Recommend Evolution Books

by SpunkyChick 8 Replies latest jw friends

  • SpunkyChick
    SpunkyChick

    Anyone recommend any good books on evolution?

  • logansrun
    logansrun

    Anything by Richard Dawkins is a good start. "The Blind Watchmaker" is excellent.

    Also: Stephen Jay Gould's writings. Ernst Mayr "What Evolution Is" and Niles Eldridge, "Evolution, and the Myth of Creationism."

    All very good.

    Bradley

  • DevonMcBride
    DevonMcBride

    I have Stephen Dawkins books on audio and listen to them in the car.

    Devon

  • GentlyFeral
    GentlyFeral

    Devon, are you mixing up Richard Dawkins with Steven Hawking?

    Anyway, Richard Dawkins' The Blind Watchmaker is the best popular book on evolution I know of. Makes it as clear as it's going to get for the mathematically-challenged.

    GentlyFeral

  • greven
    greven

    Also good is 'Climbing Mount Improbable' by Richard Dawkins.

    I confuse Richard Dawkins also a lot with Stephen Hawkin! Very funny!

    Greven

  • SpunkyChick
    SpunkyChick

    Thanks you guys! I also have Stephen Hawkings audiocassettes. I will check out these other books too.

  • gaiagirl
    gaiagirl

    You might also like "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan. It explores the amazing similarites between various primate and human social structures, etc. Carls writing style is quite enjoyable. "What is Life" by Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan (Carl's son), is fascinating, and should be required reading for all biology majors. "The Ages of Gaia" by James Lovelock is a history of the evolution, not just of biological life, but of Planet Earth herself. The book explores how processes and structure of Earth have changed over time, and the interrelationship of these evolving processes with biological life. If you have the opportunity to watch the original "Fantasia" by Disney, there is a 20 minute segment, titled "Rites of Spring" which shows evolution of Earth and life on Earth, up to the extinction of dinosaurs. Disney had planned to make it longer, to come up to the time of humans, but fundamentalist preachers promised to tell their congregations to boycott the film if it implied anything about HUMAN evolution, so Disney chose to leave out the last part.

  • patio34
    patio34

    Richard Dawkins is my 2nd favorite evolution author. The best, imho, is Pulitzer-prize winning Jared Diamond. The Third Chimpanzee and Guns, Germs and Steel. Guns covers a lot of history, but gives an excellent overview of evolution too. And Chimpanzee is strictly evolution with good explanations of sexual behavior of humans too.

    Enjoy.

    Pat

  • rem
    rem

    Great recommendations, Pat!

    I also liked Darwin's Ghost by Steve Jones. It's like an updated version of The Origin of the Species following the same format. Eldredge's The Triumph of Evolution: And the Failure of Creationism was the first book on Evolution that I purchased as a witness. I was so nervous when I bought it! I had it hid under my bed with Crisis of Conscience so nobody would find it in my library.

    I have Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel Dennett in my pile of books to be read. I'm looking forward to it.

    rem

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