Synopses & Reviews
Charles Darwin's
Origin of Specieswas beautifully written, staunchly defended, and defiantly radical. Yet it emerged long before paleontologists and geologists worked out the chronology of life on Earth, and long before biologists uncovered the molecules that underlie heredity and natural selection.
Carl Zimmer's Evolutionpresents a rich and up-to-date view of evolution that explores the far-reaching implications of Darwin's theory and emphasizes its power, significance, and relevance to our lives today. Filled with rich narrative, award-winning science writing, and the most current information on topics ranging from Darwinian medicine and sexual selection to the origins of language, evolutionary psychology, and the controversies surrounding creationism, Evolutiontells in riveting detail the story of a remarkable scientific journey, from the emergence to the triumph of an idea.
Review
“[Evolution] is a richly illustrated and lucidly written companion book by Carl Zimmer.” Science Magazine
Synopsis
In this companion volume to the seven-part PBS series, an award-winning science writer tells the story of the theory of evolution, from Darwin's seminal insights to the cutting-edge developments in 21st century science that have confirmed and extended Darwin's theories.
Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species was written long before paleontologists and geologists worked out the chronology of life on Earth, long before biologists uncovered the molecules that underlie heredity and natural selection. Author Carl Zimmer begins by allowing students to look over Darwin's shoulder as he reads the scientific theories of his day, studies at university, explores the natural world, and forms one of the most controversial scientific theories of all time.
Featuring more than 150 color illustrations, this remarkable book presents a rich and up-to-date view that guides students through the evolution of Darwin's great theory and introduces them to the research of leading scholars in the life sciences such as Stephen Jay Gould, Sarah Hrdy, Mary-Claire King, and Steven Pinker. Students will see how many of Darwin's ideas have been vindicated, and how evolution also turns out to work in ways he never anticipated.
In a rich narrative that will appeal to both science majors and nonmajors, Zimmer explores the far-reaching implications of Darwin's theory and emphasizes the power, significance, and relevance of evolution in our lives today. Afterall, we ourselves are the product of evolution, and we cannot tackle many of our gravest challenges-from the lethal resurgence of antibiotic resistant diseases to the wave of extinctions that looms before use-without a sound understanding of evolution.
Beginning with an introduction by renowned paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould, Evolution provides the most up-to-date information on topics ranging from Darwinian medicine, sexual selection, and the origins of language to evolutionary psychology and the controversies surrounding creationism. With Evolution, your students will take part in a remarkable scientific journey, from the emergence to the triumph of an idea.
The Evolution Project--a groundbreaking public television series and web site--offers teachers a free 40-page teacher's guide tied to state and national science high school biology curricula, and multimedia classroom resources such as online student lessons, short classroom videos, a web library, teacher methodology videos, and an online course for high school teachers to deepen teachers' understanding of evolutionary concepts and help them address obstacles to teaching evolution.
For more information, and to order other educational resources or videos of the series, visit www.pbs.org/evolution.
--Science Magazine
Synopsis
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.
Synopsis
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 antiobiotic-resistant diseases to the wave of extinctions that looms before us -- with a sound understanding of the science.
Synopsis
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 antiobiotic-resistant diseases to the wave of extinctions that looms before us -- with a sound understanding of the science.
About the Author
Carl Zimmer is the author of At the Water's Edgeand Parasite Rex.A former senior editor at Discovermagazine, his column on evolution appears regularly in Natural History.He also contributes articles to magazines such as National Geographic, Audubon,and Science.He lives in New York City.