Eros And Evolution: A Natural Philosphy Of Sex Ment - Hardcover

Michod, Richard E

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 020140754X ISBN 13: 9780201407549

Publisher: Basic Books, 1995

Synopsis

Michod (ecology and evolutionary biology, U. of Arizona) spins out and elaborates a theory not only of why sex exists but also of why it matters that sex exists. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

About this title

About the Author:

Richard E. Michod is Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona.

From Library Journal:

Through genetic research, evolutionary biologist Michod has reconfigured Plato's idea that sex exists for renewal and repair and Freud's use of Plato to give substance to his Eros. The result is a well-crafted, plausible, and simple explanation for the evolution and maintenance of sex: "accomplishing gene repair while coping with the deleterious effects of homozygosity." The narration concentrates on the origin of sex in bacteria and other so-called simple organisms. Despite some effective analogies to automobile maintenance, the complicated genetics and mathematical models make many arguments difficult to follow. In addition, Michod's style is somewhat pedantic, and his mechanistic construction and meticulous documentation can be dry. Matt Ridley's The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature (LJ 1/94) provides convincing support for another theory on the evolution of sex, dismissed by Michod. However, scientists clearly disagree on this issue, and Ridley's ability to synthesize widely diverse literature, lucid prose, and discussions of human behavior provide an excellent base from which to tackle Michod's work.
Constance Rinaldo, Dartmouth Coll. Lib., Hanover, N.H.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 020140754X
• ISBN 13: 9780201407549
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 241