Man's Place in Nature (Modern Library Science) - Softcover

Huxley, Thomas H. H.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 037575847X ISBN 13: 9780375758478

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, 2001

Synopsis

Thomas H. Huxley was one of the first supporters of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection, and he did more than any other writer to advance its acceptance among scientists and nonscientists alike. His most famous book, Man’s Place in Nature, published only five years after Darwin’s The Origin of Species, offers a compelling review of primate and human paleontology, and is the first attempt to apply Darwin’s theory to human beings. As compelling a piece of analysis now as it was 140 years ago, Man’s Place in Nature is a must for every science lover’s library.

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Review:

Darwin said it first, but Huxley said it best. Known as "Darwin's bulldog" for his tenacious and successful defense of evolution by natural selection, biologist T.H. Huxley wrote Man's Place in Nature to bolster his case with hard facts. This new edition, edited and introduced by eminent paleontologist and evolutionary theorist Stephen Jay Gould, reminds the readers of the power of good writing to influence opinion. Huxley's style is charmingly persuasive, even when he's describing the intimate details of the lemur's skull. The illustrations range from crude to beautifully detailed and generally take a back seat to the prose. Those involved in debates with creationists--150 years after Darwin--will be discouraged to learn that Huxley faced many of the same arguments in his day. Still, armed with Man's Place in Nature, another generation can fight and win. --Rob Lightner

About the Author:

Thomas H. Huxley was born in Ealing, near London, in 1825. A stint as an assistant surgeon aboard the H.M.S. Rattlesnake, a Royal Navy frigate assigned to the Australian and New Guinea coasts, solidified his interest in naturalism, and his research earned him a place next to leading scientists of his day, such as Charles Lyell, Joseph Hooker, and Charles Darwin. He died in 1895.

Stephen Jay Gould is the Alexander Agassiz professor of zoology and professor of geology at Harvard and the Vincent Astor visiting professor of biology at New York University. Recent books include Full House, Dinosaur in a Haystack, and Questioning the Millennium. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and New York City.

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 037575847X
• ISBN 13: 9780375758478
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192