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More copies of this ISBN:This title in other formats:Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Designby Michael Shermer
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:A creationist-turned-scientist demonstrates the facts of evolution and exposes Intelligent Design's real agenda. Science is on the defensive. Half of Americans reject the theory of evolution and "Intelligent Design" campaigns are gaining ground. Classroom by classroom, creationism is overthrowing biology. In Why Darwin Matters, bestselling author Michael Shermer explains how the newest brand of creationism appeals to our predisposition to look for a designer behind life's complexity. Shermer decodes the scientific evidence to show that evolution is not "just a theory" and illustrates how it achieves the design of life through the bottom-up process of natural selection. Shermer, once an evangelical Christian and a creationist, argues that Intelligent Design proponents are invoking a combination of bad science, political antipathy, and flawed theology. He refutes their pseudoscientific arguments and then demonstrates why conservatives and people of faith can and should embrace evolution. He then appraises the evolutionary questions that truly need to be settled, building a powerful argument for science itself. Cutting the politics away from the facts, Why Darwin Matters is an incisive examination of what is at stake in the debate over evolution. Review:"Shermer (The Science of Good and Evil), founding editor of the Skeptic and Scientific American columnist, thoughtfully explains why intelligent design is both bad science and poor religion, how a wealth of scientific data from varied fields support evolution, and why religion and science need not be in conflict. Science and religion are two distinct realms, he argues: the natural and supernatural, respectively, and he cites Pope John Paul II in support of their possible coexistence. Shermer takes the 'ten most cogent' arguments for intelligent design and refutes each in turn. While on the mark, the arguments' brevity may hamper their usefulness to all but those well versed in the debate. Looking for converts, Shermer offers a short chapter entitled 'Why Christians and Conservatives Should Accept Evolution' (i.e., it 'provides a scientific foundation' for their core values). His overall message is best summarized when he writes, 'Darwin matters because evolution matters. Evolution matters because science matters. Science matters because it is the preeminent story of our age, an epic saga about who we are, where we came from and where we are going.' Although there's not much new here, Shermer's wit and passion will appeal to many but won't convince believers." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Book News Annotation:A columnist for Scientific American and the publisher of Skeptic
magazine, Shermer continues his public defense of evolutionary theory
with logical argument and empirical evidence. His perspectives
include why people do not accept evolution, why Christians and
Conservatives should accept evolution, the real agenda, and why
science cannot contradict religion.
Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Review:" Review:"The idea that evolution and God should be at odds is among the strangest of doctrines, an attempt to make the divine follow our particular notions of how He should operate. Michael Shermer explains what really happened, in terms that should be accessible to any faithful reader." Bill McKibben Review:"A readable and well-researched book on what is perhaps the most vital scientific topic of our age. Anyone who has been snowed into thinking that there is a real scientific controversy over evolution by natural selection will be enlightened by Why Darwin Matters, which is both genial and intellectually uncompromising." Steven Pinker Review:"Michael Shermer is one of America's necessary minds. A reformed fundamentalist who is now an experienced foe of pseudo-science and superstition, he does us the double favor of explaining exactly what creationists believe, and then of demonstrating that they have no case. With his forensic and polemical skill, he could have left them for dead: instead he generously urges them to stop wasting their time (and ours) and do some real work." Christopher Hitchens Synopsis:Shermer, a creationist-turned-scientist, argues that Intelligent Design proponents are invoking a combination of bad science, political antipathy, and flawed theology. He decodes the scientific evidence to show that evolution is not "just a theory" and illustrates how it achieves the design of life through the bottom-up process of natural selection.
About the AuthorMichael Shermer is one of the best-known public intellectuals defending evolutionary theory today. The author of eight previous books, he is a columnist for Scientific American, the publisher of Skeptic magazine, and the founder of the international Skeptics Society. He lives in Southern California. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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