Product Description

Marking the first time that dogs have been explained in such detail by eminent researchers, Dogs is a work of wide appeal, as absorbing as it is enlightening.

Drawing on insight gleaned from forty-five years of raising, training, and studying the behaviors of dogs worldwide, Lorna and Raymond Coppinger explore the fascinating processes by which dog breeds have evolved into their unique shapes and behaviors. Concentrating on five types of dogs -- modern household dogs, village dogs, livestock-guarding dogs, sled dogs, and herding dogs -- the Coppingers, internationally recognized canine ethologists and consummate dog lovers, examine our canine companions from a unique biological viewpoint. Dogs clearly points the way for dog lovers, dog therapists, veterinarians, and all others who deal with dogs to understand their animals from a fresh perspective.

How did the domestic dog become a distinct species from the wolf? Why do different breeds behave differently? Most important, how can we improve the relationship between humans and dogs?

The authors show how dogs' different abilities depend upon the confluence of their nature and nurture -- that both genetics and the environment play equally key roles. They also reveal that many people inadvertently harm their canine companions because they fail to understand dogs' biological needs and dispositions.

Dogs is a highly readable biological approach by noted researchers that provides a wealth of new information about the interaction of nature and nurture, and demonstrates how unique dog behavior is in the animal world.Amazon.com Review
There are dog lovers, and then there are dog lovers. Behavioral scientists Raymond Coppinger and Lorna Coppinger have raised hundreds of dogs of various breeds, raced sled teams, and published professional and popular works on canine behavior. Dogs is their manifesto of canine evolution and treatment by humans, and it offers deep insight, provocative theories, and controversial ideas regarding our relationship with them. Though some of the material is most appropriate for readers with some zoological background, much of it is written for a general audience--one that cares about dogs not just for what they offer humans, but for their own sake.

Arguing that much of current thinking about dogs' evolutionary history is misguided, the authors share their own complex story of wolflike animals coevolving with permanent human settlements and only recently being subject to directed breeding and artificial selection. This is interesting enough, but they go on to take issue with the use and treatment of dogs, some of which they claim is bad for dog and human alike. Pure breeding, making companion animals of inappropriate breeds, and even some uses of disability assistance are assailed for neglecting genetic and other hardwired aspects of canine life. Surprisingly little is known for sure about dogs' lives and behavior, so the Coppingers' contribution is a welcome, if occasionally unsettling, eye-opener. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

Interesting thesis, full of useful information about dogs.
For some reason this book has been controversial, with people accusing the Coppinger's of being everything from dog collectors to scientific hacks. I suppose that is to be expected when you challenge the status quo.
Popular myth goes something like people tamed some timber wolves and turned them into domestic dogs. Thus humans must be the alpha, top or dominant dog in order to maintain control of dogs. Balderdash! Dogs know humans aren't dogs, that's why they accord us more respect and affection than they do their fellow canines.
The relationships among my own dogs certainly don't seem to be based on strength but on personality. Some of our bigger, stronger and meaner dogs allow themselves to be bossed around by smaller dogs just because they seem to like them. In general they seem uninterested in forming any sort of pack at all and are much more interested in humans than eachother. I find them to be more like coyotes than timber wolves.
Coppinger didn't reach his conclusions about dog domestication just by observing feral dogs living in modern garbage dumps. He observed that all around the world there are pariah dogs of similar type living on the fringes of human settlements, and that breeds of all kind will revert back to this form over time when they become somewhat feral. He is arguing for the idea that an intermediary type of dog developed between the wolf and canine familiarus, thus you can't directly extrapolate from wolf behavior to domestic dog behavior.
Nor does he argue against the owning of dogs as pets. He is actually championing dog rights by saying that if people had a better grasp of dogs origins there would be less dogs ending up in shelters because they were unsuitable as companion animals. It's hard to argue against the idea that people mainly choose dogs based on looks and their associations not on behavior. Most breeds were developed to perform certain tasks in the field and that seldom translates into a happy house dog. He argues that since the main purpose of dogs in modern societies is as companion animals then they should be bred for those traits, not trying to turn herding, hunting, guard etc. dogs into pets.
As far as accusations he is a collector, then that would mean that everyone who works with animals in any scientific way is also a collector, from lab technicians to reserchers at vet schools to breeders. Its bascially too stupid an accusation to respond to.

Applied Coppingerology K9 style
My husband, a biology faculty member, brought home a review in the journal, _Science_, of the Coppingers' new revolutionary work, and after I read the review, I was intrigued, so Darling Doc brought the book home from University library.I ate it with laughter, outloud head nodding, and pondering brain wrinkles.I am a K9 trainer of 15 years, have competed nationally, currently have two K9 partners working with me and train others to train their K9s.We also do a sport called Schutzhund, designed as a breed qualifcation test for German Shepherd Dogs.GSDs are very wolflike in appearance, so dispelling the notion that they ARE domesticated wolves was not a topic I wanted to take on with my trainees....until Drs Coppinger.Now I understand my own gut reaction to the earlier theories of evolution wolf to dog.My husband teaches the Coppinger theory, as well, in his intro evolutionary biology course (freshpersons always love dogs and this is a great start, discussion wise and learning wise).

I have been using Drs Coppingers' ideas, information, and wisdom for about 2-3 years now with huge success given the way I train...use of presented genetic/biological characteristics, shape behavior to desired form, and voila! trained dog with little stress.

I cannot recommend this series of books highly enough.I have personally seen the results of application on 3 of my own competition dogs and many others.This book is for the layperson whose dog has the most important job of all, companionship and partnership, to the serious dog trainer and trainer of dog handlers.

Janica Tansey

"Dogs" is a fascinating journey into the soul of "dogginess"
I had never heard a word about this book before I bought it, but I decided to buy precisely for the inflamed criticism I read from someone who was "horrified" at some of the things he had read in the book,things like "oh,this book is evil, they say horrible things about service dogs(dogs for the blind or deaf)or even pet dogs!!"I think I also read some criticism of someone from the AKC or similar...
I thought Ray & Lorna Coppinger MUST have treaded on some sensitive "paws"+ touched some controversial issues to recieve this kind of criticism...SO I decided to write this review because this book is a JEWEL of dog books.The minute I started reading it,I was fascinated + swept!!Its an amazing and UNIQUE book,full of information it would've been hard to find had not the book been written by biologists.That's probably what sets it aside from other dog books.TRUE:you have to keep in mind its is NOT the book that will tell you how to get your dog to stop chewing on the furniture or how to stop pulling on the leash.But I have already read it twice, and I find it one of the most fascinating books I have ever read in my whole life.I think their hypothesis on dog origin-dogs domesticating themselves by becoming scavengers is highly plausible,just watch dogs in different cities + terraces where people are eating!-and I agree 100% in most(almost all!)of issues the authors claim when they talk about service dogs,show dogs and pet dogs.They are professionals that have decades of experience teamed with scientific data,and real love for dogs.Ray Coppinger has trained + ran with sled dogs for 30 years,and he explains the biological conformation of sled dogs, and why wolves DO NOT make good sled runners(for example)and then he followed shepherd dogs in Europe while they where migrating with flocks of sheep.He explains the difference on how you train one puppy to watch the sheep + another one to herd the sheep, and how the different puppies get used to the different jobs,and how unique that is,considering the dog is a predator and the sheep are its prey,so what a paradox it is to have a predator protecting its prey!!Just read carefully and enjoy every word!I certainly did, and still do.

Fascinating look at dogs
Dogs seem so familiar and common that even without owning one, you think you know them.However, this book, written by a biologist specializing in animal behavior, shows us how little we understand dogs.Coppinger points out why the "descended from wolves" story doesn't explain dog behavior and why asserting alpha dominance doesn't mean the same things to dogs as it does to wolves.If you are interested in a scientific understanding of why dogs do what they do, this book will be truly eye-opening.The "critical period" of puppies and the predator behavioral sequences that explain herding vs. guarding dogs were most fascinating.Coppinger should have his own special on PBS.

GREAT BOOK!
This book completely convinced me about the way dogs evolved. I really like it! I learned a lot from it. I liked the writers' style as well. Especially I liked the theory for village dog. If you come to Bulgaria, from where I am you'll see the same things authors describe for Mexico and Africa! Thank you, it was such an experience to read this book! ... Read more

Product Description
Though the United States is the world leader in science and technology, many of its citizens display a shocking ignorance regarding basic scientific facts. Recent surveys have revealed that only about half of Americans realize that humans have never lived side by side with dinosaurs, and about the same number reject the idea that humans developed from earlier species of animals. This lack of knowledge in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence for evolution springs from a number of negative influences in contemporary society: poor secondary education in some regions of the country, misinformation in the mass media, and deliberate obfuscation by supporters of Creationism and Intelligent Design.

In this concise, accessible, "myth-buster’s handbook," educators Cameron M. Smith and Charles Sullivan clearly dispel the ten most common myths about evolution, which continue to mislead average Americans. Using a refreshing, jargon-free style, they set the record straight on claims that evolution is "just a theory," that Darwinian explanations of life undercut morality, that Intelligent Design is a legitimate alternative to conventional science, that humans come from chimpanzees, and six other popular but erroneous notions.

Smith and Sullivan’s reader-friendly, solidly researched text will serve as an important tool, both for teachers and laypersons seeking accurate information about evolution. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

What every religious person needs to read
Simple and concise. This little book explains a lot of common myths that are circulating thanks to ignorant pastors and priest and their brainwashed followers. So if you're a christian or some other faith and you have only the basic attention span , and you really want to know what the evidence says then I highly reccomend this book.

Excellent introduction to Evolution
While this book's purpose is to deal with various myths about Evolution, it is actually the best introduction to the subject that I have found. If you don't know much about Evolution, you will get a good basic understanding. The book is fairly short and an easy read. I read it in a few days. Of the approximately 200 pages, maybe one third are notes. This is good for further reading but I felt that some information in the notes would have been better placed in the main text. I got this from the library but I enjoyed it so much, I plan to purchase a copy.

Excellent and very readable intro to evolution
"Misconceptions" would be a better word in the title than "myths," but no matter.I give this very readable book five stars because of its educational value.Reading this book is an excellent introduction to the basis and the ideas of Darwinian evolution, as well as providing talking points to refute the specious argument of creationists and "intelligent designers."

The first misconception is in the common interpretation of the phrase "the survival of the fittest."The Darwinian jungle is indeed a jungle (and a savannah, an ocean, a river, a desert, etc.), but the key to survival--being "fit" and successfully reproducing--usually has a lot less to do with how sharp your claws or how great your physical strength.Rather it has to do with how well you can make a living in the environment you find yourself in.Fitness implies such things as a good immune system, the ability to co-operate with other living things, perhaps the ability to eat a wide variety of foods, or an abundant food that will not disappear, and so on.Being able to kick butt big time is probably not a good example of fitness.

Second misconception: "It's just a theory."Yes, and a tiger is just a cat.Or, would you believe that it is very remotely possible that the earth is not round.Or, yes it is possible that only I exist and I am just dreaming up all this stuff.Actually, evolution is as much of an established fact as any theory can be.A theory, by the way, as used by scientists, isn't just an unproven idea.It is "a logical, tested, well-supported explanation for a great variety of facts."The "theory" of evolution is supported by the fossil record and the analysis of the DNA of living organisms.It is demonstrated in our lifetimes by the adaptation of microorganism such as disease bacteria.And perhaps even more importantly, its three main processes of replication, variation, and selection, remain the basis of biological understanding in a host of sciences from medicine to ecology.

Third: There is a ladder of progress (the "great chain of being") from the most primitive to the most advanced organisms (from microbes to us!).Actually the idea of progress is purely an anthropomorphic one; and the idea that evolution has some goal, ditto.Evolution is eternally a phenomenon of the here and now without any concern for the future.True, organisms have become more complex, but that is only because they couldn't have gone in the other direction!A random walk away from a wall will show, as time passes, footsteps at a greater and greater distance from the wall.

Fourth: there is a missing link that is missing.There are intermediate forms that have been discovered; and more will be discovered in the future.The fossil record is necessarily limited since very, very few of the organisms that have ever existed are fossilized.Furthermore, the transformation from one species to the other is not from one fixed type to another but from the observation of a living thing at one moment in time to the observation of another very similar living thing at another moment in time.

Fifth: Evolution is random.Mutations are random, but changes in species are anything but random.The changes are sculptured by the environment.

Sixth: People come from monkeys.We had a common ancestor with chimpanzees some six million years ago, and millions of years before that we and modern monkeys had a common ancestor.Actually if you go back far enough we are descended from pond scum.And so what if we were descended from monkeys?Some people seem to think that our close relationship with other animals is somehow demeaning.Silly.

Seventh: Nature is in perfect balance.Truth is nature is in constant flux.Balance is in the eyes of the beholder.The earth's ecological balance is an ever changing, temporary thing.At one time the "balance" was characterized by most of life finding oxygen poisonous.At another time the balance was a "snowball" earth.Who knows what the future balance will be?

Eighth: Creationism disproves evolution.Creationism is really just a kind of fairy tale, a mythology that appeals to the need of some people to feel close to their idea of God.It's a way of giving a spurious meaning to life.

Ninth: Intelligent Design is science.Actually that would be unintelligent design, and it is not science at all.Instead, ID is creationism in a tux, as some wag put it.The key misconception of ID is that we or any organism was designed.Organisms grow; they evolve.If they were designed by an intelligent designer, one imagines that they would not have as many flaws.ID is a political movement that attempts to acquire the power and prestige of science.It's a yearning for the authoritarian rule of the Dark Ages.

Ten: Evolution is immoral.Evolution is of course amoral or non-moral.What is, is from a moralistic point of view, not necessarily what ought to be.Is does not imply ought.Morality is a human idea.By the way, people who understand evolution are just as moral, or even more so, than the followers of e.g., Jerry Falwell, James Dobson and George W. Bush.

An invaluable resource on evolution
Humorist Dave Barry remarked once:

"I constantly see evidence that Americans do not understand basic scientific principles. For example, the great mathematician and dead person Sir Isaac Newton (who also invented gravity) proved in 1853 that, no matter how hard you push, you cannot fit an object into an airplane storage compartment if the object is way bigger than the compartment. Americans still do not understand this."

Unfortunately, this is also true about the average American's knowledge about evolution.

Cameron Smith and Charles Sullivan clearly debunk the ten most common accusations made against evolution. Explaining it in layman's terms, Smith and Sullivan set the record straight on things like evolution is "just a theory", evolution is immoral, Intelligent Design is legitimate science, humans come from monkeys and six other claims made by opponents of scientific inquiry.

The book is very well written and researched and is an invaluable source for the average person who wants to read the facts about this topic. I am sure the authors had the fact that many people (my self included) do not remember what they were taught in school since people usually think of science as boring.

This book is sorely needed due to the lack of knowledge, misinformation in the media as well as supporters of creationism and un-Intelligent Design who deliberately lie about evolution and try to present their pseudo-science as fact.

Easy to digest, and a good survey of the most important points
Easy to digest, and a good survey of the most important points

Also, nicely quite short as far as these kind of popular science books go.This is good, because the reader will be able to finish "Myths" in a couple short sittings or so.There is not as much detail as the more serious reader will crave, but more writing would obviously make the book longer to get through.The authors clearly are writing this work as a bulwark against religious criticism of the science of evolution and natural selection.This is reasonable, because all the criticism seems to be religiously based.It would probably be helpful if they also pointed out more often that this bulwarking is only needed when opposing schemes try to get foisted onto public schools.If you are reading this book, be aware that the authors do indeed say this, but this message sometimes gets lost in bursts of enthusiasm.

The shortness of details, mentioned above, does have the shortcoming that the points of argument supporting the ten myths do not give much fuel for a debater.It is doubtful that the authors want their readers to become skilled formal debaters from their material, but rather to be confident of the proved value of evolution-based biology.They also would prefer to have more buyers of their book instead!And buy the book indeed is this recommendation, or maybe check out from the local library.

The footnoting is extensive, and to some tastes, a little too many of these notes contain explanation which might better have been put into the main part of the book.Nevertheless, simply get two bookmarks, and this should not be a problem.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (17)

Great book, a must read for anyone studying canine science
An absolutely brilliant read with details of some truly insightful experiments. This book is a great read for anyone studying canine evolution, or just the average dog lover that is interested to learn some facinating ideas about the evolution of the domestic dog.

A fascinating look at dogs
This book is a fascinating examination of the familiar dog by a professor of biology, who is also a former sled dog racing champion and dog trainer, and his wife, who is also an expert at the raising and training of dogs. Studying where dogs came from, what they are and where they are going, the authors reach some startling conclusions. They reject that idea that Mesolithic hunters stole wolf puppies to originally domesticate dogs, instead following the flow of adaptation to suggest that the path of domestication leads through the Neolithic garbage dump!

After that, the role and attributes of modern dogs are examined. Finally, the explosion of genetic "diseases" among purebred dogs is examined, and its causes laid bare.

This is a fascinating look at dogs. Much that I have noticed about the dogs in my life has been explained to me, and a great deal of food for thought given. I highly recommend this book; it will answer many questions, including some you never thought to ask.

A fun and Philosophical Book
This is one of the best modern (about 2001) reviews of the nature and potential of working dogs, and their evolution.Their philosophical treatment of the relationships between humans and their companion canines are the best that we know of to this time.Our only "flinch" was in the short section about neonatal canines, where our family canines seemed not to have read their guidelines.Most of the text deals carefully with specific breeds and avoids the fallacy of "THE DOG," who as Adam Miklo'si pointed out doesn't exist - there are "many dogs," who differ in significant ways.

Worst Dog Evolution Book Ever
To properly theorize on the evolution of dogs, one should have a basic understanding of dogs(which the Coppingers do have about SOME dogs, at least), be very knowledgable about wolves, both wild and captive, and NOT have modern predjudices towards them(and the Coppingers seem to be EXTREMELY predjudiced towards wolves), and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, know SOMETHING about primitive people, and do a bit of BASIC Anthropological and Archaeological RESEARCH, which the Coppingers could NOT have done at all to come up with their silly completely illogical notion that DOGS DOMESTICATED THEMSELVES in Mesolithic dumps(which in no way, shape, or form or volume compare to modern city landfills where Mr. Coppinger had his "Epiphany")! A basic understanding of the word DOMESTICATION is also unknown by the Coppingers, apparently. The Coppingers should really study some other domesticated animals, to get a better perspective on the domestication of dogs. And sorry, you really just can't sweep Archaeological and DNA evidence that dogs were domesticated LONG before settled agricultural villages began to appear in the Mesolithic age(a gap of a few thousand years!) under the rug without needing a REALLY big rug to heap it under! The Coppingers need to stick with dogs they know(which obviously aren't hunting dogs!) and leave the real science to real scientists!....L.B.

Every dog owner should read this book!
This is not a training book, but readers will gain much insight into the dogs they are training from it.It is an excellent and very readable book on the origin and behaviors of the domestic dog and its wild Canid relatives.There is an excellent analysis of how some of the service dog programs could be vastly improved by using current knowledge of critical learning periods in the young dog.Also of great interest is a discussion of the damage done by breeding for physical characteristics only by AKC type breed "fanciers".The populations always become inbred and physically distorted, and working ability is lost (examples--bulldog, German Shepherd, Irish Setter).The authors are to be commended for their contribution to knowledge about our canine partners. ... Read more

Product Description
Evolution of the Earth reveals the logical framework of geology, shows relations of the science to the totality of human knowledge, and gives some idea of what it is to be a participant in the discipline. In keeping with the preference for a "How do we know?" rather than "What do we know?" approach, the authors stress what assumptions are made by earth historians, what kinds of evidence (and tools for gathering that evidence), and what processes of reasoning and limitations of hypotheses are involved in reconstructing and interpreting the past.

Each chapter begins with alist of highlights entitled "Major Concepts". Many chapters have a summary timeline that puts the entire sequence of events into a quick visual reference frame. The use of dioramas and reconstructions of extinct animals and plants has been greatly expanded, so that students can get a more vivid concept of typical life in any part of the geologic past. In many places, the authors have supplied a full page of color photos of classic fossils from each period to improve the visual recognition of the organisms that give life its distinctive history. The areas of hottest controversy, such as mass extinctions, dinosaur endothermy, the origin of life, and controversies over late Proterozoic tectonics and glaciation, have been given separate sections so that students can appreciate the different sides of the debates. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Evolution of Earth
This book is an easy read more for the visual learner. Has lots of images and great language, this is not for anyone under the age of thirteen and is a written well.

Excellent purchase
The book is in perfect condition just as described. New book at used price. What a deal! Highly recommend.

Good geoscience book and science book in general
My only previous exposure to geology or geophysics came from books/classes about the solar system where the Earth is taken as just one example of a planet. This is the first book I've read dedicated to the subject and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

At a high level its coverage includes, the origin of the Earth, geologic time scales, the Earth's interior, the origin of the Earth's magnetic field, volcanoes, plate tectonics, how the continents have varied with time, the interaction of the oceans with land masses and past climate fluctuations.

This book actually covers a lot more material than I expected, including paleobiology and ecology (which I enjoyed reading, but sometimes found it a little too political). There is actually quite a lot of material on paleobiology. It does overlap a fair amount with one of the authors other books, 'Bringing fossils to life', but it wasn't excessive and was well done. There is an appendix with some very nice high-level cladograms.

Although this book doesn't require any particular background, it covers a lot of material and requires some effort to learn it. The authors put in some effort to actually teach the subject and the book illustrates some very interesting science. It also provides some nice illustrations of how science is done.

One nice thing about this book is that it has a lot of color photographs and drawings. That's somewhat unusual among the (non-astronomy) science books I've seen at this level. I found it made the appearance much nicer.

Overall, I liked it a lot and learned a lot from it.

Straightforward and Interesting
What I like most about this book is its readability. The tone is very engaging and makes you want to read on. The illustrations (almost all in color) are plentiful and are an invaluable accompaniment to the text.

I would agree with other reviewers that the biggest drawback to this book is its price. The price is way too high, in my opinion, particularly for a paperback book. For that kind of money, I want something sturdier, that will stand up to years of use. This is the only reason I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5.

Good book for paleontology and geology teaching.
This is the most recent edition of a very useful book for students and teachers of paleontology and geology. ... Read more

Product Description
Evolution by way of natural selection is more than a theory that can explain certain earthly phenomena. It is a logical inevitability that applies to all earthly (and universal) phenomena. Hence, humans are in no way, and cannot possibly be in any way, exempted from this reality, as this would require the elimination of all threats to human existence physical, predatory, microbial, and rival. By extension, based on natural variation patterns generally, and different evolutionary histories specifically, whatever actions humans undertake as individuals and/or in the form of groups will invariably have selection ramifications. In short, humans can use ideas to advance their own causes, if they comport with evolutionary principles, by keeping a step ahead of natural selection; or humans can use ideas to hurt their own causes, or increase their chances of extinction to the extent that they do not comport with evolutionary principles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Koratsky Hits The Nail On The Head
I've been obsessed with evolution for years now. I love the idea of forming the world and beings as more than some type of magic...*and so it was*.

This book is a huge book and not a one night read. It is very well written and a great item to have on your reference shelf.

This book takes you chronologically through the phases and happenings of evolution. There's even an incredibly awesome pull out timeline in the back of the book.

If you go into this with an open mind...be prepared to have many of your opinions changed {if you weren't already pro-evolution}. This book lays out the facts clearly for all levels of adult readers.



Mystee Blackwood,

A Moment With Mystee Reviews

A fascinating read, highly recommended
For anything to persevere, it must change and adapt. "Living with Evolution Or Dying Without It: A guide to Understanding Humanity's Past, present, and Future" describes the evolution of all things, and how humanity has succeeded and thrived through their changes over their existence. Stating that even religion has evolved through the centuries, K. D. Koratsky gives readers a scientific and thoughtful analysis of the ever changing universe we live in. "Living With Evolution or Dying Without It" is a fascinating read, highly recommended.

A factual book taking us through the journey of evolution
A great book written by K.D.Koratsky with the most appropriate title.A factual book that chronologically takes the readers through the journey of evolution. The journey which began approximately 13.7 billion years ago with the grand Big Bang explosion.

The natural selection - the fundamental base of almost every phenomenon in the entire universe gets instrumental in deciding what goes or stays, where, when and how. There is a sneak peek through different eras that universe went through and specifically our planet where the ingredients got right at the right place and at the right time to make life possible. Many species came, evolved, extinguished, making room for the next ones. The nature has been displaying its brutal intelligence by silently churning different species testing them on their adaptability and fitness quotients. Not just the species, even the specific features in some species get eliminated if they fail to provide the required functionality making themselves redundant. In such cases, nature chooses to release the energy held up to maintain the existence of those superfluous features or the whole superfluous species, for better application of the same energy. Species that learn the trick of adapting with the natural changes increase their chances of survival at the cost of those which fail to do the same.
The author emphasizes the importance of understanding that humans in no way will be favored by this natural law, and there are enough evidences to prove it to be so.However some cues can be taken from how the selection process works to handle or manage the survivability challenges facing humankind.

The book discusses the sequence of significant events in the evolution process of - the universe, the earth and the living beings. Life began with the most simplest form breathing first in the ocean, gradually life moved from sea to the land, followed by the arrival of innumerable species of amazingly various kinds which were established themselves as more adaptable and more advanced. So far humans have surpassed all the rest in terms of their brain power and their adaptability skills.With them came the language, the religions and not to forget, the conflicts too - the world wars, the cold war and much more. This intelligent species, even tries to challenge the nature, so much so that environment which isknown to have influenced the lifeat all times is being forced to get influenced by life now, at least that is being attempted.

A wonderful book presenting the facts in a very objective fashion. Highly recommended for all those who want to learn more about where we came from and where we are heading to.

Living With Evolution or Dying Without It
This is a fascinating new approach to Evolution, looking upon everyday things, people, and events from an evolutionary perspective.The book represents a lot of research and contains a lot of varied information.It is very readable for the general audience, and I recommend it strongly.M. Patrick O'Meara MD

Evolution in ALL aspects
This book is a must read for anyone interested in the broad aspects of evolution and not just science.And its such a timely book since we Americans seen to have a majority of citizend hell bent on taking us back to the Dark Ages and not to an age of Enlightenment.

For me it was the last chapter and beginning on page 56o The Final Firewall that is a must read, because we can see where we have been, but also need to ponder where we are going.

'Another possible scenario is that the West will remain in a stupor long enough for Islamic civilization to finally achieve global domination as part of a 1400 year project, creating an alternative by which top-down totalitarian control would be established under sharia law instead of relativistic principles. Indeed, while having fallen far behind the West in most respects, the Islamists have never abandoned their long-term outlook. And the fact that Islamists still both understand and adhere to Total War theory, remining highly attuned to the combat SVU in this regard, could give them a considerable edge as the West continues to disarm both economically and militarily. Clearly, if this were to play out the Enlightenment ideals would likely fall out of favor for a longer time, perhaps centuries'.

This this book is timely. And should be read by anyone who does NOT understand that evolution is not just about where or how we came to be, but is also about how the earth evolved via population, religion, government and the overall big picture. ... Read more

Product Description
Since its original publication in 1989, Evolution: The History of an Idea has been recognized as a comprehensive and authoritative source on the development and impact of this most controversial of scientific theories. This twentieth anniversary edition is updated with a new preface examining recent scholarship and trends within the study of evolution. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

excellent and detailed survey
Bowler's book has become a classic, and justifiably so. He traces the history of the idea of evolution, beginning long before Darwin, and the heated controversies it led to, including the long eclipse of Darwinism and the subsequent modern synthesis.

A great book about evolution
This one is recommanded by my professor. It is written with detailed history and analysis. It not only provides a basic knowledge of how the theory of evolution develops, but also offers a great perspective to the history.

The evolution of an idea
This history of evolutionary thought is good at showing how the idea developed in Darwin's particular society, influenced by thinkers before Darwin such as Malthus.The book, also shows how Darwin's thinking evolved, how the idea itself evolved from outside influences (particularly plate tectonics and cosmology), and how it influenced non-biological thinking (such at utilitarianism, capitalism, Marxism) sometimes in scary ways such as eugenics.

Throughout the book, it seems like philosophers (at least in the West) desired a purpose and direction of evolution, if not a Director.Lamarckianism (inheritance of acquired characteristics) also seemed to have continual appeal and in the later editions of the Origin of Species, Darwin himself was leaning more that way. The continual difficulty of direct evidence and incomplete fossil record, leads to ongoing speculations.

Although generally dry/scholarly there are a few fun side-diversions, such as Kammerer's midwife toad.Bowler also highlights other key figures such as paleontologist Georges Cuvier and "Darwin's bulldog" Thomas Huxley. I would have like more history of how the general public accepted the idea, perhaps by tracing the teaching in schools or textbooks.Readers of this might also enjoy Dawkins "The Blind Watchmaker".

For those with serious interest in "the history of an idea"
Peter Bowler is an Irish historian of science who is known for his studies of evolution as an "-ism".This is undoubtedly his magnum opus and is one of the best introductory texts on this subject available.But,a word of caution- reviews on this website are full of superlatives.Manybooks are advertised by reader-critics shouting "everyone should readthis book!"Setting aside the obvious absurdity of that statement, Iwill state quite clearly that this book is not for everyone.With notesand index, it comes to 432 pages, and, as Bowler himself notes in thepreface, it is intended for undergraduate students or as a survey text forthe specialist.That having been said, his prose is approachable and onedoes not need to have a background in history or science to follow theargument.

Also, unlike many other texts on this subject, Bowler does notdescend into triumphalist or other such ideologies that remove science fromits own social context.In the words of the author, "Finally, we mustlook more closely at the problems the historian faces as he tries to chartthe rise of scientific evolutionism.In particular, these problems arisefrom the normal view of science as an objective search for knowledge andthe suspicions of many critics that scientific theories are themselvesvalue-laden contributions to philosophical and ideological debates"(Bowler, pg.4).He does an excellent job of explaining not only thetheories and their evidence but does so by relating them to their ownsocial and historical context.His analysis is also distinguished frommany of its predescessors (and descendents, unfortunately) by its breadthand scope.Bowler does not confine his study to the merely biological, butbegins at the beginning with geology and early modern ideas of nature andchange, or more appropriately, the lack thereof.Furthermore, he bringsthe reader up to the date of publication with a healthy discussion of thecurrent debates, which once again stresses the idea of"evolution" as an "evolving" concept.

Thus, this bookis for the novice, whether intially hostile to the concept of commondescent through natural selection or not, who wants a comprehensive andscholarly introduction to the material.Note that this is a history text,however, and not science.This book is also for the biologist who findsherself caught in the throes of "biology as ideology," and wishesto read a scholarly text testing science's absolute claim to truth. ... Read more

Product Description
Studies man in view of what he may become. Describes how a man must work simultaneously on his knowledge and his being to find inner unity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

The best of P.D Ouspensky
The book itself arrived in pristine condition.
This is an introduction to the "Fourth Way"

The Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution
This book changed my life. If you understand the condition of human life, you never want to be where you are now. Just get one and read it!!

excellent book
This book is an excellent summery of the teachings of "The Fourth Way". I would recommend it highly for anyone interested in starting "the work". It is very readable, unlike some translations of Gurdjieff's books and appeals to the serious student who is more inclined to understand with the intellectual center as opposed to emotional center.

Best Introduction to the Fourth Way
The "Fourth Way" is a term given by Gurdjieff for a special spiritual path to practiced in the world, in ordinary human society, which is not one of the three traditional ways of the fakir (yogi), monk (bhakti), or philosopher (jnana yoga), which roughly correspond to physical, emotional, and mental paths.According to these teachings, the Fourth Way is a path of energy and consciousness where a person can generate an evolutionary energy called "Do 48" through a meditation practice called "self remembering" more deliberately, rapidly, and efficiently than the other paths, which have to work harder to produce a small amount of this energy in a more indirect way.This book is based on a series of introductory lectures that Ouspensky gave in London and in other places.These lectures inspired many people in London to form a group there, many of them part of the "intelligensia" of the area, including Orage, Maurice Nicole, Kenneth Walker, and others.Many of the ideas of the Fourth Way did influence the formation of many branches of western psychology and even brain research.Gurdjieff taught, for instance, that humans were "three brained beings" and this idea became the basis of the research into the R-complex (reptilian brain), Limbic system (mammalian emotional brain), and cortex (intellectual human brain) of Restak and Macclain.Gurdjieff also made other scientific assertions that were later verified by western science.The Fourth Way is a variation of Sufi teaching that was related to the Sarmoun community.In Gurdjieff's own writings, he mentions several of his teachers.The books by Ouspensky, IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS and THE FOURTH WAY are a good systematic presentation of the teachings Gurdjieff left behind.Ouspenky had a very good memory and the accounts in the book IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS do give a flavor of how Gurdjieff taught.However, both IN SEARCH and THE FOURTH WAY are very thick books with highly condensed material which presents a fairly complete system of spiritual growth.The only essential part of the work that seems lacking in these books is the sacred dances that Gurdjieff felt were needed to create the functional fusion of the inner centers which was necessary for a more permanent state of awakened consciousness.These dances are rarely detailed in books, because this medium had not been felt adequate to properly teach them.Only in the last ten years or so have videos of those dances come out which give a feeling for this part of the Gurdjieff work.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MAN'S POSSIBLE EVOLUTION by Ouspensky is a brilliant condensation and introduction to the core ideas of the Fourth Way and presented in such a manner that I feel a person could verify the validity of most these ideas in their own immediate experience.It is a less intimidating way of entering into the whole system of Fourth Way teachings and one that does not lose sight of the practical day to day part of how we can grow into objective consciousness.

I suspect that some negative reviews of the books by Ouspensky and even Gurdjieff come from a dogmatic cult flavor behind many of the groups who practice the system.Some of the groups that me and some of my friends have encountered, indeed, do not seem healthy or balanced.One person I met worked with a teacher who did eventually commit suicide.I think part of this has to do with the writings of Ouspensky having a pessimistic flavor, teaching that man cannot 'do', and making the effort awaken feel so difficult that it is easy to get discouraged.Maurice Nicole, a student of both Gurdjieff and Ouspensky, does not have this pessimistic flavor and even held a vision that all humans might fully awaken, while Ouspensky felt only a few could "escape" mechanical human life.Gurdjieff was more optimistic as well, and mentions a blueprint for healing this world in his writings called BEELEZEBUB'S TALES where a Saint develops an initiation system that spreads across the planet until thwarted by another being.Although it seems to be talking about a past saint, Gurdjieff did confide to John Bennett that he was really talking about a possible future and that the opposition was more of a warning about what could go wrong.

While I would caution anyone about joining a Fourth Way group and would recommend that they steer clear of any group that has an authoritarian dogmatic flavor (whether Fourth Way or not), I feel the ideas of the Fourth Way are valuable and I feel worth practicing for a length of time to see what happens.THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MAN'S POSSIBLE EVOLUTON is a good place to start, to see if one has an affinity to the ideas.I had a time with this work and found the insights and growth I gained through work with this system very valuable.My preference, though, is to work with Buddhist teachings and Buddhist meditation practice.I feel the Buddhist inquiry into the illusory sense of self is a valuable remedy to "crystallizing a false sense of self" that the Fourth Way has a danger of creating as well as the Mahayana emphasis on compassion being an antidote to the danger of the work becoming overly intellectual.

Very well laid out introduction to the 4'th Way
This is a great little book that offers a surprising amount of insight into the spiriual path. The book is written before Ouspensky published his book In Search of the Miraculous, which goes into much more detail, but this book has so many little gems that it is worth every penny spent. To me Ouspensky is more accessible than reading Gurdjieff directly and gives a very good overview of the 4'th way teaching. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Wide Spectrum of Views
Although I don't agree with everything, this book was helpful because the author presented a wide spectrum of views, showing that there isn't just ONE Christian view of evolution (pages 40-41= chartt of various views and their positions).The remainder of the book discusses these positions,the evidence and problems inherent in each view.Hopefully, it will help people who reject evolution (as I did for many years until last year)to see that evolutionary views are a lot broader than what we think, that not all views are contradictory to Scripture, and that people can truly love Jesus and yet accept evolution.It also helps us to think through seeming contradictions, and not be so quick to discard ideas.It was interesting to compare this to Richard Colling's book "Random Designer" and Francis Collins book "The Language of God."I think I am more in agreement with those two than I am with this one, but I appreciated Lamoureux's presentation of a wide spectrum, and his honest effort to harmonize it all.

Great framework for Christians who accept evolution
This is a followon book to his Evolutionary Creation.It has a shortened sections from the former and some new material at the end; so if you want his latest ideas, you need this book.

His framework is excellent even if I have some quibbles about some of his Bible exegesis and some of his science.

Evolutionary Creationism
Excellent author with great scientific and theologian talent. Ahead of most conservative theologians.Answers questions that are often asked but not given adequate response in churches.Put on Kindle

Practical Guidance for Reconciling Evolution with Christianity
This book is a condensed (184 pages vs. 493 pages) and much more affordable version of Lamoureux's 2008 book, Evolutionary Creation: A Christian Approach to Evolution.My detailed review of that book is available at http://www.douglasjacoby.com/view_article.php?ID=5948.Because it is more concise, this new book is much more accessible to its target audience; namely, conservative Christians who are wrestling with the Creation/Evolution controversy.I believe it fills a much needed gap in the popular literature aimed at the same audience.Specifically, I believe it delivers the hermeneutical guidance that is lacking in most of the other books addressing evolution from a Christian perspective.

I could personally relate to the "journey" that the author and many other conservative Christians have made in wrestling with the creation/evolution controversy.I abandoned the "young earth creationist" position in the 1980's after observing evidence I considered conclusive regarding the age of the earth and the universe.For Christians who may still be pondering that issue, I believe The Bible, Rocks and Time: Geological Evidence for the Age of the Earth is probably the definitive text for reconciling scripture with an "Old Earth" (4.5+/- billion years).For over twenty years, I embraced "Progressive (Old Earth) Creationism".I did not consider evolution to be compatible with the Christian faith.As a result, I never seriously considered the possibility that secular authors might actually be right about evolution.It was not until I read The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief by Francis Collins that I encountered what I considered to be conclusive evidence for Common Descent.The fact that Collins was writing from a Christian perspective made this realization somewhat less traumatic.I read several other books by Christian authors such as Coming to Peace With Science: Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology by Darrel Falk, Random Designer: Created from Chaos to Connect with the Creator by Richard Colling, etc.These only served to solidify the reality of evolution in my mind.There have been a number of books like these that I believe have been very helpful in demonstrating the evidence for evolution in a manner that is sensitive to Christian concerns.Yet I don't believe there are many books that practically guide conservative Christians as to how they can reconcile acknowledgement of evolution with their convictions about the message of the Bible.Gordon Glover's book, Beyond the Firmament: Understanding Science and the Theology of Creation provides an excellent start to this task, but even he acknowledges in his review of Evolutionary Creation (see http://www.blog.beyondthefirmament.com/2008/12/06/lamoureuxs-evolutionary-creation/) that Lamoureux takes the hermeneutical issue to a much deeper level.In I Love Jesus & I Accept Evolution , Lamoureux addresses the key issues in a much more concise manner.The significance of this is that he provides practical direction as to how conservative Christians can retain their evangelical convictions while maintaining their integrity with regard to the "Book of God's Works" (nature) and the "Book of God's Words" (scripture).In view of the overwhelming evidence for evolution, coupled with the relative scarcity of credible books addressing the hermeneutical issues that are relevant to the creation/evolution controversy, I consider this book to be a very valuable resource for the conservative Christian community.I can't recommend it highly enough!

A condensed version of his "Evolutionary Creation: A Christian Approach to Evolution"
In this book, Denis Lamoureux presents a shorter version of his belief that evolution and evangelical Christianity are compatible. It is based on: (1) God's dual revelation of Himself in two divine books, the Book of God's Words (the Bible) and the Book of God's Works (the natural world), (2) the failure of scientific concordism (which states that the Bible's statements about science are always accurate), and (3) the hermeneutical principle of accommodation (God condescends to reveal Himself in ways that human beings can understand). This leads Denis Lamoureux to the conclusion that the events recorded in Genesis 1-3 never literally happened. The rest of his book makes a biblical case for this conclusion.

In his discussion of the term 'evolution,' he gives a very general definition, without even mentioning descent with modification by means of mutation and natural selection. He wants to apply the term evolution to cosmology and geology as well as to biology. This makes it easier to argue that biological evolution is just another natural process that God used to create the current universe. However, this increases the confusion over the term 'evolution.' On the other hand, his discussion of the term 'creation' is excellent.

He presents "three basic models for the manifestation of both the Image of God and human sin during the evolutionary process" and embraces gradual polygenism, which asserts that the Image of god and human sinfulness were gradually and mysteriously manifested across many generations of evolving ancestors. He then presents four arguments for moving beyond the sin-death problem with a new approach to Romans 5 & 8 and 1 Corinthians 15. He argues that "these passages in the Word of God do not reveal HOW sin entered the world, but THAT we are sinners in need of a Savior, whom God has graciously sent to die on the Cross for us."

This book is probably best suited for Old Earth/Progressive Creationists who are struggling with integrating biological evolution into their theological belief system. It would be quite a leap for Young Earth Creationists to take all at once.Let them get used to the idea of an old earth first. Then convince them that biological evolution happened. Then give them a copy of either one of Denis Lamoureux's books.

... Read more

Product Description
Brain evolution is a complex weave of species similarities and differences, bound by diverse rules or principles. This book is a detailed examination of these principles, using data from a wide array of vertebrates but minimizing technical details and terminology. It is written for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and more senior scientists who already know something about "the brain," but want a deeper understanding of how diverse brains evolved.

The book opens with a brief history of evolutionary neuroscience, then introduces the various groups of vertebrates and their major brain regions. The core of the text explores: what aspects of brain organization are conserved across the vertebrates; how brains and bodies changed in size as vertebrates evolved; how individual brain regions tend to increase or decrease in size; how regions can become structurally more (or less) complex; and how neuronal circuitry evolves. A central theme emerges from these chapters—that evolutionary changes in brain size tend to correlate with many other aspects of brain structure and function, including the proportional size of individual brain regions, their complexity, and their neuronal connections. To explain these correlations, the book delves into rules of brain development and asks how changes in brain structure impact function and behavior. The two penultimate chapters demonstrate the application of these rules, focusing on how mammal brains diverged from other brains and how Homo sapiens evolved a very large and "special" brain. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

careful, scholarly review
This is an excellent introduction to the field of vertebrate brain evolution for someone without much of a background in neuroscience or evolutionary science. The author critically reviews what is known about brain evolution from the perspective of trying to enunciate underlying "laws" governing how the vertebrate brain evolves. He is careful to point out the limitations of this approach, but nonetheless makes a reasonably good case for the existence of some overarching principles which can be used to guide progress in this still emerging field. These include "big is well-connected" and "late is large". The author proposes that much of brain evolution is driven by absolute as opposed to relative brain size, and that absolute brain size has not received the attention it deserves in this regard. The book is well-organized and the author's arguments are cogent, well-supported, properly qualified, and easy to follow, with numerous excellent figures and diagrams. The author is extremely well versed in the primary literature and is not afraid to point out what is not known or poorly understood, and where further research is needed. The reader finishes with a good sense of the current state of the field and the directions it may be heading. After reading this book I came away with a better understanding of how the human brain differs from the brains of other vertebrates, how it developed, and how it endows us with our human abilities and liabilities. Five stars.

An Excellent Resource for Understanding Brain Evolution
Prof. Georg F. Striedter has done a superb and comprehensive job of summarizing an incredibly complex subject (brain evolution).One can detect his enthusiasm for and delight in his subject matter, qualities that make this serious work enjoyable to read.

His writing is exceptionally clear and, for the most part, accessible to the non-expert. The only thing that would have been helpful to have in addition would have been a glossary of some of the technical terms (though with Wikipedia and a good dictionary, this is not a serious problem). The bibliography and the index are detailed and thorough.

I highly recommend this book.

Not a single "law" but a medley of casual principles...
An intelligent and compelling study by Prof. George Striedter "Principles of Brain Evolution" offers a reader an inspiring expedition through the main landmarks and principles of brain evolution and development. Full of fascinating insights and turbulent ideas, this volume may serve also as an excellent guide through the concepts and hypothesis of the brain's natural history, which raised and fell under the test of questing minds along centuries.

excellent overview
this i a very good overview of a very interesting field. I highly recommend this book ... Read more

Product Description

Though we have other distinguishing characteristics (walking on two legs, for instance, and relative hairlessness), the brain and the behavior it produces are what truly set us apart from the other apes and primates. And how this three-pound organ composed of water, fat, and protein turned a mammal species into the dominant animal on earth today is the story John S. Allen seeks to tell.

Adopting what he calls a “bottom-up” approach to the evolution of human behavior, Allen considers the brain as a biological organ; a collection of genes, cells, and tissues that grows, eats, and ages, and is subject to the direct effects of natural selection and the phylogenetic constraints of its ancestry. An exploration of the evolution of this critical organ based on recent work in paleo­anthropology, brain anatomy and neuroimaging, molecular genetics, life history theory, and related fields, his book shows us the brain as a product of the contexts in which it evolved: phylogenetic, somatic, genetic, ecological, demographic, and ultimately, cultural-linguistic. Throughout, Allen focuses on the foundations of brain evolution rather than the evolution of behavior or cognition. This perspective demonstrates how, just as some aspects of our behavior emerge in unexpected ways from the development of certain cognitive capacities, a more nuanced understanding of behavioral evolution might develop from a clearer picture of brain evolution.

Product Description
In this book, Kate Distin proposes a theory of cultural evolution and shows how it can help us to understand the origin and development of human culture. Distin introduces the concept that humans share information not only in natural languages, which are spoken or signed, but also in artefactual languages like writing and musical notation, which use media that are made by humans. Languages enable humans to receive and transmit variations in cultural information and resources. In this way, they provide the mechanism for cultural evolution. The human capacity for metarepresentation - thinking about how we think - accelerates cultural evolution, because it frees cultural information from the conceptual limitations of each individual language. Distin shows how the concept of cultural evolution outlined in this book can help us to understand the complexity and diversity of human culture, relating her theory to a range of subjects including economics, linguistics, and developmental biology. ... Read more

Product Description
Dogs occupy a special position in human society. They were probably the first animal species to become domesticated, but their relationship with humans has always been ambivalent. Dogs form strong attachments to humans, even in the face of rejection and punishment, voluntarily allying themselves to us as faithful companions, uncomplaining child-substitutes, enduring workers, and excellent hunters and guards. Yet they are also reviled as vicious killers, unclean scavengers and outcasts. In this book, the many facets of dog behavior are set in the context of the dog's place in our society.Based on firm scientific research, the book dispells many myths and stereotypes about our canine friends, and it will be the definitive reference work on dog behavior for many years to come. Dog-lovers with an interest in understanding how and why dogs behave as they do will find this fascinating reading. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Expert Treatise Worthy of Review by Experts & Attorneys
I particularly recommend this book for it's Chapter 9: Lockwood, Randall, The ethology and epidemiology of canine aggression.

For those experts and attorneys looking for detailed information regarding dangerous dog law and breed specific legislation (BSL), Lockwood's article provides subtle but direct information regarding the unique dangers presented by pit bulls that provide a rational relationship to their regulation or prohibition.

This article has been reviewed and cited by experts in the field of animal behavior as being relevant to this issue, and I found Lockwood's analysis of "fighting dogs" (read 'pit bulls') to be an objective analysis of the problem, one that is not readily acceptable to the "politically correct" members of most organizations opposed to BSL.

For any governmental official, administrator, or attorney, you HAVE to read this article before making a decision on BSL.Don't get blindsided by the irrelevant issues toward propensity to bite/attack, but examine the potential for severe injury or fatal maulings from these dangerous unique behaviors by pit bulls.

I am a municipal government attorney involved in litigation over BSL, so I've worked with copies of the article from the old hardcover publication - now I'm buying my own copy of the paperback version.

Kory Nelson, Esq.
Asst City Attorney
Denver CO

A Serious Must for Serious Dog People
First published in 1995, nothing else as comprehensive and as carefully researched on canine behavior and development has been published.For the general reader, the writing style may be a bit dry; however, because each chapter has different authors, the writing style, while basically academic and fact driven, varies.

Any serious dog breeders, trainers, or owners will find themselves returning to certain chapters over and over again. Breeders and even new puppy owners would benefit from the chapter by Serpell and Jagoe on "Early experience and the development of behaviour," which updates the standard beliefs about puppy development resulting from the Bar Harbor experiments of over 50 years ago.

Excellent book!

The Domestic Dog, James Serpell (Ed.)
For those people hungry for scientific literature on dogs and curious about what other references there are on particular dog topics, this is a must read/must have text; almost every chapter serves as a review of the scientific literature on that topic. Those who don't care for reading anything drier than James Herriot's "All Creatures Great & Small" should avoid it.

The book is probably used as a text for graduate students and upper division majors in ethology, comparative psychology, zoology, etc.It was published early in 1996 so the information is current as of that date. The book is in its 5th printing so some professors must share my judgment of it.Let's hope that by 2005 there's a revised edition including and evaluating recent work.

It has 17 chapters written (or co-written) by 21 specialists in their fields -- British, American, Italian -- (after an introduction) divided into 3 major divisions: I. Domestication & evolution (2 chapters) ; II. Behaviour & behaviour problems (8 ch.s); III. Human-dog interactions (6 ch.s).The chapters provide an excellent summary and the key references to the area discussed.A few chapters have a definite British flavor but American readers will be able to transpose when needed.

Dog breeders (& many owners) may be especially interested in the chapters dealing with what's known about heritability of traits, temperament, etc., as well as the role of early experience on later behaviors, disorders, etc.

A few chapters are filled with research results in tables and graphs. One is dense with specialist jargon. But all are readable if you're interested in learning what the applicable sciences know and do not know about the dog. All chapters have information I found important and to some, I'll refer back to many times.

Academic, researched, impartial book on dogs.
Does it seem that retail book stores stock dog books that appear opinion-based and poorly referenced or researched?The early chapters of The Domestic Dog concerning evolution may be a little bit factual and historically oriented (read: a tad dry) but presents an excellent understanding of how dogs came into contact with humans and the resulting reliance and interations.The book, in part, looks at areas of canus familiarus and human interaction from both a biological, survival necessity to what kind of kennel should be considered based on breed selection.There are many discussions on topics not normally covered in commercial or general appeal dog books that will compliment, inform and provide insight into otherwise unknown or insufficiently covered areas about dogs.Areas of new information include (but is not limited to): pack hierarchy, dog development and growth, dog psychology and others.It is one dog book I can rely on for its research, reference material and impartial analyses into breed types.It has helped me learn more about dogs than previously possible in other purported books based on fact.I do believe that one must be more interested in dogs than just a casual manner (i.e.: one must really want to get into the nuts and bolts) to enjoy and finish this book.

Excellent book, suitable for both researcher and dog lover
This book is packed with easily understandable, concise information. Whether you are a behaviorist or simply a dog lover, this is a must have. ... Read more

Product Description
"Fascinating, imaginative, and stimulating, The Ghosts of Evolution is a wonderful piece of writing--well worth reading by anyone interested in nature and its myriad components." --Michael J. Balick, The New York Botanical Garden.

A new vision is sweeping through ecological science: The dense web of dependencies that makes up an ecosystem has gained an added dimension--the dimension of time. Every field, forest, and park is full of living organisms adapted for relationships with creatures that are now extinct. In a vivid narrative, Connie Barlow shows how the idea of "missing partners" in nature evolved from isolated, curious examples into an idea that is transforming how ecologists understand the entire flora and fauna of the Americas. This fascinating book will enrich the experience of any amateur naturalist, as well as teach us that the ripples of biodiversity loss around us are just the leading edge of what may well become perilous cascades of extinction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

An awesome book!
This book does a great job of explaining the history of many of our common plants and foods, and why they are what they are. It's a great tool for helping us understand how foods have co-evolved with us and with other species. The story is basic to our understanding of the whole web of life. It's an awesome and extremely understandable and fascinating book. Buy it!

Ghosts, ghosts, hauntings, ghosts . . . what?
Anachronistic fruiting structures and their traditional, but unfortunately extinct, dispersers makes for a fascinating scientific/natural history topic. Unfortunately, it was Ms. Barlow who tackled this one and in the first 13 pages has made more references to 'ghosts' and 'haunted groves' than my scientific stomach can retain. To be fair, the first chapter is entitled 'Ghost Stories' - what should I have expected?! If I'd read the Table of Contents and skimmed its content, I probably would have recognized the work for what it seems to be - a knock-off parasite of the scholarly paper-back book genre. Who the hell are the Perseus Book Group anyway -- certainly not Harvard Press!

The Ghosts of Evolution
The Ghosts of Evolution is based on some very interesting observations, and the science cited is worth looking into. I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone who is seriously interested in evolutionary theory.
On the downside the book does suffer from the fact that, while the idea is intriguing, it has been spread to thin. It is too long, and too chatty, nevertheless, the basic contention proposed in the book is fascinating enough to make it worth reading

Who mourns for the mastodons?
"The tusks that clashed in mighty brawls
Of mastodons, are billiard balls..."
--from a poem by Arthur Guiterman

The exciting idea in this book is that there are trees that "lament" the passing of the mastodons and the other extinct megafauna that once distributed their seeds.What animal now regularly eats the avocado whole, swallows the seed and excretes it far from the tree in a steamy, nourishing pile of dung?No such animal exists in the Western Hemisphere to which the avocado is native.(Barlow reports that elephants in Africa, where the avocado has been introduced, eat the avocado and do indeed excrete its pit whole.)

How about the mango with its pulp that adheres so tightly to the rather large pit?As Barlow surmises, such fruits were "designed" for mutualists that would take the fruit whole and let the pit pass through their digestive systems to emerge intact for germination away from the mother tree.Note that the avocado pit is not only too large to pass comfortably through the digestive system of any current native animal of the Americas, but is also highly toxic so that such an animal would have quickly learned not to chew it.Note too that the mango pit is extremely hard, thus encouraging a large animal to swallow it along with the closely adhering pulp rather than try to chew it or spit it out.Consider also the papaya.The fruit are large and soft so that a large animal could easily take one into its mouth and just mash it lightly and swallow.Note too that the fruits of the papaya tree grow not high in the tree, nor is the tree a low lying bush.Instead the tree is taller than a bush but its fruits are clustered at a height supermarket convenient for a large animal to pluck.

Barlow considers a number of other trees, the honey locust and the osage orange, for example, as examples of ecological anachronisms, trees that have out-lived their mutualists and consequently must form new partnerships with other seed distributors or face extinction.For those trees that have pleased humans, the avocado, the mango, the papaya, etc., there is no immediate danger, but some other trees are at the edge of extinction.Their fruits fall to the ground and stay there until they rot.New trees grow only down hill when an occasional flood of water moves their fruit to a new location.

Barlow also sees ghosts from the Mesozoic era.She writes, "Ghosts of dinosaurs are easy to conjure in October and November wherever city landscapers planted ginkgo trees...even when I forget to look for the ghosts of dinosaurs my nose alerts me to their presence.Only a carrion eater could find the odor of fallen ginkgo fruit appealing.Before beginning this book, I wrongly blamed the alcoholic homeless for the vomitlike stench in Washington Square Park." (p. 12)

In short this book is about those trees--anachronisms--have been without their mutualists since the mass extinction of the megafauna of the Western Hemisphere that took place about 13,000 years ago.It is a popular expansion on some original work done by ethnologist Daniel H. Janzen and paleontologist Paul S. Martin, their seminal paper appearing in the journal Science in 1982.Connie Barlow's prose is not only very readable, but is full of the excitement of scientific discovery, vivid and concrete, and packed with an amazing amount of information so that not only the trees described, but the giant sloths, mastodons and mammoths--the ghosts of harvests past--come alive on the pages.

What Barlow does more than anything is open our eyes to the ecological nature of fruit and the relationships that exist between trees and the animals that eat the fruit.We learn how color, taste, aroma, texture, nutritional value, toughness of rind, size, shape, number of seeds and how they are encased, etc.--how all these qualities of fruit have evolved to entice the animals that will faithfully distribute the seeds, but also how some qualities discourage other animals, "pulp thieves" or "seed predators," that benefit from the food provided by the tree, but do not help in its propagation.

The story of the desert gourd was of particular interest to me because during many walks in the chaparral and deserts of California I have come across this vine with its hard, dry and unattractive gourds that were never picked or eaten.Barlow theorizes that the plant is also an anachronism, and that there did exist in the past animals that found the gourds, if not delicious, at least palatable.

Another curious anachronism reported on is the devil's claw of the Chihuahuan desert of Mexico.This plant produces a most amazing apparatus that wraps itself around an animal's foot and claw-like clings to the animal, dribbling its seeds to the ground as the animal moves.There is a photo of the claw on page 151 wrapped around a human ankle.Incidentally, the text is enhanced by a number of interesting black and white photos of the trees and their fruits.

This is one of the most interesting and original books on evolution that I have read in recent years, and one of the most informative.

Seeking seed spreaders
Follow Connie Barlow's lead.Next time you're at the grocery, spend some time in the fruits and veggie section.Pick up an avocado, hefting it in your hand.You can feel the weight of that huge seed within.Compare it with the nearby oranges or apples.Mum warned you not to swallow the seeds when you were a child, remember?Trees would sprout in your tummy.No worries about trying to swallow that avocado seed, is there?While you're squeezing that avocado, think back on autumn skies sparkling with maple or sycamore seeds fluttering in the chill winds.Why the absurd difference in size?Is it important?

Connie Barlow thinks these differences are very important.As she reminds us, all those fruits have been around since long before humans confined them to orchards.Winged maple seeds can flit about on the mildest breeze.The avocado, however, clearly needs a little help finding a sprouting site.Before orchardists, who was there to help it reach one?Trees don't like to just drop seeds and hope for the best.Too many seeds in one place results in choking thicket or a sunlight-blocking canopy.The key is dispersal.Leave home, kids, and start life somewhere else.But a rock-sized hunk like an avocado or a honey locust needs a lift.Who gave ancient avocados a ride to a new home?

According to Paul Martin and David Janzen, the carriers were animals who don't exist any more.Barlow follows this pair of researchers who began a new scientific quest by wondering why jungle fruit was rotting under Costa Rican trees.All life struggles to continue through succeeding generations, and lying on the ground covered in fuzz doesn't bode success.Janzen thought there was something missing - an animal that might have conveyed the fruit elsewhere to launch the new generation.As they studied the problem, according to Barlow, they concluded that many fruits and their seeds are living on borrowed time.The animals that helped disseminate seeds for many trees are long extinct.

Barlow belongs at the head of the class for understanding and explaining how evolution works.She shows there's more to the story than tracing single lineages with subtle adjustments in limb, leaf, or mass.Plant life has coevolved with animal species.In developing defenses against animals eating their foliage, plants also needed allies to spread new sprouts.Some seeds travelled with thorns, but others were oversized for that means.Big seeds had to be swallowed, some to be passed intact with dung, but others to initiate the germination process within the gut before passage.All these mechanisms are specific, but the loss of partners have left many tree species vulnerable.Some have "second string" dispersers, but these may not be adequate.

Barlow guides us around the planet and through time, introducing us to trees, their fruits and their likely seed dispersing partners.She reminds us that North America evolved the horse, the camel and a variety of other animals that are either missing or were re-introduced.In those days, the American camel had two sets of incisor teeth.Current Old World camels have a lower set and a hard plate above.New Zealand had no large mammals.Who conveyed the seeds of fifty four species of divaricate plants around the islands?Probably the eleven extinct species of moa native to the islands.Why do some trees around the world have thorns that cease growing above a certain height?There used to be taller animals that could reach the fruits convey them away.Why did the digestive tracts of horses and cows evolve differently?They both eat grass.Barlow examines these and other questions with exquisite style, showing where the evidence shows well and where further work is required.And there is plenty for the young researcher to consider following.

If the findings of the past weren't surprising enough, Barlow's proposals for the future will leave many astounded.Especially farmers and ranchers.Elephants on the Prairies?Camels in Utah [they were there once, why not again?]Hand planted trees where the natural dispersers have disappeared?These are serious questions, because extinction isn't an isolated event.Barlow points out the "cascade effect" engendered by all extinctions.There are manyimportant reasons to read this book.It may amaze you, but be reassured you will not be bored. ... Read more

Product Description

In this sweeping exploration of the relatively recent obesity epidemic, Michael L. Power and Jay Schulkin probe evolutionary biology, history, physiology, and medical science to uncover the causes of our growing girth. The unexpected answer? Our own evolutionary success.

For most of the past few million years, our evolutionary ancestors' survival depended on being able to consume as much as possible when food was available and to store the excess energy for periods when it was scarce. In the developed world today, high-calorie foods are readily obtainable, yet the propensity to store fat is part of our species' heritage, leaving an increasing number of the world's people vulnerable to obesity. In an environment of abundant food, we are anatomically, physiologically, metabolically, and behaviorally programmed in a way that makes it difficult for us to avoid gaining weight.

Power and Schulkin's engagingly argued book draws on popular examples and sound science to explain our expanding waistlines and to discuss the consequences of being overweight for different demographic groups. They review the various studies of human and animal fat use and storage, including those that examine fat deposition and metabolism in men and women; chronicle cultural differences in food procurement, preparation, and consumption; and consider the influence of sedentary occupations and lifestyles.

A compelling and comprehensive examination of the causes and consequences of the obesity epidemic, The Evolution of Obesity offers fascinating insights into the question, Why are we getting fatter?

Product Description
The first comprehensive synthesis on development and evolution: it applies to all aspects of development, at all levels of organization and in all organisms, taking advantage of modern findings on behavior, genetics, endocrinology, molecular biology, evolutionary theory and phylogenetics to show the connections between developmental mechanisms and evolutionary change. This book solves key problems that have impeded a definitive synthesis in the past. It uses new concepts and specific examples to show how to relate environmentally sensitive development to the genetic theory of adaptive evolution andto explain major patterns of change. In this book development includes not only embryology and the ontogeny of morphology, sometimes portrayed inadequately as governed by "regulatory genes," but also behavioral development and physiological adaptation, where plasticity is mediated by genetically complex mechanisms like hormones and learning. The book shows how the universal qualities of phenotypes--modular organization and plasticity--facilitate both integration and change. Here you will learn why it is wrong to describe organisms as genetically programmed; why environmental induction is likely to be more important in evolution than random mutation; and why it is crucial to consider both selection and developmental mechanism in explanations of adaptive evolution. This book satisfies the need for a truly general book on development, plasticity and evolution that applies to living organisms in all of their life stages and environments. Using an immense compendium of examples on many kinds of organisms, from viruses and bacteria to higher plants and animals, it shows how the phenotype is reorganized during evolution to produce novelties, and how alternative phenotypes occupy a pivotal role as a phase of evolution that fosters diversification and speeds change. The arguments of this book call for a new view of the major themes of evolutionary biology, as shown in chapters on gradualism, homology, environmental induction, speciation, radiation, macroevolution, punctuation, and the maintenance of sex. No other treatment of development and evolution since Darwin'soffers such a comprehensive and critical discussion of the relevant issues. Developmental Plasticity and Evolution is designed for biologists interested in the development and evolution of behavior, life-history patterns, ecology, physiology, morphology and speciation. It will also appeal to evolutionary paleontologists, anthropologists,psychologists, and teachers of general biology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Not a productive tome.
West-Eberhard has produced a 794 page tome that chokes the brain and deadens the senses. On the reverse cover, it asks a question about the picture on the cover, and refers to a chapter for the answer. As far as I can see, the question is never addressed.

This reveals two of the books problems. First, its grandiose aspirations, to be a new 'Modern Synthesis,' and to bring developmental biology into the fold, are never backed with a strength of data and arguments that equal her claims. Secondly, the book is a morass of arguments, constantly pointing to other parts of the book. I started drawing little circle around each time we were referred to another chapter, but I quickly stopped as my pages became tangled messes of circles.

The writing is murky at best, and the reader learns to treasure moments of lucidity, as they are long in coming. The structure often seems backwards, confusing, and generally awkward. This tome is in dire need of a biologically educated editor. Her tone is often confrontational and bullying towards other authors.

Technically speaking, her ideas within are vague, and while she lays out a clear path for phenotypic plasticity leading evolution, the reader quickly realizes her definitions of concepts like 'Phenotype' are so nebulous and removed from what any other average biologist uses that to argue against is to try and staple Jell-O to your roof. At times, she attempts to have things in two different ways - arguing phylogenetic inertia isn't a relevant or especially frequent, but also wanting traits to remain perfect and unexpressed for absurd periods of time.

The mathematical treatment of the subject in this book is non-existent. This is almost unforgivable, in a topic that clearly needs a mathematical treatment to establish its true importance in any given system beyond the examples given. Its testable predictions are rare in coming, often muddied in content, and frequently overlap with predictions made by alternate competing hypothesis. Those looking for a research programme had best look elsewhere. It definitely has not, and will not, sway any sceptics.

Its sole, redeeming quality is that it aggressively challenges the readers pre-existing notions of evolution, and forces the reader to reconsider long-held notions. But for those of us with limited time, a more succinct volume could accomplish the same introspection.

One of the important books no one reads
There seems to be a consensus in evolutionary biology that this is an important book representing a major advance in our understanding.However, most of the biologists saying this haven't read the book; or have, perhaps, skimmed a chapter or two.The reason for this is simple:this book is far too long, far too dense, and far too abstruse.There is a lot of potential here; rewritten as a 150-200 page book with a good editor, it could have been an excellent and influential book.At 640 pages of text with constant grammatical & spelling errors (Lamarck only has his "c" about half the time) and writing that is, even by academic standards, hopelessly tangled, this is bound to be only an excellent decoration for the academic bookshelf.

Nonetheless, for those willing to take the long slog through there really is a lot of value here.There are just so many more enjoyable ways to spend one's time...

OK but who's going to read this ?
I have a PhD in biochemistry (meaning I can understand a reasonable amount of jargon) and hoped that with this book I'd be able to understand what modern developmental biology (in particular developmental genetics, "evo-devo", etc.) is about, but this book bored me to death.There is no continuum, no logical progression in the teaching.When you reach the end of a chapter you've forgotten what it was about.I admire the central concept and the work but, frankly, as a book it's completely missed.It is not a textbook, it is not a popularization book, it's a 600+pages small print dissertation.Who wants to read that ?Who has the time to go to the library and check the details of any of the hundreds of referenced articles (all of them are treated only superficially) ? Not students, not professional scientists (their time would be better spent reading review articles), not laypersons.Who then ?

New ways of thinking about Biology
I think that Mary Jane West-Eberhard is trying to formulate a new Shyntesis in Biology, she is trying to include Development in Neo-Darwinism. Her book makes the difference in the role that gives to phenotype, every biologist needs to read it to express his/her own opinions. Really deserves to be read.

jump starting a revolutiion
Darwin developed his theory of evolution without knowing much about the mechanisms of heredity. These mechanisms were rediscovered in the 1900's as part of the science of genetics. By the 1930's a school of evolutionary thinkers came to the realization that Darwin's theory could be further developed by recasting it in terms of population genetics. The resulting synthetic theory of evolution has ruled mainstream biology ever since. But genetics has not stood still in the meantime. The rise of molecular biology has made possible a new discipline, evo-devo which seeks to explain how the genes control development. Evo-devo has developed a new approach to evolution. While the synthetic theory tended to see evolution as a matter of the loss of old genes within a population or the fixation of new ones, evo-devo has found that large parts of the genome are conserved over vast periods of time and shared by widely divergent phyla. Evolution has produced diversity by modifying the mechanisms which control the expression of these ancient genes. New ideas are now required to explain how this kind of diversity evolves. West-Eberhard proposes that genetic control mechanisms can be exposed to selection by the phenotypic adaptation of organisms to new kinds of environmemt. This phenotypic adaptation ultimately drives evolution. The germ of this idea had been put forward by J. Baldwim more than one hundred years ago but neither Baldwin or anybody else knew about evo-devo and the idea had little influence. Now its time may have come.
... Read more

Product Description
Looking into the face of our alleged ape ancestor, popular Christian apologist Hank Hanegraaff dissects and debunks the astonishingly weak arguments for the evolutionary theory, revealing it as nothing more than a "fairy tale for grown-ups."The author uses his own Memory Dynamics to make it easy for Christians to speak intelligently about evolution and speak persuasively about the Creator. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (72)

More creationist falsehoods, misrepresentations, and lies
This book is typical of creationist books. It is filled with falsehoods, misrepresentations and outright lies.

Hannegraaff leaves all credibility behind by his attempts to refute evolution. He plays up the few errors that scientists have made during the course of evolutionary studies, and he plays down, or rather, totally ignores their many successes. You won't find anything in this book about the very large number of fossils that support evolutionary theory. His examination of the fossil evidence is grossly limited and certainly does not give an accurate view of that evidence.

But even more telling is his outright lies. I will provide one example.

Concerning the finding of Java man by Eugène Dubois on the island of Java in 1891, Hanegraaff emphasized that it consisted only a skullcap, femur bone, and some teeth. He notes that Java man was subsequently classified as Homo erectus, but he gives the impression that it, along with Peking man, which he called a pure fantasy, are the only specimens of Homo erectus that have been found. He ignores the fact that numerous other specimens of Homo erectus finds have been found, including that of the Turkana Boy, also known as the Nariokotome Boy, which is the almost complete skeleton of a nearly full-grown Homo erectus. That find and numerous others were made well before Hanegraaff published his book. His total disregard of these finds shows full well his dishonesty in his examination of the fossil record.

But here is where the real lie comes in. This is what Hanegraaff said about Dubois' find.

"Most unsettling of all is that for almost thirty years, Dubois downplayed his discovery of two human skulls (the Wadjak skulls), which he found in close proximity to his original "finds." This alone should have been sufficient to disqualify Java man as humankinds ancestor."

Really? Wadjak is over 60 miles away from Trinil, which is where the Java man find was made. And the Wadjak skulls were also found in a different geological strata. Hanegraaff seems to have very strange idea of what the words "close proximity" mean. He, of course, was trying to give his readers the (false) impression that Java man and the Wadjak skulls were from essentially the same location and therefore that (supposed) proximity shows that Java man could not be ancestral to humankind.

And Dubois did not "downplay" the Wadjak finds. He reported on those finds to the extent he felt necessary. In fact, he found the Wadjak specimens and submitted preliminary reports on them in 1889 and 1890 before he made his Java man discoveries. He also submitted another report on the Wadjak finds in 1892 after he found the Java man specimens.

The reason that Dubois did not place much emphasis on the Wadjak skulls is that they were of modern-type humans and not particularly remarkable, and that they were overshadowed by the importance of subsequent finding of the Java man material, not because he was committing fraud, as Hanegraaff reprehensiblyproposed.

But the point is that Hanegraaff was, in effect, lying about the relationship of the two finds.

But then, since he is a promoter of creationism, that should not be surprising.

And that brings up a point. Amazon should allow zero stars.

Very user-friendly and informative!
This book is an easy read that will help you understand the inconsistencies in the evolutionary theory.A must-read for anyone interested in a scientific basis to explain the flaws in the evolutionary theory.

Debunks the pseudoscience of evolution
Hanegraaff does an excellent job of explaining in plain language why evolution is a farce. He simply goes to the sources, such as Colin Patterson, who was the curator of the British Natural History Museum, who stated that if he knew of one valid species transition in the museum's collection of 60 million, he would have told the world about it.

Of course the evolutionists change the meaning of the terms when they don't like the truth, but that is par for the course in evolution. Hanegraaff explains this by pointing out Haeckels famous fraudulent photos where he conned his peers into believing the myth of ORP. Anyway, Hacekel was busted for it today's DNA research proves how wrong Haeckel was.

Hank accepts bronze age religious beliefs as science
Hank is committed to the idea that Genesis, itself composed of competing tribal legends from the Bronze Age, somehow contains scientific statements. His religious faith compels him to reject the preponderance of scientific evidence in favor of evolution.

If you prefer bible stories to science, Hank's book might be right for you.If not, useful scientific books that discuss evolution without religious bias include
Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters (Hardcover)
by Donald R. Prothero
Brian Charlesworth, Evolution, A Very Short Introduction (contains an excellent bibliography)
Simon Morris, The Crucible of Creation
Richard Leakey, Origins Reconsidered
Edward J. Larson, Evolution: The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory
The Counter-Creationism Handbook (Paperback) by Mark Isaak (Author)
Scientists Confront Intelligent Design and Creationism (Hardcover)
by Andrew J. Petto (Editor), Laurie R. Godfrey
Saving Darwin: How to Be a Christian and Believe in Evolution by Karl Giberson
Why Evolution Is True by Jerry A. Coyne
For the Rock Record: Geologists on Intelligent Design, Jill S. Schneiderman (Editor), Warren D. Allmon (Editor)

Truly Awful
How do wingnuts with simple 8th grade science and logic get to write books?Faith based logic is no logic at all, and that's why this book is only nonsense. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

An enjoyable read
This is a history book -- the history of scientific thought in the Victorian age as it relates to Darwin and evolution.It isn't technical.Sumner doesn't use esoteric terms or $10 words.It would be a good primer for anyone wishing a basic understanding of Darwin's theory, and it is an enjoyable review for anyone who has studied Darwin.Sumner always has a unique insight to share, and in Evolution of Everything, he doesn't disappoint.

Darwinian Theme and Variations
The Evolution of Everything isn't so much about evolution as about the _context_ of Darwin's work and how the principles Darwin described apply outside biological evolution.It is thoroughly enjoyable and approachable, filled with the (never trivial) facts that add both texture and depth to what could be a dry topic.In the process, Sumner explains what Darwin actually said (and what has been falsely attributed to him), why it is so important to science, and why it sometimes upsets people.A nice summer reading book for science- and history-minded individuals.

Everything evolves
The author in this very well written book tries to open our eyes to the evolutionary process around us. From a business changing over time due to the forces surrounding it to a rock tumbling down a stream, everything in the universe adapts to its surroundings. Even evolutionary scientists miss Mr. Summers observations in their study of biological evolution.

If you want to truely understand where evolutionary science is going. Even get a better grasp on what this "evolution thing" really is without the boring, and often outdated and incorrect explanations the typical teacher or professor offers these days buy this book!

"Evolution".Missleading
Write the word "evolution" in your title at the present time, and you have a saleable book, even if the book is devoid of evolutionary parallels.Please tell me if you find any evolutionary parallels in this book.I don't think there are any.If you don't find any then the title is totally missleading.In any case from what I have read in the book, such parallels are few and far between, and the word "evolution" in the title is misleading.That word gets many of us in, and then if we are not clear on that we bought be book because we wanted to pinpoint specifically how EVOLUTION shapes everything, then we will bypass that logic and enjoy the interesting historical details that the writer gives.He still sells the book by means of the word "Evolution".Missleading.

Compulsively readable
How to describe The Evolution of Everything? Think of the entertaining biography-inflected history of science Bill Bryson did in A Short History of Nearly Everything, focus in on Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection, and then apply that to bananas, the stock market, cars, nursery rhymes, and Mars landers...among other things. It ranges all over the place, leaving you always wondering what's around the corner, but it's consistently focused and coherent.

Beware, though: If you have a favorite urban myth, this book might puncture it. On the other hand, the book will offer you at least one true story as entertaining as the myth as a replacement. ... Read more

Product Description
Though it is the fastest-growing religion in the world, Islam remains shrouded in ignorance and fear for much of the West. In No god but God, Reza Aslan, an internationally acclaimed scholar of religions, explains this faith in all its beauty and complexity. Beginning with a vivid account of the social and religious milieu in which the Prophet Muhammad forged his message, Aslan paints a portrait of the first Muslim community as a radical experiment in religious pluralism and social egalitarianism. He demonstrates how, after the Prophet’s death, his successors attempted to interpret his message for future generations–an overwhelming task that fractured the Muslim community into competing sects. Finally, Aslan examines how, in the shadow of European colonialism, Muslims developed conflicting strategies to reconcile traditional Islamic values with the realities of the modern world, thus launching what Aslan terms the Islamic Reformation. Timely and persuasive, No god but God is an elegantly written account of a magnificent yet misunderstood faith. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (127)

History in a Very Interesting Presentation
For those of us who are not Muslim there are many mysteries about the faith. It is to be expected, given the age of Islam, that there are different branches with slightly different beliefs. If you are familiar with Christianity, the analogy of the hundreds of Protestant sects and Catholicism, can give a little insight into the diversity of beliefs in Islam. Most other great religions have also branched out a bit over time if you take a look at them in detail.

I know that you are saying " Religion is Borrrrrrring", but you really have to forget any prejudice you may have and read this.

This book is a scholarly look at Islam, but is far from being dry in content. It is very readable and has excitement, war and intrigue. Do you know what history says Mohammed was told by God and when he was told? Do you know about his early life and how he was orphaned? Do you know that in his early adult life Mohammed worked for his uncle supervising trade caravans from their home city of Mecca.

Much of what you have heard and you think you know is wrong. Yes, even if you are Muslim you will learn some things form this that this excellent researcher has gathered together.

Everyone should read this book to know what all the rave reviews have been about. You may not agree with all that Aslan presents, because there are always different interpretations to anything. If you are Shia or Sunni how much do you really know of the history of your own sect and the earliest split in your religion. No side is favored in Aslan's story of the historical documents and events and he seems to present a fair (to everyone involved) version of the past which only makes me want to read more.

Aslan's view of the future of Islam leaves the reader with a hopeful feeling of a world more united and more tolerant.

a lie no matter how well spoken is still a lie
Among the many misconceptions this book paints, none more misleading than describing Medina under Muhammad as some kind of proto-democratic experiment instead of the militaristic dictatorship it really was (if we are going to base our analysis on the Islamic sources themselves).

A propaganda piece for the sharia proponents in the West.

Reza is still welcomed in Tehran, I wonder why...

Superb work!
Reza Aslan has done what very few have been able to do before.He has made it possible for a common person to understand some of the intricacies of the great Islamic Civilization spanning a millenium and half.This is one of those books that I literally did not want to end.

If you want to understand the Islamic world in the context of the west, please read this book carefully.

Interesting But Won't Bear Much Fruit
Aslan takes up an admirable task as he tries to form a "reasonable interpretation" of Islam.His version of Islam is modern and realistic, it is something that the world can live with and get along with-- and I can get along with and in the world. He recounts the history of Islam well and in an interesting way.This is not an academic book but it is well researched and written.It mixes his personal stories and experiences, with research and current events/concerns.

However, his book is really just preaching to the choir.It will sit well with open-minded non-Muslims, and western-minded Muslims as well.But it will not do much to settle the conflict between the 'West' and 'Islam.'The Muslims who have a problem with the the modern western world, the fundamentalists that give Islam a bad name and strike fear (or hatred) in the hearts of westerners, will not accept this book and its ideas at all.Aslan's project is to interpret Islam, which is something that the fundamentalists see as an effacement of the true religion and true word of God.Unfortunately, it is exactly this kind of 'manipulation' of Islam that those fundamentalists are against.

That being said, the book is worth reading because it does give a good introduction to the history of Islam and its current internal conflicts.It will help moderate Muslims and open-minded non-Muslims understand what Islam can be.But I doubt it will help ease the tensions in the world today.

Democratic reform based on Islamic principles is the solution.
Democracy is the answer to Islam's problems. But it cannot be our kind of democracy. Most Muslims do not accept the Western notion that religion and the state should be entirely separate, that secularism must be the foundation of society. Islam is more than a religion; it is a civilization.Reza Aslan claims that Islam has had a long commitment to religious "pluralism".And democracy can be based on this "pluralism".It is difficult to visualize how this will actually work in the various Muslim countries and the author does not really flesh it out in detail.The author dedicates many pages outlining the "correct" interpretation of Islam and separating it from terrorism.But, of course, the fact remains that terrorists who consider themselves to be true Muslims get their inspiration from Islam, correctly interpreted or not. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first book to collate and synthesize the recent burgeoning primary research literature on dog behaviour, evolution, and cognition. The author presents a new ecological approach to the understanding of dog behaviour, demonstrating how dogs can be the subject of rigorous and productive scientific study without the need to confine them to a laboratory environment.

Dog Behaviour, Evolution, and Cognition starts with an overview of the conceptual and methodological issues associated with the study of the dog, followed by a brief description of their role in human society-almost a third of human families share their daily life with the dog! An evolutionary perspective is then introduced with a summary of current research into the process of domestication. The central part of the book is devoted to issues relating to the cognitive aspects of behaviour which have received particular attention in recent years from both psychologists and ethologists. The book's final chapters introduce the reader to many novel approaches to dog behaviour, set in the context of behavioural development and genetics.

Directions for future research are highlighted throughout the text which also incorporates links to human and primate research by drawing on homologies and analogies in both evolution and behaviour. The book will therefore be of relevance and use to anyone with an interest in behavioural ecology including graduate students of animal behaviour and cognition, as well as a more general audience of dog enthusiasts, biologists, psychologists and sociologists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Brilliant Advance for Dogs and Humans
The book is remarkably comprehensive, and up to date. For all humans interested in understanding the potential capabilities of their canine companions it is highly recommended. We've reviewed it sentnce by sentence and believe it is one of the best, if not indeed the very best currently available. Buy it and you can learn much new information!

The Science of Dogs
Dog Behaviour, Evolution and Cognition is an outstanding achievement. It is primarily focused on the more recent cognitive work coming out of Hungary. The book makes an excellent compliment with Helton's Canine Ergonomics: The Science of Working Dogs. Together they'll give you immense insight into the minds of dogs. Both are scientifically rigorous, unlike many of the popular books written about the minds of dogs. No lore and legend, but real factual information.

Fantastic Review of Literature
Excellent.Wonderful.Refreshing.Yes, I can understand how it could be described as a bit dry, but the book covers a lot of ground.Dryness versus cute stories?I think the approach taken by the author was refreshing.This was no 'I am the best trainer and do as I do' book.The book covers scientific literature on dogs and wolves.The book explains some of those studies often footnoted and referenced.The book describes area for future research.If you want to read about the current research on dogs and wolves in nearly all areas of research, buy this book.If you want to read an author's opinion and conjecture on cute doggie behavior, this is not the book for you.

The Big Picture
Miklosi sees the big picture and recognizes that what we think we know about dog behavior is flawed and more research needs to be done. Scott- Fuller needs to be expanded upon and Pavlov needs to be looked at. Wolf behavior based training philosophy is flawed because of the way previous research was done. What is called babymorphism training philosophy needs more experiments. Miklosi calls "to develop behavioral models based on a different approach"Until this is done dog owners are on their own to devise their own ways to train and use dogs. That includes everything from using dogs as human food, in some cultures, to using dogs as child substitutes in other cultures.

The book is a wake up call to scientists around the world to accept the dog as a valid scientific research tool on behavior not as aanimal behaviorally corrupted through domestication and living with humans. Living with humans dogs have found their niche.

Informative but soporific
Very interesting, scientifically sound, somewhat dry.Every time I read it I started to fall asleep. ... Read more