Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea - Hardcover

Zimmer, Carl

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060199067 ISBN 13: 9780060199067

Publisher: Harper, 2001

Synopsis

In this dazzling companion volume to a seven–part SBS series (airing November 2002), an award winning journalist collaborates with leading scholars in the life sciences (Stephen Jay Gould, Sarah Hrdy, Mary–Claire King, Steven Pinker, etc.) to tell the compelling story of the theory of evolution starting with Darwin's seminal insights and ending with the cutting–edge developments in 20th century science that have confirmed and extended his findings.

In this remarkable new book, a rich and up–to–date view of evolution is presented that explores the far–reaching implications of Darwin's theory. In a world where species loss is escalating, there are growing pressures on food production and energy resources, and lethal antibiotic–resistant diseases are running rampant, evolution becomes a way of grappling both with our planet's past and it's future.

At a time when controversies surrounding creationism and education are bursting into public consciousness, this book's emphasis on the power, significance, and relevance of evolution will make it a catalyst for public debate. EVOLUTION, the book and the series, marks a turning point in the 150–year debate and will be an indispensable asset to any serious reader with an interest in the life sciences, a passion for truth in education, or a concern for the future of the planet.

About this title

Review:

While its opponents may sneer that "it's just a theory," evolution has transcended that label to take its place as one of the most important ideas in human history. Science journalist Carl Zimmer explores its history and future in Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea, a companion piece to the epic PBS series of the same name. The book, lavishly illustrated with photos of our distant cousins, anatomical diagrams, and timelines, is as beautiful as it is enlightening. While those closely following the field will find little more here than a well-written summation of the state of the art in 2001, readers who have watched the evolutionary debates from a distance will quickly catch up with the details of the principal arguments.

Zimmer's text is fresh and expansive, explaining both the minutiae of comparative anatomy and the grand scale of geological time with verve and clarity. Following the trend of turn-of-the-century evolution writers, he treats the religious beliefs of creationists with respect, while firmly insisting that the scientific evidence against their position is too compelling to ignore. Touching on biology, philosophy, theology, politics, and nearly every other field of human thought, Evolution will inspire its readers with the elegance and importance of Darwin's simple theory. --Rob Lightner

About the Author:

Carl Zimmer is the author of three well-received books on evolution. A Guggenheim fellow in 2002, he writes regularly for magazines, including National Geographic, Science, Newsweek, and Natural History.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0060199067
• ISBN 13: 9780060199067
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384