be done by government regulating how the people may use light in their lives.

Brox, I think, is primarily concerned with her political ideology and treats the history she attempted to write as a secondary consideration., with failure the result. This is neither a worthwhile history nor a coherent political tract. Omitting illustrations is finally the straw that breaks the camel's back. For example, Brox repeatedly describes aspects of Edison's laboratory based on photos and a painting. Yet there is not a single illustration of any kind in the book.

Overall, the subject - the evolution of artificial light - awaits treatment by a competent, objective writer. If you want merely a general outline of the subject and filter out the political posturing, this is passable. Bur the subject truly deserves treatment by more capable hands.

Jerry

Artificial Light - More of a Social History
One might expect that a popular book on "the evolution of artificial light" would include plenty of accessible yet concise technical information on the subject supported by lots of figures and diagrams. Well, not in this case. The focus here is mainly on the effects that artificial lighting has had on society as a whole as well as on individuals - working lives, leisure activities, social interactions, etc., and on the dependence that humans have acquired on the new technologies. Hence, some technical information is presented but kept to a minimum. The types of lighting that are discussed as the story unfolds include mosses, twigs, tallow candles, lamps that burned whale oil, kerosene and, eventually, gas, and finally incandescent light bulbs, fluorescent lights and even LEDs. Advantages and disadvantages are briefly presented in each case. Light pollution is also touched upon as well as its effects on wildlife and on astronomical observations (by the way, the Hale telescope on Mount Palomar has a 200-inch mirror and not a 200-inch lens as erroneously noted in the book). Some space is also devoted to energy/electricity supply and demand.

The writing style is generally friendly and accessible and even quite captivating at times; but, as has already been remarked by some reviewers, the prose can also be rather awkward, i.e., too many passages border on the quasi poetic. Since understanding such a style is not my forte, I had to read some of these passages several times in trying to make sense of them, often to no avail. Also, as noted earlier, the book contains no diagrams or figures whatsoever; a few would have been quite useful for illustrative purposes, given the book's subject matter.

Despite the (periodic) rather gauche writing style, overall, the book is interesting and contains much fascinating information. As such, it would likely be of interest to a broad readership.

Illuminating
Just a great book, well researched, well written. You learn so much about how mankind has tried to bring light to their environment. It is a great history of an interesting subject. ... Read more

Product Description
There are millions of different kinds of plants and animals living on the earth. Many millions more lived here in the past. Where did they all come from? Why have some become extinct and others lived on?

In this remarkable book for children, Steve Jenkins explores the fascinating history of life on earth and the awe-inspiring story of evolution, Charles Darwin"s great contribution to modern science. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Perfect for a smart second grader
Minus one star only because of a couple of oversimplifications pointed out by other reviewers.Still, I took a chance, ordered it, and, wow, it was exactly what was needed:an eye-pleasing intro.It's too bad this thing is not carried (in store) in either of the big chains down here in Southern California.

Best I have found so far
I am homeschooling my child, partially because I don't want his education dumbed down so as not to offend the religious extremists (believe me, textbooks have been dumbed down and certain subjects are skipped simply to avoid offended parents).So,
I have been looking for books appropriate for a young child that provide an overview the evolution of life on earth. I want to provide for him a sense of where he belongs within the big picture.This book accomplishes that.

The book is listed for 9-12 year olds and elsewhere for 6-10 year olds. I just read it to my six year old and it took a little bit of work to keep him with it and a few explanations of what things meant, but to the book's credit (and his), he did stay with it. I would say its appropriate for 6-10 with an adult explaining it. 9-12 is more appropriate for independent reading.

The complaint about man not being descended from apes is silly since humans are considered to be apes and are minimally descended from themselves.I'm assuming the author of that complaint has some point, but I don't think its one that in any way affects the value of this book.

If I were to change one thing about the book, I would get rid of the comparison of the history of earth to now as being 24 hours.I think that just confuses the issue.Instead, provide the time line without the 24 hours and the concept will be visually communicated without the added problem to have to explain what 24 hour hours has to do with it.

Highly recommended book.

Awesome book!!!
I bought this for my 8 year old daughter and she loved it!I love the fact that there are science books for kids!

A great Start for Kids
My 4h grade son and I love this book!The collage illustrations in the oversized book are simple, attractive and uncluttered.We discussed them and guessed how they are made.

The text is also clear and uncluttered.My son found it easy to understand.We especially liked the part on Natural Selection which showed a bunch of frogs and how only the fitest survived.

The heads of several of Darwin's finches are shown to illustrate the difference in their beaks, and it points out how each beak is suited to the birds' diet.

Highly Recommended

Every kid should read it.
We really need to teach our children evolution. This is a good book to reach this goal. Recomended. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:the knowledge of an artificial or mathematical system applies only to the extremity.Continuity of change, preservation of the past in the present, real duration—the living being seems, then, to share these attributes with consciousness. Can we go further and say that life, like conscious activity, is invention, is unceasing creation?It does not enter into our plan to set down here the proofs of transformism. We wish only to explain in a word or two why we shall accept it, in the present work, as a sufficiently exact and precise expression of the facts actually known. The idea of transformism is already in germ in the natural classification of organized beings. The naturalist, in fact, brings together the organisms that are like each other, then divides the group into sub-groups within which the likeness is still greater, and so on: all through the operation, the characters of the group appear as general themes on which each of the sub-groups performs its particular variation. Now, such is just the relation we find, in the animal and in the vegetable world between the generator and the generated: on the canvas which the ancestor passes on, and which his descendants possess in common, each puts his own original embroidery. True, the differences between the descendant and the ancestor are slight, and it may be asked whether the same living matter presents enough plasticity to take in turn such different forms as those of a fish, a reptile and a bird. But, to this question, observation gives a peremptory answer. It shows that up to a certain period in its development the embryo of the bird is hardly distinguishable from that of the reptile, and that the individual develops, throughout the embryonic life in general, a series of transformations comparable to those through which,... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Professor Bergson Begins Modern Science and Intuits Quantum Physics' Improbable Secrets
This book must be read slowly and deliberately -- do so and it will give you an insight into the brilliance of one of the most revolutionary and extraordinarily perceptive philosopher scientists of the 20th Century, IMO.
Bergson changed the way scientists see the world by introducing his conception of an "original impetus", which began simply (if "intelligently") and evolved matter into living, increasingly complex lifeforms and concurrently evolved an increasingly complex consciousness within it -- as an "imperceptable thread" (my wording) ultimately called the elan vital.
In my case, after reading carefully and filling the book's margins with notes, Professor Bergson seems to be proving (showing) that all science up until his time (circa 1930's) was concerned with objects as they were at a particular moments, whereas in fact these objects were and are in a state of continual "being" (duration), making their actuality or essence unknowable.
He chronologically takes us through the writings of Plato and Aristotle (the natural trend of the intellect)-- Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz (becoming in modern science) -- and even through the Criticism of Kant and the evolutionism of Spencer. Bergson thoroughly critques each philosophy and shows us why they are not dealing the world as it really is.
Through this he weaves his own philosophical system based on Creation and Evolution by (quote):
". . . showing us in the intellect a local effect of evolution, a flame, perhaps accidental, which lights up the coming and going of living beings in the narrow passage open to their action: an lo! . . . (making) of this lantern glimmering in a tunnel a Sun which can illuminate the world.
"Boldly (Kantian and Spencerian science) proceeds with the powers of conceptual thought alone, to the ideal reconstruction of things, even of life. . . . But the essence of things escapes us, and will escape us always; WE MOVE AMONG RELATIONS; THE ABSOLUTE IS NOT IN OUR PROVINCE; WE ARE BROUGHT TO STAND BEFORE THE UNKNOWABLE.
" . . . BUT AN INTELLECT BENT UPON THE ACT TO BE PERFOMED AND THE REACTION TO FOLLOW . . . WOULD DIG TO THE VERY ROOT OF NATURE AND MIND."
In simpler words, the observation of any object changes reality for that object. It is only real as a moving "being", animated by an original impetus and kept real by an "elan vital" which cannot be known because "being" cannot be defined. What we call "real things" are illusions which beomce "real" to us only when we stop their duration. Heidegger spends thousands of pages unsuccessfully trying to define "being", which ultimately he can only label as "dasein". What we observe as the real world is matter and consciousness evolving concurrently from simple to complex as they move through space and time.
This means that the original impetus, the spark, the first flame, began neither in space nor time. Later quantum physics would support Bergson's insight, considering that an electron (as one example) cannot be seen without turning it into something else, or ever stranger, disappearing into what can only be other universes parallel to our own.
IMO, this means a creative force must exist that animates matter and consciousness; and that could only have originated in that Singularity outside time and space which I in my particular need call the thought of "God". You can call "it" what you will: the Tao, Bhudda, Nature, et al.
In my possession is a 1932 edition of "Creative Evolution" which had lingered on a library shelf over eighty years but had been checked out only three times after 1970. Sometimes I wonder where are my fellow philosophers and why I seem in my pained isolation to be the last of the 20th Century philosophers of mind. But that is because I am a crazed crackpot in the collective mind of those who measure men by their wealth. My contemporaries are in the universities, religious orders and lecture tours, where they belong. Yet even I am animated by the elan vital. Even I am part of the "God" finally perceived by Henri Bergson.
"Creative Evolution" was a sensation when it first appeared in 1932, the work of an already distinguished Professor Bergson of the College de France. It gave the world at last a new and scientific conception of the God long intuited by prophets, priests, poets, writers and grizzled, scarred, aging gray bearded philosophers like myself, dumb beasts of intellectual burdens, who desperately need a new physics to help us embrace an unknowable God created out of a Singularity and connecting our minds and bodies to what the Apostle Paul called Love.

Richard Lee Fulgham, Bel Air, 2009

Recommended for fans of Rupert Sheldrake's theories
Bergson's thesis is that Darwinian and Lamarkian evolution are only half the story and that there is a creative urge inherent in life that defines the direction of evolution.It is distinguished from Creationism in that his system does not posit and eschaton or final perfect form, nor an external agent (God).

It has some similarity with biologist Rupert Sheldrake's theory of morphic fields.In his theory, there is an energy field (as yet undetected by modern physics) that controls the shape of organic molecules, i.e., one protein is shaped one way and the same collection of atoms gets shaped another way under the same pH and temperature.

Aldous Huxley mentions Bergson's theory of consciousness several times in his writings.Bergson thinks that consciousness pervades everything, and that intellect serves as a filter that presents only what is comprehensible to mental categories.This has several implications.One is the possibility for a monistic metaphysic.The other is that it leaves open the possibility of perceiving an alternate reality (what excited Huxley).

Chapter 3 is about his metaphysics, which are not very clearly expressed.There appear to be avenues unexplored by him.What are the consequences of matter being infused with consciousness?Magic?Why is it that intellect and geometrical thinking is what produces objects in perception?What is the mechanism.

What does have value is his theory that chaos is not the absence of repeatability, but is a stochastic process that can be understood as an aggregate of individual "wills."This is used to support his vital theory of evolution.That each organism "wills" its variation in seemingly random fashion, but at a higher order, it produces the regularity of genera.

Chapter 4 is a critique of various philosophic systems after establishing his "cinematographic" theory of perception.His basic point is that matter is in continual flux, yet we are only able to perceive it as a sequence of discrete states, hence the illusion of permanence.

A work of monumental importance
Creative Evolution is not so much a work, but a milestone in print of a new direction of thought. It is a book that is of immense importance to anyone who wants to understand the mystery of humanity.

From Miller to Ibsen
I first came across Ibsen's monumental work when reading 'Tropic of Capricorn' by Henry Miller.Despite my complete lack of evolutionary and biological knowledge, I found Ibsen's eschatology mind blowing.Several times I was forced to leave the book for days in order to fully contemplate the philosophical ramifications of his insights.From this great stride forward into the fringes of human understanding Ibsen states: 'A conduct that is truly our own, on the contrary, is that of a will which does not try to counterfeit intellect, and which, remaining itself - that is to say, evolving - ripens gradually into acts which the intellect will be able to resolve indefinitely into intelligible elements without ever reaching its goal.The free act is incommensurable with the idea, and its "rationality" must be defined by this very incommensurability, which admits the discovery of much intelligibility within it as we will.Such is the character of our own evolution; and such also, without doubt, that of the evolution of life."No one, despite their educational backgrounds or lack thereof, should feel intimidated by the possibility of transcending one's very own intellect.

the opus of the advocate of vitality....
Despite Lord Russell's criticism that "intuition works best in bats, bees, and Bergson," in this work Bergson not only finishes the uprooting of the Western and Platonic disembodied intellect (adeconstruction taken only so far by Kant), he presents us with thespectacle of unbridled life creatively shaping, not only its world, butitself in accord with its own telos:the need for eyesight creating theeye, so to speak.Difficult in places but a treasure, although one couldwish he gave more credit to Nietzsche's obviously great impact on him. Jungians would do well to peruse Bergson too. ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive history of the evolution of technical analysis from ancient times to the Internet age

Whether driven by mass psychology, fear or greed of investors, the forces of supply and demand, or a combination, technical analysis has flourished for thousands of years on the outskirts of the financial establishment. In The Evolution of Technical Analysis: Financial Prediction from Babylonian Tablets to Bloomberg Terminals, MIT's Andrew W. Lo details how the charting of past stock prices for the purpose of identifying trends, patterns, strength, and cycles within market data has allowed traders to make informed investment decisions based in logic, rather than on luck. The book

• Reveals the origins of technical analysis
• Compares and contrasts the Eastern practices of China and Japan to Western methods
• Details the contributions of pioneers such as Charles Dow, Munehisa Homma, Humphrey B. Neill, and William D. Gann

The Evolution of Technical Analysis explores the fascinating history of technical analysis, tracing where technical analysts failed, how they succeeded, and what it all means for today's traders and investors. ... Read more

Product Description
What is the biological reason for gossip?
For laughter? For the creation of art?
Why do dogs have curly tails?
What can microbes tell us about morality?

These and many other questions are tackled by renowned evolutionist David Sloan Wilson in this witty and groundbreaking new book. With stories that entertain as much as they inform, Wilson outlines the basic principles of evolution and shows how, properly understood, they can illuminate the length and breadth of creation, from the origin of life to the nature of religion. Now everyone can move beyond the sterile debates about creationism and intelligent design to share Darwin’s panoramic view of animal and human life, seamlessly connected to each other.

Evolution, as Wilson explains, is not just about dinosaurs and human origins, but about why all species behave as they do—from beetles that devour their own young, to bees that function as a collective brain, to dogs that are smarter in some respects than our closest ape relatives. And basic evolutionary principles are also the foundation for humanity’s capacity for symbolic thought, culture, and morality.

In example after example, Wilson sheds new light on Darwin’s grand theory and how it can be applied to daily life. By turns thoughtful, provocative, and daringly funny, Evolution for Everyone addresses some of the deepest philosophical and social issues of this or any age. In helping us come to a deeper understanding of human beings and our place in the world, it might also help us to improve that world.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

Improving the ivory tower with evolutionary thought
Picking up David Sloan Wilson's Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin's Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives on the advice of a friend, I expected a strident, uninspiring defense of a scientific theory most already subscribe to. What the reader gets is far more than a defense of evolution, it is a stirring expansion of the theory to include disciplines as diverse as international relations, psychology, economics, literature, and religion. With easy-to-follow prose and colorful examples ranging from African dung beetles to tribal altruism in micro-societies, this book was incredibly difficult to put down.

The author views evolution not as a mere tool for understanding how living organisms were favored to retain some trait or behavior over another. Rather, it is a theoretical framework for understanding the wider world around us. Evolution can help us understand the practice of excommunication, political corruption and the emergence of symbolic thought in humans. Another treat of Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin's Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives is the numerous recommendations for further reading. Regardless of your college major or outside interest, there is one chapter in this book everyone will connect with. The recommended works and sites allow a deeper investigation and perhaps practice applying an evolutionary framework to non-scientific disciplines.

There is an admitted bias for the amateur science which was very common in the 18th and 19th centuries. Sloan Wilson advocates use of evolution for policy-makers, economists, linguists, scientists and managers' problem solving. Wherever and whatever you study, Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin's Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives is a must-read.

Probably one of the best books I've ever read
I was never taught evolution in school because my teachers considered it to be dangerous.However, the more I read this book, the better I understand why it is absolutely essential for us to make the most out of our lives and to gain knowledge about ourselves.This book is a masterpiece which ties together science with common sense, humor with practical thinking, and it is one of the most entertaining and enlightening books I've read in a long time.5 stars, hands down.

There Is no God but Evolution, and Darwin Is Its Prophet!
Let me open with my own biases up front.I am a Christian, with a Masters in Military History (I'm a soldier), and an interest in evolution and atheist theology.I read this book to keep up with both.

David Sloan Wilson is clearly a creative, entertaining writer.His book is at its best in the early chapters, with many examples of the amazing ways organisms adapt to their changing environments.In fact, he could have called the book "Adaptation for Everyone," since (like every book on evolution I've read) there is no example cited of a species actually turning into another species.

The book starts going astray when Wilson applies evolution to things like culture, international relations, and social improvement.The theme of the book is that evolution is the answer to all things, and that a person who can think in evolutionary terms can solve any and everyproblem in any field.What comes out, though, is not real solutions, but bland well-worn truisms that require no "evolutionary thinking" to deduce.For example, all of chapter 33 is devoted to proving that people whose basic needs met, and whose circumstances are good, tend to be morepositive and altruistic than those in poor or harsh circumstances.No kidding, really?So the solution is to change environments so that everyone's circumstances are good.In other words, if we solve all the world's problems, we'll solve all the world's problems.Wow.

Similarly, chapters 29 - 31 are aimed at proving that we don't really need religion, just good moral principles without any "irrational" supernatural beliefs, and everything will be fine.Chapter 31 is a listing of "evolutionary wisdom" for the behaviors of nations in the "global village."It includes 'brilliant' insights such as "powerful nations should learn the virtue of humility" and "morality is required for morale."Ah, how would we know these things without Evolution to guide us?One could summarize these three chapters as "we should all just get along" - and lose no real content thereby.

What is particularly exasperating is Wilson's assumption that religious beliefs are somehow "irrational" (as he states specifically in Chapter 29).He never bothers to demonstrate why this is so - he says so, and that makes it so.It never occurs to him that he is only right if atheism is right, a position both unproven and unprovable.On the other hand, if there is a God, then it is the atheists who are irrational.Wilson spends no effort considering this - and since this belief underpins the entire argument of his book, the whole thing falls like a house of cards if that one unproven element turns out to be wrong.To use Wilson's own metaphor, a flimsy scaffold to stand on!

This book is another in a long line of evolutionist books that promise that "evolution and religion, those old enemies...can be brought harmoniously together." But what Wilson preaches is not evolution, which is a theory about the rise of bioligical diversity.No, he preaches evolutionism, the idea that evolution is everything.And he does indeed offer peace - just as soon as the religious people surrender and accept Evolution as God.

If you have an interest in the latest evolution thinking, find this book in a library like I did.Don't waste money buying it, there are better books out there, such as: Chance or Purpose? Creation, Evolution and a Rational Faith; Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe; The Cosmos in the Light of the Cross

entry level evolution
Natural selection and materialism does change the way you think about life; are we made for the entertainment and pleasure of a diety or are we the products of impersonal natural forces? I recommend this to those who are trying to understand evolution via natural selection, but only after reading Dawkins' and Coyne's books on it as a foundation (assuming you don't have a scientific background).

Accessable and Readable
This is a good book for the non-scientist or evolution expert. It's an enjoyable read and very informative. ... Read more

Product Description
"Sparkling . . . an extraordinary true-adventure story, complete with trials, tribulations and moments of exultation."—Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewAward-winning cultural historian Iain McCalman tells the stories of Charles Darwin and his staunchest supporters: Joseph Hooker, Thomas Huxley, and Alfred Wallace. Beginning with the somber morning of April 26, 1882—the day of Darwin's funeral—Darwin's Armada steps back and recounts the lives and scientific discoveries of each of these explorers, who campaigned passionately in the war of ideas over evolution and advanced the scope of Darwin's work. 16 pages black-and-white illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Ships Ahoy!The origin of Darwin's "Origin"
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"It is so often forgotten that what had brought these four very different and distinguished Victorian figures together so as to be 'strengthened in brotherly love' was their separate participation as young men in daring scientific voyages of exploration to the southern oceans.These four voyages created 'a Masonic bond' as a result of being 'well salted in early life.'The voyagers were tested, emotionally, physically, and intellectually, and they felt themselves transformed in the deepest sense--as scientists and as people...

Through their South Sea odysseys, these four young, romantically-minded amateur naturalists gained access to one of the richest, natural laboratories on the globe.They each discovered evidence from which to build new scientific theories, and each stored life-long memories of common experience of hardship and pleasure that bound them together like shipmates.Out of these southern adventures grew their friendship, their interlocking scientific interests, and finally their joint participation in Darwin's evolution war.The southern oceans were the training ground of the seamen who would lead Darwin's armada to ultimate victory."

The above comes from the prologue of the fascinating book by Iain McCalman, an award-winning professor at the University of Sydney.

The "four...Victorian figures" and their voyages referred to above are as follows:

(1) Charles Darwin (1809 to 1882).Voyage date: 1831 to 1836.Lands explored: South America, Africa, Australia, and many small islands such as the Galapagos Islands.

(2) Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817 to 1911).Voyage date: 1839 to 1843.Lands explored:Africa, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, and many small islands such as the Falkland Islands.(He later became known as Sir Hooker.)

(3) Thomas Huxley (1825 to 1895).Voyage date: 1846 to 1850.Lands explored: Australia, New Guinea, and small islands such as the Louisiade Archipelago.(He later became known as "Darwin's Bulldog.")

(4) Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 to 1913).Voyages collective date: 1848 to 1866.Lands explored: Amazon, South-East Asia.(He is known as evolution's "co-discoverer.")

It is the first four parts of this book that tells the true story of each of these scientists' voyages.These parts are well-written.Each part has a map of the actual voyage taken.

The exceptionally well-written last part explains how these four got together in the interest of science.Hooker, Huxley, and Wallace crucially influenced the publication and reception of Darwin's masterpiece, "On the Origin of Species" (1859).

Finally, included are the actual writings of these four great men.Peppered throughout the book are black and white photographs.In the book's center are located almost thirty colour photographs.

In conclusion, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in how the theory of evolution developed!!

(first American edition published 2009;prologue;5 parts or 15 chapters;epilogue;main narrative 375 pages;notes;bibliography;acknowledgements;index)

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Voyages of the First Evolutionary Biologists
Charles Darwin set off on the voyage of the H.M. S. Beagle in part because he had been inspired by earlier voyages by Humboldt and others. The world was still largely unexplored and of course the British Navy had several motives in exploring it further, including commerce and military intelligence about depths and coastlines, should it be required.In the process Darwin was able to collect a large number of specimens and make numerous observations which laid the groundwork for the Theory of Natural Selection.But, as Iain McCalman points out in his book "Darwin's Armada: Four Voyages and the Battle for the Theory of Evolution", Darwin was not the only biologist who would be both involved in evolutionary theory and in nautical adventures.Darwin's later associates Joseph Hooker and Thomas Henry Huxley would also be traveling on extended expeditions aboard naval ships.Hooker with the Ross Expedition to Antarctica (1839-43) aboard the H.M.S. Erebus (accompanied by the H.M.S. Terror) and Huxley to Australia and New Guinea (1846-50) aboard the H.M.S. Rattlesnake.In addition from 1848 to 1866, Alfred Russel Wallace, the co-discoverer of the Theory of Natural Selection, sailed on various ships to the Amazon and Southeast Asia.He was an amateur who was not an official naturalist, or even an assistant as Hooker was, or a surgeon's mate as Huxley was, and he had to fund his expeditions by collecting for others. However, despite their disparate backgrounds the four men became strong allies after the Theory of Natural Selection was announced at a meeting of the Linnaean Society in 1858.

Ian McCalman has captured the drama of the expeditions and also the very human attributes of the men involved. Darwin had some issues with his captain, Robert Fitzroy, and after returning to England was troubled by health problems and the death of a beloved daughter. Hooker was often unsure of himself during the voyage and was censured by his father for not doing more, while Huxley was reluctant to leave his ship and was often depressed and worried about his relationship with his future wife. Wallace lost most of his collections and notes from the Amazon in a ship fire and came to his conclusions about Natural Selection in a bout of malaria. Yet these men persevered to become the founders and supporters of evolutionary theory.

McCalman has examined a much written-about period in scientific discovery and has produced a fresh perspective based on the main participants shipboard expeditions.This is a very readable account of the development of evolutionary theory during its early days and how each man became converted to the idea that became the basis for modern biological science.I recommend this book highly.

Evolution sets sail
Darwin's Armada: Four Voyages and the Battle for the Theory of Evolution
Readers have many new books on Charles Darwin and evolution to choose from in this bicentennial year of Darwin's birth.Darwin's Armada surely must rank among the better ones suitable for a broad audience.It consists of five parts.The first four recount the exploration expedition experiences of Darwin, Joseph Hooker, Thomas Huxley, and Alfred Wallace.The fifth describes the events surrounding the publication of Darwin's and Wallace's papers on evolution and the subsequent battles to win support for their theory.

The first four sections serve as good short biographies for significant parts of these men's careers, particularly useful to readers not already versed in the lives of one or more of them.McCalman, a distinguished Australian professor, places emphasis on their southern Pacific experiences, though not exclusively.None of the four was an accomplished naturalist when they first set out on their respective voyages, and one of the values of McCalman's accounts is to show how they learned on the job.He highlights how Darwin and Wallace, in particular, developed evolutionary insights from their observations of animals and plants in isolated island habitats.

McCalman underscores the social class differences among these men, and illustrates how class affected their careers and interactions with the scientific community.Darwin was from a distinguished family, but Wallace fit with the working-class and was self-educated. Hooker and Huxley fit in between, and both struggled financially at times.

I found Part Five "The Armada at War, 1859-82" to be the most rewarding.It shows how the connections among these men coalesced and why they mattered.Hooker and Darwin became friends since the mid 1840s and Hooker served as the principal sounding board for the ideas Darwin was developing about evolution.Huxley, whom Darwin first met in 1853, had to be won over, but he ultimately became the most effective publicist for Darwin's views.

The action intensifies in 1858 when Darwin received Wallace's paper "On the Tendency of Varieties to Depart Indefinitely from the Original Type," which closely aligned with Darwin's own ideas about evolution, not yet published. Darwin's friends, particularly Hooker and the geologist Charles Lyell, were concerned that Darwin not be pre-empted, and they quickly arranged for the joint reading of Darwin and Wallace papers at the Linnean Society on July 1, 1858.McCalman provides a fine account of that proceeding.He concludes that Darwin's friends had sought to advance Darwin's position versus that of Wallace, but that without their efforts Wallace's paper would likely have received no hearing.

McCalman does a good job of summarizing certain similarities and differences between the ideas of Darwin and Wallace.He mildly suggests that social class played a role in the ascendency of Darwin as the recognized innovator.Darwin clearly had one advantage: he had the leisure in 1858-1859 to pull together his thoughts into On the Origin of Species, while Wallace was still busy trying to earn a living collecting in the Malay Archipelago.Darwin would later help to arrange a government pension for Wallace.

The book begins and ends with Darwin's 1882 funeral at Westminster Abbey, a venue promoted by Huxley, ever the publicist.Huxley, Hooker, and Wallace were among the pallbearers.

Evolution, The Backstory
This is a wonderful book. It is well written and easy to read.

The author retells the stories of men whose names are often well known to students of the Life Sciences, but whose lives are not. In retelling the stories of these men whose work gave rise to the Theory of Evolution, the book brings to life the process by way of which the concept of evolution was developed and refined. Along the way, it utterly destroys the tired old Creationist/ID claim that the whole idea of evolution is "only" just one man's "theory", and not backed by any evidence.

rollicking history
McCalman offers another perspective on Darwin's humanity and his travails in the synthesis of his great theories. Hooker, Huxley and Wallace cajoled and drove Darwin to complete The Origin and then helped him to defend it. McCalman captures the mood of the period and each scientist's journey is an insight into the cogitations of an innovative thinker. This history is very readable - one can smell the sea air, feel the debilitating aspects of long ocean voyages and empathise with Darwin as he gathers evidence from around the world. If McCalman's armada sparks a deeper interest in the life and times of Darwin, try the insightful biography by Adrian Desmond and James Moore. ... Read more

Product Description
Hard Sell tells you things about the American pharmaceutical industry you'd rather not know and about practices you'd rather weren't happening. But once you pick it up, you won't want to put this book down.

Jamie Reidy is to the pharmaceutical business what Jerry Maguire was to professional sports and Frank Abagnale (Catch Me If You Can) was to bank fraud. He's the guy who's been there, done that, and walked away with the insider stories. You'll find yourself rooting for Reidy and at the same time, you'll be shocked by the realities of the world that paid his salary.

Hard Sell is a witty expose; of an industry that touches nearly everyone in contemporary America. It reveals the questionable practices of drug reps, nurses, and even physicians. Reidy traces his ups and downs as a rep for giant drug manufacturer Pfizer, maker of some of the most widely prescribed and used drugs in existence, including Viagra.

With equal parts self-confidence and self-mockery, Reidy tells it like it is in the drug-selling trenches that are our local doctors' offices. The result is a funny and fascinating book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Hard Sell
Everything went fine.The book came as promised and in excellent condition. Very pleased with the transaction.

Regarding the book itself, the author writes in a comical fashion about his entry into the world of business.However, in my opinion, the writer, if he is telling about his actual efforts, comes off as an arrogant, pompous boob.If he meant this to be a tongue-in-cheek history of his performance, I would say his effort was successful.

Hard sell
I have not read the book. The shipped book was nasty, dirty and looked like it had been in someone's garbage dumpster and then they shipped it out. Needless to say, I threw it in the trash and haven't read it.

An OK diversion from my real life
An interesting book about the life of a "drug rep".I knew a bit about this career before reading it, but now I feel like I have lived it.There was less Viagra humor than I anticipated, but more career discussion.

While I generally enjoyed this book, it seemed to end rather abruptly without drawing any conclusions.

Two books in one
This book is really two books:the first 25% and the last 25% are interesting observations of how Big Pharma works(like a well oiled machine); the role of sales reps(helping MDs sort through the welter of info they get); the tactics of persuasion employed on Mds(hard core selling but effective; and the hiring of sexy/attractive woman as reps(it works) . The middle is how he did as little work as possible for the most benefit to himself---depending on your outlook it will either make you laugh or make you angry. All in all, a worthwhile and easy read. One note: the quality of the paper and the proofing is very poor as is the overall look of the book. I tend to think that he ran it by several publishers before he alighted on this one.

Dare I say it...?
Breathtaking!I laughed so hard, it took my breath away. (All apologies to Berlin and Top Gun fans)Sometimes the small chuckle and facial smirk.Sometimes a belly laugh that comes from deep inside.It was a journey of frivolity mixed with hilarity all around a gooey heartfelt center.

I heard the author read at a book signing and while he has a face for radio, he also possesses a big future as a novelist. ... Read more

Product Description
Scientists believe that every human on the planet is descended from a woman who lived in Africa 100,000 years ago. "Origins" tells the incredible story of homo sapiens - where we came from, why we made it (and why 20 human-like species didn't) and what it means to be 'human' anyway. Part one takes us back through evolution to meet our ancestors. From the ape-like Proconsul who lived in Africa 17 million years ago to Homo floresiensis, the dwarf human species which survived on the Indonesian island of Flores until 18,000 years ago. The most accurate facial reconstructions available bring us up close with these familiar yet alien relatives, and artworks give a compelling insight into their lives - where they lived, what they wore, whether they spoke, what they ate, what animals existed. Graphical timelines untangle the relationships between the different species and highlight our remarkable evolutionary journey. The second part shows how humans spread across the planet to form the diverse races and peoples we know today, from our first steps out of Africa 100,000 years ago to our arrival in New Zealand as recently as 1,000 years ago. ... Read more

Product Description
Provocative, science-based, and practical, this guide presents a new way for readers to understand their bodies and promote vibrant health.

Countless books and experts have advised adopting the "cave-man diet" that avoids processed foods and refined carbohydrates. But how and what to eat is only the beginning of what human evolution can teach about health. Based on the latest research, Evolution Rx provides readers with an understanding of the underlying science and a practical means to making nutritional and lifestyle changes, from exercise and injury prevention to addressing allergies, heart health, cancer, and more. Dr. Meller, one of the country's pre-eminent practitioners of evolutionary medicine, explores such topics as:

- Why eating more fat can fuel weight loss

- Why humans can't register fullness when eating carbohydrates, and what to do about it

- Why getting more sun leads to better health

- Why not to stretch before exercise

- Why children should be encouraged to get dirty ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Dumbed Down
I'll keep going for a bit, and I will admit to being somewhat "advanced" in reading and scientific knowledge, however this so far seems to "Dumbed Down" as to be almost unreadable by myself.The book almost seems to be at a 9th or 10th grade reading level, which I guess hits a larger portion of Americans, but its getting tedious here...

Ridiculous science
So... the reason we all max out our credit cards and shop too much can be blamed on evolution.This tidbit along with many other ridiculous musings can be found in this book.I found it silly, especially because it seems to be written for an audience of elementary students.Not very informative.

Excellent book
This book is a very interesting read and so informative.Really makes you think about many of the falisies we have been brought up with.Greatly recommend it.

Useful but not perfect -- give it a read
Dr Meller has attempted to connect several problems with modern living to our prehistoric past.This is not totally novel but Meller is more careful than most and often convincing, particularly in the area of over eating.The sections on low-fat and high-carb diets and why they are not necessarily all that effective or good for you seems to jibe with my personal experience as well as some other reading (the fact that the Atkins diet did NOT result in the dire problems that were predicted, for example).The sections on sunscreens and germs were also convincing.

But sometimes Meller seems to push his process a bit much.I'm not sure that we know if our Cro-Magnon forebears had myopia or not and the section on sex was OK but not all that impressive.

All in all this book is a good antidote for some of the health dogma repeated endlessly by Dr Oz and the "Health" section of your local newspaper and in men's and women's magazines.Worth a read -- just don't treat it as gospel.

This book makes so much sense!
Well written, easy to read and fascinating. This book suggests the evolutionary origins of behaviours we take for granted. In addition, it suggests how many conditions such as ADHD, depression and insomnia may have once been beneficial to our survival, thus de-stigmatising such conditions and providing helpful suggestions to deal with them. It also warns against the dangers of alternative therapies that promise to heal us when, except for life threatening conditions where medical science plays a vital role, our bodies can do the job without any help whatsoever! Yeah the placebo effect! You can hear the author talking about this book when he is interviewed on the podcast Skepticality which you can download from itunes. ... Read more

Product Description
Evolution has been dogma for so long, now many people consider it a foregone conclusion that life arose by random processes.Evolution: The Grand Experiment takes the unusual step of bringing together scientists on both sides of this cultural divide to present their findings.The reader is allowed to make up his or her mind as to which view is supported by the evidence.Intended for a general audience, the book is comprehensive, easy to read, and the conclusions are startling. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Digging Deeper into Darwin and Evolution
Fact or Fiction ~ Truth or Myth.It's not always easy to determine what is truth, what is partial truth, and what is flat out wrong.Sadly, when lies and theories are spoken of often enough, people start to believe they are true - even after they have been proven wrong.This is exactly what has taken place with the theory of evolution.

In Evolution: The Grand Experiment, Dr. Werner takes readers through a step-by-step analysis of Darwin's theories.Through careful analysis, readers will see how many of the theories upon which Darwin based is writings/theories have been proven false by science over the years.Yet, many of these false theories are still quoted by those who believe in evolution today.While top scientists may no longer believe in certain aspects of Darwin's theories, these theories are still be quoted in textbooks today even though they are false.

When the book arrived, I started looking over the various, full-color, beautiful illustrations throughout the high-quality, heavy-weight glossy pages of the book.I only was able to read a chapter or two prior to Munchkin claiming the book as her own.While meant to be a textbook, Munchkin chose to read it as a regular book.She was fascinated by everything within the pages of the book.Every now and then, she would come running to tell D and I what she was learning about in her reading.

If you want to use this in a classroom (homeschool) setting, you can purchase the Evolution: The Grand Experiment Teacher's Manual, the Evolution: The Grand Experiment Presentation Cd, and the Evolution: The Grand Experiment Episode 1 to supplement the Evolution: The Grand Design text.Whether you decide to use this as a textbook in the classroom or just read it, you will come away with a better understanding of Darwin and his theory of evolution.Through a careful analysis of the theories, you will see the inaccuracies of evolution being revealed through science.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Master Books/New Leaf Publishing to help facilitate the writing of this review. All opinions are my own.

There is a difference between truth, and the whole truth
This book is uses science to tell one version of the story of evolution.But, it by no means gives current and accurate information that provides the entire story.In fact there are hundreds of "transitional fossils," of all kinds.(including early forms of bats)Science it not always right, nor does it always get it right.That is why, like this series says, it is constantly tested and refined.Transitional fossils are hard to find, and surely more will be found in the coming years.But, using something like a bat or whales or seals or sea lions, where it states hundreds of fossils have been found, but no transitional fossils is a little silly.I mean, hundreds?Really?There are hundreds of bats, whales, sea lions, etc. within a 5 mile radius around my house.I would think that finding such a small amount of fossils would be rather a conformation that there is a lot more that we don't know about this subject.If you really want to be informed about the subject of evolution, you are going to need to look a lot further than this book.If you don't actually want to know the whole truth, and just want to sate your questions with pseudo-science, well then this is the book for you!PS- It also didn't manage to mention explanation for all of these fossils that it doesn't dispute in the absence of evolution.

A failed experiment in thinking
Feathered dinosaurs are theoretical transitional forms required by the evolutionismworldview, which holds that birds have evolved from reptiles in the distant past. Throughout the years, there have been many excavations that claim to have discovered dinosaurswith feathers. While there is no evidence rejecting the idea that there could have been feathered dinosaurs, there is also no evidence proving, without doubt, that there were. There is evidence that in at least some cases these so-called feathered dinosaurs are really misidentified birds. Also, most of these fossils are from China, of which they are known to have a fake fossil industry. This places a question mark on all such finds. While some evolutionists believe that dinosaurs are ancestors to our modern day birds, there is no evidence to prove it, but all the evidence against it.

What this book fails to mention (importantly too) is that the known fossils presenting a transitional stage of a scale to a feather are ZERO!

Carl Werner's Book is an Outstanding Survey of the Flaws of Evolutionary Theory!
As promised, this book is presented in an easy-to-read format aimed at the general public. My kids loved the beautiful full color photographs of fossils and animals, abundant throughout. I loved the way it makes its points effectively in both words and pictures. The visually-engaging charts and diagrams are exactly the sort I like to use in my presentations ¨C the kind that get the point across with simplicity and clarity. His book is a Godsend for visual learners.


Evolution examines the most familiar arguments for evolution and the origin of life with plenty of Aha! Moments throughout. After noting how scientific experimentation proved the theories of acquired characteristics [eg. Lamarckism; and shame on you, ¡­] and spontaneous generation [though the altter only after some 2100 years of acceptance], Werner explores the limits of adaptation, natural selection and the modern evolutionary theory of chance beneficial mutations.


Some of my favorite moments from the book:

¡öHe contrasts the comprehensiveness of the fossil record with the staggering dearth of candidates for the innumerable array of transitional forms required of evolutionary theory.
¡öHe reminds us that homology [similarities] is trumpeted as evidence for shared ancestry ¨C except when they don¡¯t think so at all! Evolution gives several striking examples of the duplicity of the ¡°homology equals common ancestry ¨C no wait! It¡¯s convergent evolution¡± tactic used by evolutionists. One particularly amusing illustration shows a pouched [marsupial] mole, a placental mole and a humpbacked whale with a reminder that evolutionists, despite the old homology equals common ancestry argument, actually believe that the placental mole and whale are more closely related than the two look-alike moles!
¡öA whole page of trilobite fossils. Sigh. [Yes, I'm a paleogeek. Sue me.]
This book also gives special attention to whale evolution and dino-bird evolution [with a nice survey of Chinese ¡°feathered¡± dinosaur finds], which are promoted these days in textbooks, museums and by the likes of National Geographic in a trumpeting fashion reminiscent of how they used to laud the horse series. Well, until baraminologists took the wind out of their sails by positing that all members of the horse series [no matter how many toes] were members of the same created kind, with the exception of Eohippus. Critiques of both the whale and dino-bird arguments are comprehensive and well-presented.


The information in Evolution: the Grand Experiment is well documented and presented in a readily understandable and engaging manner. This is the type of book you don¡¯t mind pouring over again and again. Honestly, the book is worth is for the trove of fossil photographs alone. [Anybody who knows me knows how I love trilobites, dinosaurs and pterosaurs.]


Though my young children enjoyed looking over the pictures [and they asked a lot of questions!], I think this book would be most appropriate for the middle school to high school student. It¡¯s versatile enough that it can be used to teach general concepts at a younger grade level and used in later grades to go deeper. I would also recommend it to anyone who simply wants a general [but comprehensive] overview of the issues and problems surrounding evolution and the origin of life.


The only thing I would change is the chapter order. The last few chapters [on fossils of flowering plants and the origin of life, respectively] just seem like they should go somewhere else. I dunno. It just seems out-of-order. I¡¯d recommend the origin of life chapters be placed between the chapter on spontaneous generation and acquired characteristics and that the flowering plant fossil chapter be placed in the midst of the chapters that explored the comprehensiveness of the fossil record.


Nevertheless, I am absolutely stoked about Evolution: the Grand Experiment and I can¡¯t wait to check out the next book in the series. I might even check out the DVD series they designed to supplement this book.


You can find out more about the book and follow a link to purchase it at [...]


-Rev Tony Breeden, [...]
From the Bookwyrm¡¯s Lair[...]

Snake Oil
This book comes with a deliberately misleading title, worthy of the finest purveyors of snake oil. It is very hard to believe that the title has been chosen in good faith, if you'll pardon the pun!

It has no place in scientific discussion, still less so in evolutionary biology. It is pseudo-scientific gobbledygook attempting to build a case for a dogma driven, literalistic interpretation of a creation myth.

If that's what you're after, then you can save yourself some money and go for the original upon which this is based, being the Book of Genesis. Unlike this book, you probably already have a copy or can obtain one for free.

If you have a short attention span, you can stick to chapters 1 and 2, the creation myth itself, and perhaps chapters 6 through 9, being the story of Noah's flood. Of course you will have to ignore vast amounts of scientific endeavour, as well as perform numerous logical somersaults. If you already have a creationist bias, like the author, this should not be a problem.

If on the other hand, you are genuinely interested in the subject this book purports to discuss I suggest you read a book by someone who IS an expert on evolution.

The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution

... Read more

Customer Reviews (49)

Incredible Creatures That Defy Evolution, 3 Volume Gift Box Set
These are awesome DVD's.I have purchased two sets as I gave away my first set.

Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution
The cinematography in this is fantastic and opens up minute details of animals and humans that are so specifically planned for the function of that species they could not possibly be the the result of random evolution.I've seen many movies and videos before but I've never seen the kind of information that is contained on this video series. I'd definitely recommend it to any child or seriously inquiring adult. I watched it with 3 children of various ages and they were all mesmerized. The DVDs can be purchased individually, but I would recommend purchasing them in the set:Incredible Creatures That Defy Evolution 3 Vol Gift Box Set

Just amazing information to solidify Creation!
We purchased all 3 videos of the series and it was well worth it! Great footage was taken and in depth study of these different animals, that couldn't just happen. There is definitely Divine design going on here! Praise God for the beautiful creations he has made us and given us to enjoy!

Best buy for Christian homeschooled children
I bought this on a wing, hoping it would be a good buy for my younger sisters. As far as audience level is concerned I think all ages would enjoy it. The DVDs go hand in hand with the "Character Sketches" books. You would do yourself an honor to buy one of the Character Sketch volumes (buy from [...] for $50 including shipping)(I know its expensive, but worth it!) We first heard of using God animals around out home-school curriculum from the Duggars and have not regretted it.The DVD has many visual films and pictures to keep young minds attracted, but enough information and awing facts to keep the older children(10-13. I myself have enjoyed watching it and have learned a great many of things (age 18).The man who is the featured speaker on the DVD'swas a evolutionist scientist, so his own conversion is appealing. I would say a small background of evolution would be beneficial but not lethal. (For example examining the(false belief in) peppered moth, heckles embyos, etc)A side note to help with explaining those evolutionary fallacies is to go to [...] and purchase their creation posters----this would help visualize the different important scenarios in unscientific evolution.My last words of advice would be that although the item I have listed are high priced, they are worth your time. Start with the DVD's and work from there. Also, although I am coming from a presbyterian background, the websites I have listed do not enforce similar beliefs. Hope this helps bring more awe striking knowledge to Gods kingdom----dont forget to enjoy Gods word, the real and first source of love and wealth of information! have fun!

For children
This is a series for children. It doesn't go into much depth at all. They will say things like, "Oh, its just amazing, say a tadepole is being eaten by a dragonfly larvae, that tadpole will send out a message somehow that will make the other tadepoles change their color and swim away, boom just like that. I don't know how you can explain that in evolutionary terms, I don't know, but I just can't!" If you really want to be amazed, why not study the process instead of just saying they can do it. If I tried explaining things this way to an evolutionist, he'd laugh at me! You need more depth than that. It's great for kids though. I'd say ages 10 and younger. ... Read more

Product Description

Over the past twenty years, paleontologists have made tremendous fossil discoveries, including fossils that mark the growth of whales, manatees, and seals from land mammals and the origins of elephants, horses, and rhinos. Today there exists an amazing diversity of fossil humans, suggesting we walked upright long before we acquired large brains, and new evidence from molecules that enable scientists to decipher the tree of life as never before.

The fossil record is now one of the strongest lines of evidence for evolution. In this engaging and richly illustrated book, Donald R. Prothero weaves an entertaining though intellectually rigorous history out of the transitional forms and series that dot the fossil record. Beginning with a brief discussion of the nature of science and the "monkey business of creationism," Prothero tackles subjects ranging from flood geology and rock dating to neo-Darwinism and macroevolution. He covers the ingredients of the primordial soup, the effects of communal living, invertebrate transitions, the development of the backbone, the reign of the dinosaurs, the mammalian explosion, and the leap from chimpanzee to human. Prothero pays particular attention to the recent discovery of "missing links" that complete the fossil timeline and details the debate between biologists over the mechanisms driving the evolutionary process.

Evolution is an absorbing combination of firsthand observation, scientific discovery, and trenchant analysis. With the teaching of evolution still an issue, there couldn't be a better moment for a book clarifying the nature and value of fossil evidence. Widely recognized as a leading expert in his field, Prothero demonstrates that the transformation of life on this planet is far more awe inspiring than the narrow view of extremists.

Customer Reviews (55)

What This Reviewer Thinks And Why It Matters
If you are looking for a good overview of the history of life on this planet, you will love this book.In terms of understanding evolution, both how it works and the evidence to support it, this is one of the best, if not the best books I have read on the topic.It's filled with excellent photos and diagrams and it doesn't just tell you about evolution, it *shows* you.I used to be a young earth creationist myself, and while I encountered this book after I'd already accepted the evidence for evolution, I think this book would have certainly given me much pause had I encountered it earlier in my life.

Absolutely superb
This is by far and away one of the very best books I have ever read on the topic of evolution. Prothero has a lively and engaging writing style and he does and outstanding job of laying out the facts regarding the fossil evidence of evolution. He also does a good job of highlighting the dishonesty and hypocrisy of creationists. This book is an absolute must for anybody with an interest in evolution.

Nice book
This book arrived in very good conditions.The content is very good and very understandable even for people who don't study biology.

Best Resource Through College Level on Evolution, Loaded with New Facts, Engaging to Read
The book will not disappoint, a great writer talking about a topic of which he has intimate familiarity, and for which he has a passionate concern to get across to the reader and public in general. Filled with up to date information clearly explained with copious charts and illustrations. A must have resource for those writing on the creationist/evolution controversy, with abundant jabs at the know-nothing purveyors of ID at the Creation Research Institute (where in fact, studies have shown, no scientific research is done).

Selective evidence is not evidence at all.
It's getting more and more frustrating explaining the obvious to evolutionists.Yet, they insist on being blind to the facts.This book is a case in point.First of all, there are no life forms in the strata below the Cambrian, which proves that the fossils in the Cambrian appeared all at once without any transitional states.The author ignores this fact.Moreover, there are plenty of fossils of creatures in rock allegedly dating to 50 millions of years that we see today, such as turtles, crocodiles, insects of all kinds, horses, elephants which look just like the turtles, crocodiles, insects of all kinds, horses, elephants we see today.Apparently, they haven't changed a bit over that millions and millions of years time span.We also have fossiled human skulls (Peru), fingers and footprints (Paluxy Texas).We also have plenty of unfossiled dinosaur bones such as the ones of the Hadrosauridae and of the T-Rex bone examined by Mary Schweitzer who found fresh tissue and fresh blood in it.The author doesn't mention any of this.Dead silence on these contravening facts.The author thinks that it is absurd to think all the dogs in the world came from two dogs on Noah's ark yet he has no difficulty believing that all dogs came from a rock.If he can believe that, he should have no difficulty believing all the dogs in the world came from the two on Noah's ark.The author believes trilobites are over 500 million years old yet he ignores the fact of the fossil of the trilobite from Antelope Springs that was crushed by a human foot, with a child's foot print nearby that spot in the same Cambrian stone.The author connects unrelated species, such as birds and reptiles, and claims a lineage between the two as evidence of transitional forms.Yet, he ignores that every single one of these socalled transitional forms has been found in the same geological strata as the species they allegedly morphed from.Picking and choosing your facts is not scientific.It is chicanery.Why can't he admit that evolution is bunk and needs to be thrown in the trash can? ... Read more

Product Description
Clear and concise explanations of the development of theories explaining physical phenomena. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Extremely good simple explanation of physics.
This book is deceptively accessible to non-scientists and young people. It is deceptively accessible because it is profound physical principles simply explained as Einstein and Infield saw it at the time, it is physics and not mathematics. The math used is basic and the book explains all of itvery carefully. It is not a comprehensive book on physics.
After reading this short book (perhaps many times over)the reader will gain a wonderful understanding of both classical and modern physics as Einstein saw it
It is deceptive because the physical principles are simple and also a profound part of Einstein's thinking about classical physics, modern physics, relativity and quantum physics, and Einstein's though processes in developing relativity and quantum physics from some seminal basic concepts in classical physics. It also explains what physics is all about, its philosophy, the scientific method, and the history of physics.
It is fascinating to read of the evolution of Einstein's thinking in physics to his discovery of special and general relativity and quantum physics, told in his own words with the help of Infeld. This book is one of the all time classics of science.
Excellent for both children and adults with an interest in science, physics, and Einstein. may be used as a suvey text, although it was not written to be a textbook. a scientific classic. extremely easy to understand explanation of Einstein's thinking on classical and modern physics. the math is explained, where it is used.
It also includes Einstein's views of quantum physics and statistics, and it does not suggest that there was any conflict between Bohr and Einstein on this issue, although there were famous debates between them. This book suggests that Einstein had by the time the book was written accepted the statistical nature of quantum physics.
I would also recommend Einstein's "Relativity and the General Theory" and also the classic paperback of reprints of the original works of Einstein and others on relativity (more advanced but of great value to see the original papers).
In the Evolution of Physics are extremely clear explanations of what is science, physics the history of thought in physics, the evolution of classical thought in physics and how it led to relativity, and quantum physics. What we mean by modern and classical physics, relativity, the statistical nature of quantum physics as distinct to the use of statistics in everyday usage and in classical physics, the difference between between math and physics, theory and evidence, the contradiction between theory and evidence as the ultimate source of new theories which better explains the evidence, the philosophy of science.
All of these topics are discussed clearly, simply and profoundly for both scientists and non scientists. The book is deceptively simple and actually requires probably at least more than one full reading to really understand it. After you have read it completely, a rereading will provide greater insights into the meaning of the earlier chapters. Many of us will find ourselves reading it many times for its beauty and clarity.
This book is in summary a brilliant scientific classic, a survey of physics, wonderfully accessible to the general public, stemming from the collaboration of Einstein and his assistant Infield. Highly recommended. Enjoy!

The Evolution of Physics
This is a wonderful book ultimately leading to a discussion of relativity.Even so, the style of exposition is unusually good. I suspect Professor Infield wrote the book, albeit in collaboration with Professor Einstein. I feel his ability to make complex concepts relatively easy to understand rivals the teaching style of the beloved physicist and educator, Richard Feynman. Anyone interested in physics needs to read this book, not only for the invaluable content, but also as an example of a communication style which is only rarely encountered.

Very good for many different readers
As the authors state, ".. thought and ideas, not formulas, are the beginning of every physical theory".True to this statement, this book focuses on thoughts and ideas and does not use any formulas at all.This makes it good as an adjunct for standard texts that contain the formulas, but not as a substitute for such books.This book is divided into four sections: the rise of the mechanical view, the decline of the mechanical view, field and relativity, and quanta.It is thus about how the mechanical view of Newton evolved into the modern view of physics (relativity theory and quantum mechanics).

I would like to focus on how this book might be perceived for three different classes of readers.
(1) For those who have never taken a physics course (or did and tried to forget the experience as soon as possible) --The lack of any mathematics may be comforting to this class of reader, but it will nonetheless not be an easy read for them.The basic concepts, such as inertia, may be difficult to grasp for those with no previous physics background, but the author's do a good job of describing things.(A task made more difficult without recourse to the shorthand of mathematics.) I would, however, recommend this book only to those who are motivated to go well beyond their comfort zone.However, if they focus on the concepts that are being described and are patient in following the lines of reasoning, they should be richly rewarded.
(2) For those who have taken physics courses, but do not have advanced degrees in physics--I put myself in this group and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.I liked this book because it focuses on the why (the basic underlying theories of physics), rather than on the how (problem solving).In doing so, it provided a much better understanding of what is behind the equations than I found in physics texts.I got a very clear picture of the deficiencies of Newtonian mechanics and Maxwell's equations, and how this led to relativity theory.I found this very illuminating as it more clearly showed me Einstein's thought process.If found this even clearer than that presented in Einstein's book on relativity (prepared for a general readership).Of all the groups of readers, I think that people in this group will get the most from this book.
(3) For those with advanced degrees in physics - People in this group may have already been exposed to the concepts described here, but this book will still be very helpful in that it shows clearly Einstein's logic in developing relativity theory and the quantum theory of light.Much of this may be old hat to this group, but the book will still be of interest from a historical perspective.

I think that this book does an admirable job of appealing to and satisfying the needs of readers who approach the subject with diverse backgrounds.

An excelent book on physics
An excellent book about physics, its history and its philosophy. The concepts are well explained, discussed, compared in a conversational and rigorous style. And done with the contribution of Einstein.
With this book you will understand what physics really is; what is behind the science undertaking; what is science after all. A must book to serious interested readers

Excellent book
Outstanding book to understand the way of thinking which resulted in introducing the various concepts associated with Physics. Thoughwritten for general audience, this book needs to be read with care, and constant attention to see the remarkable connection between seemingly unrelated concepts like light, heat, electricity. Read this along with the book "Einstein's Heros by Arianrhod" to enjoy a different aspect of Physics. ... Read more

Product Description

THE NEW LAWOF MARKETING

“The Next Evolution ofMarketing is a true beaconfor all brand builders.Many books claim that,Bob’s book delivers.”
Jim Stengel, former GlobalMarketing Officer, Procter & Gamble

“Some timeless truthsrestored for modernmarketing—and many newones added. An inspiringreminder of the value ofbrand behavior and how tomake it happen.”
Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP

“Persuasion has given wayto sharing, and marketingwill never be the same.”
John Gerzema, Chief InsightsOfficer, Young & Rubicam, andcoauthor of The Brand Bubble

”Bob Gilbreath brilliantlyshows why we’re nolonger living in our fathers’marketing era. Better yet,he details how marketingworks best when it addsvalue to people’s lives, andhe provides a playbookfor success.”
David Meerman Scott,bestselling author of The NewRules of Marketing & PR andWorld Wide Rave

“This book provides aframework and compellingexamples for creating thenext generation of cultureleadingbrands.”
Mark Greatrex, SeniorVice President, MarketingCommunications and Insights,The Coca-Cola Company

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Marketing with Meaning—The Breakthrough Strategy for Connecting with Customers!

The old interruptive model of marketingdoesn’t work. Customers are tuning out.They no longer listen to in-your-face messages.Instead, they demand meaning inthe brands they buy and the marketing thatreaches them.

Marketing strategist Bob Gilbreath’s hotnew concept, Marketing with Meaning,represents the next evolutionary step in aprogression following direct marketing andpermission marketing. This groundbreakingmethodology engages customers and winstheir business by adding value to their lives.Rather than pushing a product or service,Marketing with Meaning woos customers byoffering them something of value independentof purchase.

In The Next Evolution of Marketing, Gilbreathunveils a revolutionary new approach tobusiness that fills the gaping voids left inbottom lines when people started tuning out.Gilbreath describes the marketing revolutionnow underway and the powerful forces drivingit. Inside, he provides Marketing withMeaning success stories, including:

• Samsung’s laptop and cell phonecharging stations, which are nowfound in more than 50 airportsthroughout the United States
• Dove’s Campaign for Real Beautyand its viral video “Evolution,”which has been viewed more than100 million times
• Burger King’s Xbox advergames,which helped boost the company’sprofits by 40 percent in one year

This first-ever comprehensive model for creatingand managing a meaningful marketingcampaign uses in-depth case studies of successfulcampaigns and explains how to developand execute a solid strategy for meetingcustomers’ needs. It also arms you with anoriginal set of metrics for precisely measuringthe effectiveness of your initiatives.

You simply cannot afford to get left behind inadvertising’s “golden age” of interrupt, tell,and sell marketing. Marketing with Meaningis how your customers demand business bedone today and tomorrow. The Next Evolutionof Marketing is your guide to survivingand thriving in this marketing revolution.

Customer Reviews (19)

Required for class
I had to get this book for class. I am trying to avoid reading it and will resell it as soon as the semester ends.

Marketing that matters
As a marketer, I read a LOT of marketing books. Some I forget. This one I won't. Gilbreath does an excellent job of explaining marketing with meaning: providing value to the customer to make them care about your brand. This is something a lot of companies and marketers have forgotten to do.

It reinforces my philosophy in marketing. Excellent read.

A Great Inspiration
As a recent college grad trying to get into the advertising industry, this book got me excited to work in the field that is going through so much change right now. The bottom line of this book explains how the old model of "tell and sell" advertising is basically dead. Mass media is falling apart and basic advertising that interrupts our daily lives is simply not working as a business model.

With the consumer now having so much power and the ability to interact with her brand, companies HAVE to adapt and provide incredible relationship value with consumers. That is exactly what the book explores with countless examples to back it up.

Most argue that advertising is slowly dying but those optimistic ones out there, like Bob here, know that it is simply changing for the better and I don't think I would want to get into the industry at any other time.

Read this book if you want to do anything at all related to marketing/advertising/sales.

Clear Vision plus Actionable Advice
For progressive marketers and their advisers anxiously monitoring the tectonic shifts in consumer media consumption and the degrading performance of their traditional marketing strategies, this book does a great job of landing the conceptual plane described by today's media and marketing thought leaders such as Godin, Garfield, and those Punk Marketing guys. Traditional media isn't dead, but over the coming years it will become increasingly important for brands to create value with their actual marketing efforts. The web design guys have known this since the browser took off and the notion of user-centered design took hold...it's not about getting the message pushed out, but about creating unique value to help consumers achieve their goals and attracting consumers to the brand through this value creation effort. Bob's book builds the scenario clearly, provides a vision for a new model through interesting case studies, and provides well-considered guidance on how to make this turn happen starting with your next project or campaign. While the marketing services industry debates its future in these tumultuous times, I believe this book also provides a template for the future agency model...it's the "add agency". Highly recommended.

@JasonDeal

One of the very few marketing books that make sense.
I must say that when asked to review Bob Gilbreath's book, The Next Evolution of Marketing, I was somewhat reluctant. Probably because I expected it to be yet another of those marketing potboilers lining the shelves of America's bookstores, either sporting such esoteric titles as The Twelve Immutable Marketing Secrets of the Kalahari Nomads, or words of wisdom from some gnarly old retired captain of industry, probably ghost written by his latest trophy wife.

Fortunately, Bob's book is neither. For a start, he isn't gnarly, he isn't even retired. He's still working at a large global digital ad agency, which he does rather obviously promote the crap out of at every opportunity. Remember Bob, push is passé. However, to his credit, when he does do this, he ties it in to a specific, provable benefit his company has brought to both client and consumer.

Described by other reviewers as the next step beyond "Permission Marketing," Bob's central thesis is that because customers are increasingly being bombarded with advertising messages which they are choosing to ignore, we now have to create "Marketing with Meaning." I wholeheartedly agree, but with one caveat... There is nothing new about this situation, customers have always been bombarded with marketing messages, it's just that now, the volume has exponentially increased and potential customers have many more ways to tune you out. Therefore, Bob's words acquire even more relevancy.

In the first half of the book, Bob gives many, many (way too many), examples and case studies of companies who have taken a different tack in marketing their products and services to existing and potential customers. All good worthwhile stuff, particularly as he shows the concrete results of their efforts rather than the usual BDA (Big Dumb Agency) soporific... "We increased brand awareness." Personally, I think the number of examples is overkill, but I am sure all the MBA's out there will lap it up and create hundreds and hundreds of Power Point slides from the information.

The second half is a guide to implementing Bob's "Marketing with Meaning" premise into a company's marketing program. As with all good ideas, this is in reality, simple and logical. Something most large organizations seem to have a problem grasping. Think Cisco with its 47 "Action Committees" each with dozens of middle managers. Then compare it Rockefeller's Standard Oil at the height of its power. He had eleven managers. Bob does an excellent job of boiling everything you need to know down into four succinct and meaningful steps. Bravo Bob, but you'll never get a job at Cisco.

If you are pressed for time, take Bob's advice in Chapter six... "Start at the end."
The final five chapters are solid gold. The whole book reminds me of famous dead ad man Howard Gossage, who said forty years ago... "People don't read advertising, they read what interests them. Sometimes, that's advertising."

The Next Evolution of Marketing, Has lots of good stuff, I highly recommend it.

Now go buy my last book. Cheers/George
The Ubiquitous Persuaders ... Read more

Product Description
In this innovative celebration of diversity and affirmation of individuality in animals and humans, Joan Roughgarden challenges accepted wisdom about gender identity and sexual orientation. A distinguished evolutionary biologist, Roughgarden takes on the medical establishment, the Bible, social science--and even Darwin himself. She leads the reader through a fascinating discussion of diversity in gender and sexuality among fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals, including primates. Evolution's Rainbow explains how this diversity develops from the action of genes and hormones and how people come to differ from each other in all aspects of body and behavior. Roughgarden reconstructs primary science in light of feminist, gay, and transgender criticism and redefines our understanding of sex, gender, and sexuality. A new preface shows how this witty, playful, and daring book has revolutionized our understanding of sexuality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

The gay science
Joan Roughgarden's book "Evolution's Rainbow" is something of a disappointment.

It's badly edited, written in colloquial language, and covers a lot of topics not really relevant to the subject (such as Bible interpretation). There are other problems as well. The author protests strongly against expressions such as "transvestite snake", but has no problem calling male bighorn sheep "gay"! Of course, snakes are no more into transvestism than sheep are into the California gay subculture... (I think - I admit that the world would have been a more interesting place, had they been so.) On a somewhat stranger note, I noticed the author's strong aversion to asexually reproducing organisms. Aren't they a legitimate part of the rainbow?

This is all very unfortunate, since Roughgarden does mention many salient facts and makes interesting criticisms of the current paradigms.

One controversial point is her claim that "gender" is a biological category among humans. People who are transgendered really were "born that way". The usual position among anthropologists is, of course, that gender is a socially constructed category. Since Roughgarden believes otherwise, she can compare gender among humans with gender among animals and plants (a biological category).

In her polemic against androcentric sociobiology and its theory of "parental investment" (which supposedly makes Mother Nature patriarchal and sexist), the author points out that there are pipefish in the North Sea that reverse the sociobiological scenario. Among these fish, the *males* make the largest parental investment, while the females are aggressive, fight over the males and form dominance hierarchies. Ah, poor sociobiologists! Disconfirmed by Mother as usual. There is also an entertaining chapter on homosexual behaviour among animals, including birds where male-male couples occasionally raise the young. This "gay" behaviour has been observed among Black Swans, amongst others. Gay romance, anyone? There is even a lizard in Texas which is quite literally lesbian - all members of the species are female and reproduce asexually, but they nevertheless have non-reproductive sex!

Unfortunately, the badly edited chapters of this book sometimes make the arguments of the author quite weak. Thus, Roughgarden believes that gender bias may have led researchers to confuse cooperation among birds with brood parasitism. The male birds aren't really "cuckolded" at all, but involved in a complex system of reciprocal altruism within a larger colony. Perhaps they are, but this doesn't falsify Neo-Darwinism, which has no problem with *reciprocal* altruism. This isn't sufficiently emphasized by the author, making her proposals sound more earth-shattering than they really are. They may disprove one faction of Neo-Darwinists, but not Neo-Darwinism as such. As for the "female mimics", the author believes that they cannot really fool the other males, since they aren't perfect mimics to begin with. Maybe. And then, maybe not. For instance, most small passerines recognize their own eggs, but (weirdly) don't recognize their own chicks, which explains why cuckoo eggs mimic those of the host bird, while cuckoo chicks don't have to be mimics. Since song birds have surprisingly uneven cognitive abilities, this might go for other animals as well, and can explain the existence of "female mimics". Perhaps the mimics only need to mimic some key traits? Once again, a more extensive discussion seems called for.

The frankly worst chapter in the whole book is Joan Roughgarden's attempts to interpret the Bible as pro-gay. No, Joan, it isn't. Ruth and Naomi weren't lesbians. Paul wasn't warning gay couples of the dangers of sexually transmitted disease. When the Ethiopian eunuch was quoting Isaiah, he was pointing to a passage all Christians believe is a prophecy about Jesus. He wasn't calling for transgendered activism against the powers that be! Ur-Christianity may have had some interesting ideas, but they certainly weren't pro-gay. Incidentally, the Ethiopian eunuch was Jewish, yet Roughgarden implies that Christianity was more "inclusive" than Judaism, using the baptism of this person as an example. Really?

Despite everything, "Evolution's Rainbow" was worth reading, since it does contain original and provocative angles on many questions. However, I don't think it deserves five stars. I give it three.

I wanted to like this book
I really wanted to like this book, but it has to be the most poorly written book I have read in many years. Doesn't the UC Press have editors? It's truly unbelievable. I enjoyed the case being made, but the poor argumentation and writing made it very hard to stay with or to feel sympathetic towards. It's a real shame.

Diversity and Affirmation
Roughgarden, Joan. "Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender and Sexuality in Nature and People", University of California Press, 2009.

Diversity and Affirmation

Amos Lassen

The way we think of gender and sexuality in the world of nature will probably change after reading this book. Joan Roughgarden claims that perhaps Darwinian biologists have been misguided in the way that they look at these issues. They automatically assume a gender binary in all species and that is not the case. To show this, the author brings us examples among reptiles, birds and fish. Roughgarden maintains that Darwinian sexual selection is based upon the biases of culture and this culture predicts that social evolution brings about a male who is sexually paired with a female. She challenges the accepted knowledge about gender identity and sexual orientation and in doing so takes on the Bible, the medical establishment, social science and Darwin. She gives us a creative challenge to the contemporary orthodox of sexual selection.
We get good descriptions of both sexual and gender diversity in nature and in the scientific community and Roughgarden implies that some of the traits of sexual orientation are a lot more common that we have thought. She uses her own expertise to show this to us and she does so well. She exposes the biological nonsense of homophobia and she provides us with food for thought. The book is extremely interesting and although it may seem curious to some, it has a lot in it.

Celebration of Diversity!
Absolutely amazing!I can't remember when I have enjoyed or learned more from a non-fiction book than I have from Evolution's Rainbow! I had NO IDEA how many variations of sexuality and gender appear in the natural world, which Roughgarden details in the first half of the book. In addition to review of fascinating research, the book is sprinkled with dry witticisms that made me laugh aloud!Roughgarden has methodically, thoroughly, and with great good humor shown that there is no desirable normal and that diversity deserves to be celebrated.I applaud this book!

A Curious but Exhilarating Romp through Evolutionary Biology
This is an exhilarating and yet strange book, written by a passionate and highly talented scientist. The book is exhilarating because it weaves personal experience and academic research into a highly politicized plea for tolerance of, indeed affection for, diversity of sexual expression. The book is strange because the object of attack, Darwinian sexual selection theory, is not a real political enemy at all. I dare say that a huge majority of evolutionary biologists both accept Darwin's theory in some form, yet also accept homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and sex change (Roughgarden reports elsewhere that when she went to Condoleezza Rice, Provost at her home institution, Stanford University, to ask if she could keep her job as tenured professor after she had a sex change operation, Rice was totally supportive). Conversely, those who are intolerant of sexual diversity are most likely to be Creationists for whom Darwinism is as close to the Devil as homosexuality. Roughgarden, it is clear, chooses her battles emotionally, not strategically.

Roughgarden rejects Darwin's theory of sexual selection because (a) it is incorrect, and (b) it perpetrates intolerance of human sexual diversity. It is wrong because it portrays sex in animals as highly uniform, with females investing heavily in each gamete (eggs are very large) and being coy and conservative concerning mating, and males being promiscuous and investing very little in gametes (sperm being exceedingly tiny). It is perpetrates intolerance because it promotes the myth that divergence from the sexual stereotype is abnormal and pathological.

Roughgarden has been accused of committing the "naturalistic fallacy," which says that "was is, is good." In this case, it is easy to think that Roughgarden claims that because there is sexual diversity in nature, and because there is homosexuality and gender change in nature, therefore it is natural that humans are sexually diverse, and those that oppose diversity are enemies of the nature expression of sexuality. This argument is of course fatally flawed. It is easy to find species in which adultery is common, species in which a new male mate kills the young of the previous male, species in which individuals abandon their young with high probability, species in which females generally mate with all the males in the group, and species in which individuals eat each other's feces. This does not make adultery, killing and abandoning offspring, or sharing feces at dinnertime, acceptable practice for humans. In fact, Roughgarden does not commit the naturalistic fallacy. Her argument is that since Victorian times we have lived in a culture that is hostile to sexual diversity, that this is a morally bad cultural bias, and it both oppresses gays, lesbians, and transsexuals today, and accounts for the poor interpretation of sexual dynamics in Darwinian theory. Moreover, she argues that it is illegitimate to use the argument that these diverse sexual practices are "against nature" as a valid critique, just as criticisms of adultery cannot be based on the absence or rarity of "adultery" in other species.

About 80% of this book is a pure pleasure to read, as well as being extremely informative concerning the variety of sexual behaviors in the animal world and a wide variety of human cultures through time and space. Evolution's Rainbow is also a good source of instruction in evolutionary biology as long as "Darwin's theory of sexual selection" is not in question.

The basic argument of the book is that sex is basically cooperative, not competitive and conflictive, as is presented in standard evolutionary theory. I am not sympathetic to this argument. I learned standard evolutionary biology, and accepted both the widespread validity of the coy female/promiscuous male theory without (a) believing that it is universally valid for the animal world, or (b) at all valid for humans. Moreover, I learned from modern biological theory that cooperation is just as important as competition and conflict. Indeed, the modern biological interpretation of the increase in biological complexity since the first bacteria is due to the synergy of cooperation among units of one level of complexity leading to the emergence of a new level of complexity. This process is inherently cooperative, but the emergence of a new level depends on suppressing conflict among individuals on the older level.All of biological life, I learned and I still believe, is an interaction of cooperation and conflict. This include relations between (among?) the sexes in reproduction and nurturing of offspring.

It is not impossible to treat Roughgarden's "counterexamples" as merely oddities or simple exceptions to the rule. Certainly this is what I thought before I read this book. She has convinced me that this is a poor way to think of sexual diversity in the animal world. She has also convinced me that there may be subtle but important forms of sociality in animals to which one is blind if one interprets everything through the lens of Darwin's version of sexual selection. She has not proved the case even in a single species, but she certainly raises plausible alternatives to traditional explanations.

A major issue is treated confusedly in the book, and I have found it to be perpetrated in even the most erudite reviews of the book. Darwin's theory of male decoration was what has been called the "sexy male" theory, as developed analytically by Ronald Fisher and others. This theory says that through random drift, females come to prefer some fitness-neutral aspects of the male, and the female will both mate preferentially with males having this attribute and pass the gene preferring this attribute on to her offspring. There is thus "runaway sexual selection" which is fitness-reducing for the species since it is costly to produce the trait for the male, and costly to be choosy over the trait for the female. As far as I can tell, and I have studied this theory closely, it has absolutely no support either theoretically or empirically. It is just a dead theory, despite its being a favorite of evolutionary psychology--a field dominated by researchers who cannot understand the math and do not study non-humans, but who are great popularizers and appear to have convinced a gullible public of its importance.

The correct version of the Darwinian sexual selection theory is the "costly signaling" approach, which says that decorated males are likely to have "good genes," and hence to increase the fitness of the female's offspring.Roughgarden implicitly accepts the "good genes" approach without argument, merely complaining that females care about the total contribution of the male, not just the quality of the genes passed on to the offspring. However, her general critique of the standard account of sexual dynamics in Darwinian evolutionary theory is misguided. Roughgarden gives no proof that the "good genes" theory is incorrect, or that her "social selection" theory is universally, or even frequently, superior. Her alternatives are creative and interesting, such her suggestion that male decoration is a signal of general prosociality. But it is certainly not proved. Moreover, her claim that the standard signaling theory behind the good genes model is based on generalized "deceit" perpetrated by the male is just wrong. The first principle of signaling theory is that signals that persist over time must be on balance veridical, or else the receiver would increase fitness by ignoring the signal, so some mutant that ignores the signal will eventually emerge and will eventually displace the gullible signal receivers.

Roughgarden rejects the "good genes" theory on grounds that females care about their mates' total contribution to the social resources of the group, not just the genetic quality of the male. But, what determines such total contribution if not the genetic quality of the male? One can hypothesize that males have certain personal characteristics that are not incorporated in its genome, but for most species, this is not at all plausible.

I suspect that Roughgarden's research will broaden and enrich existing models of strategic sexual interaction rather than replace them. Despite Roughgarden's insistence that her ideas are an alternative to Darwin's, I find the two quite compatible, and I suspect Darwin, were he still around, would agree.

Another peculiarity of the book is that Roughgarden treats all deviations of sexuality from the standard coy female/promiscuous male model as adaptations that improve the fitness of the individuals involved. I believe generally that costly species' characteristics that required many cooperative mutations to occur are almost certain to be adaptations. But the huge variety of sexual practices and their close association with speciation makes it likely that much of this variety is random drift rather than an adaptation. In particular, it does not follow from "evolution's rainbow" that extensive sexual diversity is adaptive either for the individual or the group. Moreover, who cares? We can accept sexual diversity for its own sake, not because it arose as an adaption or is serves some adaptive purpose in modern society.

Many researchers, even those with strong moral incentives to do scientific research, are put off by how intimately Roughgarden links her moral principles to her scientific theories. This certainly makes me uncomfortable. I can work with other research intimately for years without finding out, or being interested in the least in, their political or moral positions. No one knows from my published work on human cooperation and conflict what my political and ethical view are, and I am happy to keep it that way. On the other hand, Roughgarden's personal commitment is refreshing and is an attractive aspect of this book

... Read more

Product Description
A leading evolutionary psychologist probes the hidden instincts behind our working, shopping, and spending

Evolutionary psychology-the compelling science of human nature-has clarified the prehistoric origins of human behavior and influenced many fields ranging from economics to personal relationships. In Spent Geoffrey Miller applies this revolutionary science's principles to a new domain: the sensual wonderland of marketing and status seeking that we call American consumer culture. Starting with the basic notion that the goods and services we buy unconsciously advertise our biological potential as mates and friends, Miller examines the hidden factors that dictate our choices in everything from lipstick to cars, from the magazines we read to the music we listen to. With humor and insight, Miller analyzes an array of product choices and deciphers what our decisions say about ourselves, giving us access to a new way of understanding-and improving-our behaviors. Like Freakonomics or The Tipping Point, Spent is a bold and revelatory book that illuminates the unseen logic behind the chaos of consumerism and suggests new ways we can become happier consumers and more responsible citizens. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Just as expected!
I recieved my book and it is in perfect condition! Would recommend this seller to anyone looking for a new or used book for school for cheap. I only paied $7.00 with shipping and it would have cost me MUCH more if I had bought it at my college's book store or at Borders/Barnes and Noble. Being a collge kid on a budget, this helped me out a lot!

An interesting interpretation of consumer behavior and critique of contemporary marketing
This is an interesting book that combines Evolutionary Psychology (EP) with marketing to offer a different explanation of why we buy what we buy. I think the author correctly points out that the issues he raises here are under-appreciated or not even recognized in traditional marketing theory.

It is far more slanted toward EP than marketing, though -- spending a lot of time to explain concepts in EP and then making the connection with marketing. It's a refreshing take on the genre.

In a number of places, I did find myself questioning his conclusions, though. I tried to be as honest as possible about my own motivations in buying things and didn't find a fit with what he was telling me. But that may be OK -- after all, he is talking about biological motivation and survival of the fittest and not anything rational or necessarily conscious.

If you are new to the topic and want a really entertaining trifecta, take these three books together:

- "Spent" (this book)
- "All Marketers Are Liars" by Seth Godin
- "Great Apes" by Will Self

You will never see the consumerist world in the same way again after those three :)

Interesting ideas, poorly presented
This book is an exploration of consumption from the standpoint of evolutionary psychology.Miller is an author and marketing consultant as well as an evolutionary psychology researcher.In this book, he argues that aspects of conspicuous consumption may bring about reproductive advantage, and are thus favored in human evolution. Marketers may use these traits to encourage increased sales. In the first part of the book, Miller argues that human evolutionary psychology can explain many facets of consumption and overconsumption.He then identifies six dimensions of human psychology that vary across individuals and predict character, capabilities, and behavior: general intelligence, openness to experience, conscientiousness, agreeableness, stability, and extraversion. In the second part of the book,Miller discusses some of these traits in detail, and the relationship between the individual traits and consumerism.In the final part of the book, he explores alternative ways that humans can display the traits while escaping the trap of consumerism. The book includes a list of references for further reading, grouped by topic.

While this book has some interesting ideas that are well worth contemplating, I found Miller's presentation of the topics quite off-putting, as well as carelessly stated or inconsistent in places and simply tossed together without much thought for reality in the last section on recommendations.Milleris highly opinionated and often tucks in rants about his personal preferences instead of relying on facts to make his point.For instance, he takes no pains to avoid insulting entire groups of people or professions to the point of libel, such as when he states "there are plenty of open-minded novelty seekers who love strange ideas and experiences, but who are not very bright.They constitute the market for fantasy novels, self-help books, nutraceuticals, facial piercings, music by Enya, degrees in nonevolutionary psychology, and every product labeled 'homeopathic'." His logic is at times implied, for good reason, namely, stating some claims explicitly would take him out of bounds: "...marketing's power is quite decentralized.There is no unified conspiracy, no secret Masonic Temple, to perpetuate capitalism, consumerism, patriarchy, heterosexism, racism, or general mass stupidity and apathy. The World Trade Organization is just 630 folks working in a five-story office building at 154 Rue de Lausanne in Geneva."

When introducing the 6 dimensions of human personality, Miller states that they are normally distributed across the population, yet "males and females have different average levels of agreeableness...the distribution of male agreeableness overlaps substantially with the distribution of female agreeableness...Nation, region, language, culture, socioeconomic status, class, and education level may predict consumer behavior mainly because they are correlated with some of the Central Six traits."A more thorough discussion of the normal distribution of the traits is greatly needed in this case, because it's not at all clear how traits that are normally distributed across the human population would be predicted to differ systematically enough to cause behavioral differences across gender, nations, culture, socioeconomic status, education level, etc.But Miller doesn't bother to explain such apparent statistical complications.

It's hard to tell where Miller is being serious in the final section on recommendations.At one point, he suggests that people could avoid the perils of consumption as a means of displaying their personality traits by having their trait scores tattooed on their foreheads--was this supposed to be a joke, or was Miller writing under the influence of behavior changing substances?He doesn't quite make it clear whether the tattoo proposal was to be taken seriously, or was just presented as an amusing tongue-in-cheek suggestion.Overall, while this book contains some interesting discussion about some theories of human evolutionary psychology and how they might explain some consumer behavior, there must be some more informative, better written material out there for those who truly want to learn about the subject.

Spent - diminishing returns
The author starts out swinging in this polemic of Western Civilization's increasing gap between the instincts and responses people developed during the hunter/gatherer stage and our gadget ridden, convenience oriented society now.The key premise is that we've always had these drives to display, to the fellow members of our society, the traits that make us look like good people to know or mate with. Mr. Miller breaks these down into what he calls "The Central Six".These he explains quite well from an evolutionary psychology perspective, and this part of the book is very interesting.After that, he starts giving us advice.This is where things fell apart for me, as most of the advice didn't need the preceeding explanation to be credible - it all sounds like common sense to me. Evolution is a very tricky thing to predict and/or speculate upon because it is easy for idealism to intrude and we come up with naive, Pollyanna interpretations of nature.It is possible to speculate that the tendency to murder is the product of evolution, as well as altruism and collaboration.Mr. Miller winds up offering advice reminsicent of "Baba Ram Das" or Alan Watts in the context of our complex environment.By using speculations drawn from a study of the evolution of behavior to validate his conclusions about how we "should" be, he introduces a standard that could also be used to validate hoarding, rape, or theft, as any of those trait might be the ones theat assure survival at a particular moment in time.

The Mating Mind: Part II
Geoffrey Miller again doesn't disappoint, and his recent book Spent represents the natural result of the outstanding previous book "The Mating Mind".

Maybe not as immediately fascinating as The MM (I've read it twice in a row, having much more pleasure in the second reading), Spent reveals once again how deep and unconventional is prof.Miller's intellectual work, even compared to other Evolutionary Psychology scholars.

Engaging and insightful read, it enriches the discussion made earlier by Prof. Miller, which focused mostly on the birth of human intelligence as a means of self-promotion to potential partners (mating signal), and widens it to include the display of personal traits to friends and relatives as well (social signal).
From this broader perspective Miller can make a critical analysis of the behavior of modern humankind, and in particular of the consumerist behavior, which happens to be the preferred way to display our own qualities in the modern world.
His analisys of modern consumerism is not negative and unfavorable in every aspects, as could be a marxist one, as he acknowledges the marketers ability to turn our world into a big playground. The problem is that through the purchase of consumer products, and this is one of the theses of the book, we have chosen a very poor and inadequate way of "advertise" our traits, conveying often no information about ourselves but our spending power (Pecunia non olet mode).

And what's more important is that, although the urge to display is unescapable (doomed to display), the way we do it is not carved in stone, but contingent and determined by historical conditions, and could have been different.
Miller then suggests some ways to counteract this state of things, trying, for example, to create local communities of like-minded people, where it is easier to be valued and appreciated without the necessity to pass through the consumeristic gate. I have to say that some advices could result a bit visionary and utopian, but they are anyway witty and thought-provoking.

Eagerly waiting for the next book, I strongly recommend this one, in particular to those high in Openness.
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Product Description
All of us are part of an old, old family. The roots of our family tree reach back millions of years to the beginning of life on earth. Open this family album and embark on an amazing journey. You'll meet some of our oldest relatives--from both the land and the sea--and discover what we inherited from each of them along the many steps of our wondrous past.
Complete with an illustrated timeline and glossary, here is the story of human evolution as it's never been told before.
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Customer Reviews (17)

Very elementary
So elementary and simplified that it was of no use to me. I guess it's ok for very small children whose parents want to introduce them to the basic idea.

Just awesome.
I was looking for a book that would help my son (5 yrs) better understand what I believe about science and evolution as oposed to what his father believes (the classic Christian creation story). I needed something more than just telling him that I don't believe god created people and that's that. So I went searching. And this was my first hit, my first purchase, and I am SO happy with it.

We just received our package yesterday and my son and I sat and read the book. He loved it. Like another reviewer said, it is very hard for him to grasp millions of years, but I found that just explaining to him in terms of a "long time ago" a "long, long time ago" and a "long, long, long time ago" helped him get the basic idea. He asked questions, and made observations, and was fascinated by the pictures.

This book is just the start in educated him on science, but it is a good one. I've recommended it to all my similarly perplexed friends for their children.

Great naturalistic book for my Kindergartener and 2nd grader!
Perhaps the most fundamental question is: "where did we come from?".This wonderful book addresses that question head on from a secular, scientific point of view, starting with the first life forms on Earth.It walks us through the major evolutionary steps along the path, and ends up with us humans.Along the way, it discusses our ancestors of the period, and what is new about them (forelimbs, lungs, warm bloodedness, walking upright).It also captures critical events in the history of life on earth (e.g. the great dying at end of Permian, just before the dinosaurs).About 2 billion adults on this planet would learn a lot by reading this book, but it is just perfect for little kids.The prose is artfully and clearly written, and the illustrations are simple but appealing.I have never seen a book that teaches our evolutionary heritage more clearly to a young audience!My kids wanted me to read it to them multiple times.

Great evolution story - scientific but also a good tale
My 4yo daughter was asking about where the first people and dogs came from so I looked into different books to explain evolution.This one is perfect for her age because it is not technical at all though not inaccurate - it tells the story of evolution with beautiful words and pictures that read like a creation myth.People have always had creation myths and evolution is really no different. It doesn't have to be just boring technical stuff - it can also be a great story.I think this is a great book for children (and adults).

Very pleased
This book is a superb introduction to evolution for small children.Millions of years are distilled into a simple chain of events from the beginning of life to modern man.Critical events are touched on such as Pangaea and when life was almost wiped out.The illustrations are rich and colorful, the text large and simple.Tree of Life by Ellen Jackson attempts to do something similar, but I sent it back because it did it so poorly.This book is a keeper and will be used for both history and science in homeschooling an elementary age child.
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