Evolution : The Triumph of an Idea

Award-winning journalist Carl Zimmer collaborates with leading scholars to tell the compelling story of the theory of evolution—from Darwin to 21st century science

Darwin’s The Origin of Species was breathtaking—beautifully written, staunchly defended, defiantly radical. Yet it emerged long before modern genetics, molecular biology, and contemporary findings in paleontology. This remarkable book presents a rich and up–to–date view of evolution that explores the far–reaching implications of Darwin's theory and emphasizes the power, significance, and relevance of evolution to our lives today. After all, we ourselves are the product of evolution, and we can tackle many of our gravest challenges –– from lethal resurgence of antibiotic–resistant diseases to the wave of extinctions that looms before us –– with a sound understanding of the science.

Evolution is 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.

CARL ZIMMER, guest editor, writes the Origins column for the New York Times. He is the author of fourteen books, including Life’s Edge and She Has Her Mother’s Laugh, both of which were finalists for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. Zimmer has written for magazines including The Atlantic, National Geographic, Time, and Scientific American. He has won the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Science Journalism Award three times, and is a two-time winner of the National Academies Communication Award. Zimmer is professor adjunct at Yale University