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Author:
Richard Milton
By Fourth Estate
 An excellent critical analysis of Darwinian evolution, 1998-12-09
This highly controversial, yet well written, book has one aim in mind: to challenge the basis of contemporary darwinian and neo-darwinian evolution, a theory which provides the basis for many modern creation beliefs. The author (an agnostic, incidentally) provides many pieces of evidence which seem to have been covered up by the scientific establishment, and uses them to show how, despite all the evidence there is for evolution, it cannot be right.The author does not, however, make any attempt to provide an alternative theory - this is not the objective of the book - but he does show that even modern scientific ideas need to be challenged and scrutinised, and we can still get things wrong even today! Worth a read if you have an open mind and are willing to be surprised!
Author:
Matt Ridley
By Harper Perennial
 Fascinating topic explained well, 2005-08-13
A very enjoyable popular science read. Evolutionary scientists are coming out with more and more evidence and theories on how evolution makes us what we are - not just the flesh and bones but why we think like we do. This book covers much of this interesting subject and does it well. He is a good writer that makes it easy to understand.Some people will have an issue with this book -by it's nature, evolutionary biology and behaviourology are somewhat deterministic. It also necessarily recognises sexual differences. People of a left-wing bias tend to find this at odds with the fundamentals behind their politics (although the same fuss is not made when the same principles are applied to animals...) - hence low scoring reviews of this book having a sexist/political slant. This is unfair as the subject matter is what it is - the book itself is a very well written popular science tome and that is what you want when buying such a book.
List Price: £30.00
Our Price: £3.41
Author:
Glenn C. Conroy
By W W Norton & Co Ltd
Concise and affordable intro to human evolution, 2000-02-07
This book is a well organised, up to date, well illustrated introduction to human evolution. I would recommend to the interested layperson or undergraduate just starting to learn about the subject. It covers all the fossil evidence from before the human lineage split from the rest of the apes down to the upper Pleistocene (Neanderthals and the emergence of modern humans) with espcially good global coverage of often neglected periods and regions. Extensive references provide entry to the wider body of primary scientific publication. Free (6 month password) access to extra web based resources comes with purchase. And, (important this for a student/school level text, it is affordable. Glossy pictures have been left out in favour of clear B&W matt prints and diagrams in the text ...) Highly recommended. I used it for teaching and students loved it.
List Price: £19.95
Our Price: £27.95
Author:
Matt Ridley
By Prentice Hall & IBD
Fascinating topic explained well, 2005-08-13
A very enjoyable popular science read. Evolutionary scientists are coming out with more and more evidence and theories on how evolution makes us what we are - not just the flesh and bones but why we think like we do. This book covers much of this interesting subject and does it well. He is a good writer that makes it easy to understand.Some people will have an issue with this book -by it's nature, evolutionary biology and behaviourology are somewhat deterministic. It also necessarily recognises sexual differences. People of a left-wing bias tend to find this at odds with the fundamentals behind their politics (although the same fuss is not made when the same principles are applied to animals...) - hence low scoring reviews of this book having a sexist/political slant. This is unfair as the subject matter is what it is - the book itself is a very well written popular science tome and that is what you want when buying such a book.
List Price: £11.99
Our Price: £7.00
Author:
Edward J. Larson
By Basic Books
Not What I Was Expecting, 2008-01-14
I was looking for a book to educate me on the Scope's Monkey Trial but I didn't want to have to read a lot of books to understand the subject. I read all the UK and US Amazon reviews and was surprised how few books were given good reviews by the public. Despite reading all the reviews, I found this book was nothing like what I was expecting. The author gives a thorough introduction to the subject such that when he finally reaches the trial; you have a thorough understanding of what is happening and why. What I found strange was that the author treats the trial as a nonentity and consequently skips through it in a very superficial way; when you read the book you understand why. The text is laboriously detailed in places which I found made it difficult to hold my concentration. The book is very educational , very enjoyable to read despite the immense detail in places. To be completely fair to the book, it is not really about the Scope's Monkey Trial; it is about the American culture clash between the religious fundamentalists and the liberal educational establishment. For non-Americans it is an introduction to another facet to the complex religious bigotry which is rife in America to this day. When America was an English/British colony, they took guidance from the mother country. When they separated , they seem to have retreated in their shell and are an insight into English religious bigotry in the middle ages. We all know how pig-headed the English religious establishment was in the middle ages; this book paints these American fundamentalists as identical. Despite the attempts to play down the importance of religious fundamentalist anti-evolution beliefs in America; it is clear that it still accounts for about 40% of the population. It is astonishing to realise that America parades itself around the world condemning religious fundamentalism and yet is unable to control or solve the problem within its own borders. The book makes no attempt to cover the subject of Darwin's Origin of the Species; although I don't think you have to read it to understand this book. I would strongly recommend this book to non-Americans as an insight into the character of the American religious fundamentalists (in every other country; these people are called fanatics ) but also as an aid to understanding the American character in general.
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