Book Description
You think you know about Darwinism and intelligent design, but did you know: *There is no overwhelming evidence for Darwinism; *Intelligent design is based on scientific evidence, not religious belief; *What many public schools teach about Darwinism is based on known falsehoods; *Scientists at major universities believe in intelligent design; *Scientists who question Darwinism are punished --by public institutions using your tax dollars. Battle-hardened veteran with doctorates in biology and theology sets the record straight in The Politically Incorrect Guide to Darwin and Intelligent Design.
Customer Reviews:
The index tells it all.......2007-09-20
If you simply look at the index for Intelligent Design, evidence for, you will see listed 1, 4, 8, 198-199. Turn to those pages and you will see the "evidence" is merely the use of the word evidence in a statement like "since intelligent design is based on evidence..."
I've read this cover to cover, and I did find the arguments ID makes against Darwinism's evidence (which have been answered in other books -- flagellum, blood cascade, the eye) but there is no evidence presented for ID beyond that. Wells just says it's based on evidence, that there are experiments and field work being carried out (in secret), but he never gives us more.
It is interesting that Wells states that the evidence for Darwinism --common descent, natural selection, random mutation--is underwhelming. Interesting because his friends and ID colleague Michael Behe writes:
"As I wrote inThe Edge of Evolution: The Search for the Limits of Darwinism, Darwinism is a multifaceted theory, and to properly evaluate the theory one has to be very careful not to confuse its different aspects. Common descent, natural selection, and random mutation are separate concepts; the first two are well supported, but the power of random mutation is not. " The first two are well-supported. By evidence, one assumes.
This was a truly frustrating book.
Same old rehashed "arguments"..........2007-09-02
Oh, I'm sorry, I thought "politically incorrect" meant "having a charming and irreverent disregard for the political norms of the day when discussing topics that are usually stifled by convention". Apparently it just means "rabid, frothing, conservative pap".
Skeptisim not allowed.......2007-08-30
It is doubtful that there is a more divisive issue in our public schools than the mere thought of explaining our existence in terms other than Darwinism. Regardless of the innumerable holes in the theory any suggestion of other possibilities is anathema.
Intelligent Design the Darwinists say is nothing more than code for God based creation. And of course anything smacking of something greater than us leads secularists to fits of explosive anger.
Evolution means change over time and I don't know many people that have a problem with that. However Mr. Darwin's theory is entirely different. The "theory" holds that... Natural Selection plus Random Mutation equals an ENTIRE NEW SPECIES. And look as they may, over 150-years now, no one has come close to proving that.
My personal problem with Darwin, a problem that is explored deeply in this terrific book, is how those that accept it do so to the exclusion of any other possible explanation. Science has a twin, a virtually conjoined twin, "Skepticism." But Darwinists have rejected sciences twin with the utmost vehemence.
We are not allowed to be skeptics in discussing the origin of life. We must, herd like; accept Darwinism and all its myriad problems. We must have faith that an amateur naturalist that lived 200-years ago, was and continues to be right in all respects regarding the greatest scientific and philosophical question since the beginning of time.
Skepticism is not allowed.
Many of the reviews of this book are being written by people.......2007-08-28
who have not read it.
It is a well written, easy to understand book on an Theory of Darwinism and Intelligent Design.
This book is easy read and will get your brain in gear as you analyize both sides of the story. When, as suggested by the author I took a look at my son's biology book and saw Haeckel's sketches I was convinced.
"To support his case he [Haeckel] began to fake evidence. Charged with fraud by five professors and convicted by a university court at Jena, he agreed that a small percentage of his embryonic drawings were forgeries; he was merely filling in and reconstructing the missing links when the evidence was thin, and he claimed unblushingly that hundreds of the best observers and biologists lie under the same charge."--*Michael Pitman, Adam and Evolution (1984), p. 120.
For that alone it is worth your time.
The Unfittest Sometimes Survive Anyway.......2007-08-27
Jonathan Wells understands current evolutionary theory about as well as George W Bush understands the Constitution... that is, not at all. I'm sorry I was suckered into buying this foolishness by the passion of these reviews; I won't be fooled again. For a solid and lucid statement of how evolutionary development is understood today, please do yourself the favor of reading Sean Carroll's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" or any of his other recent explanations.
Amazon.com
One of the best descriptions of the nature and implications of Darwinian evolution ever written, it is firmly based in biological information and appropriately extrapolated to possible applications to engineering and cultural evolution. Dennett's analyses of the objections to evolutionary theory are unsurpassed. Extremely lucid, wonderfully written, and scientifically and philosophically impeccable. Highest Recommendation!
Book Description
In a book that is both groundbreaking and accessible, Daniel C. Dennett, whom Chet Raymo of The Boston Globe calls "one of the most provocative thinkers on the planet," focuses his unerringly logical mind on the theory of natural selection, showing how Darwin's great idea transforms and illuminates our traditional view of humanity's place in the universe. Dennett vividly describes the theory itself and then extends Darwin's vision with impeccable arguments to their often surprising conclusions, challenging the views of some of the most famous scientists of our day.
Customer Reviews:
Complex and Entertaining.......2007-07-09
While Dennett comes off, at times, sounding pompous and headstrong, that may simply be because he is, in my opinion, correct about certain aspects of the human mind's ability to cope with conflicting beliefs. My personal religious beliefs aside, I do feel that, at a point, religion and evolutionary science do come into direct conflict. Some of Dennett's thoughts and ideas, in conjunction with Dawkins's ideas, can run a little wayward of what I would call science, but simply because the ideas are blended with speculation and opinion. For further reading on the evolutionary perspective of religious thought, I would recommend Scott Atran and Pascal Boyer. Again, I really enjoyed the book, my personal disagreements notwithstanding.
like good medicine.......2007-07-08
This is not an easy read. It's rocky, at times pedantic, somewhat oblique, and about as picky as a book on logic. Dennett has difficulty keeping the reader engaged in his point, as his examples tend to be somewhat obscure at times, and his verbosity often masks the clarity of his vision. I sometimes had to turn back to the beginning of the chapter to remind myself what he was trying to say. Luckily, he seems to understand this, and provides summary statements after each chapter -- good thing, because without these navigational aids, he can be difficult to follow.
However, what Dennett has achieved here will stand the test of time because it is USEFUL. He is able to look at all the objections to the theory of evolution by natural selection and take them apart logically, scientifically, and heuristically. These objections are not limited to the religious variety, but also include scientific backlashes to Darwin like those of Gould, Chomsky, and Kaufmann. In other words, if you want to understand the breadth and depth of Darwin's theory, this is a masterwork.
What it lacks is, unfortunately, what the back cover promises: a look at Darwinism in the light of ethics, morality, and culture. Sure, Dennett devotes a (delicious) chapter to the topic, invoking Nietzsche and Hobbes, and there are scattered sections in the book that are like mind candy for the intellectually thirsty reader. It's a good thing those brilliant sections are scattered randomly throughout the book, because they may be the only thing that keeps the general reader interested.
Unless you're a biologist or anthropologist, you may want to read something shorter and more to the point. This book is for scholars who want exactitude. And to those scholars, I say read this book as quickly as possible, because it's VERY hard to come back to after putting down for a week or so.
Unintelligent design explained.......2007-06-02
This book is a philosophical work rather than straight science, the author does an excellent job of looking at all the various species of darwinian theories and their mutations, from scientific,to pop culture to philosophical,and subjecting them to a harsh environment of critical thought and logic, so selecting out the fittest for survival at the end of the book.I may be a bit biased as I have come to the same conclusions as the author,that there is only one true version of natural selection that works with no god or intelligent design, nor any adaption via senses, or experience of any organism, it is pure random mutation followed by the environment killing off what is not the best,strongest or most efficient. It is certainly not the sort of touchy-feely stuff some people seem to seek to explain things, its cold and harsh,cruel and unforgiving, although the author keeps it less harsh that my own view of it, and rightly states in a way,that just because it is harsh,doesnt change the reality of how we feel it and percieve it, love is still love no matter its mechanical, survival,or other basis. If you feel that describing something like life or love in a cold hard scientific way will change your view of it ,ruin it for you, if you are that open to suggestion, dont read this book. If you want a great philosophical arguement to open your mind and cut through the B.S. and sugar coating,if you think in a scientific way, and yes it can be quite a harsh and cold look at things, then this book is an excellent read. The author has done an enormous amount of research and distilled it into one volume, and some of the arguements or view points will be unknown to most people,and quite useless in a way, but seeing so many view points is always good for anyone who likes to think deeply and be challenged. I didnt learn alot from this book that I hadnt already figured out for myself using common sense,yet really enjoyed it for its excellent arguements and insights, its enjoyable for the philosophical side even if you have no interest in the subject matter. Also highly recommended is the authors book on consciousness, although its fairly hard going as the concepts are alot harder to grasp than evolutions mechanisms.
Entertaining materialist philosophy.......2007-05-02
It is hard to imagine that a 600 plus page book on materialist philosophy could be entertaining and a fairly quick read, but it is. The tone is too dogmatic, and there is way too much space devoted to quibbling, but it is rare to find a book this informative and thought provoking.
Intellectually Stimulating.......2007-03-31
Darwin's Dangerous Idea is one of Daniel Dennett's more notable works, being a 1995 national book award finalist (as advertised on the cover). I'm not really sure why it didn't win though, because had I been on the panel of judges, I would probably have chosen it over the competition (whatever they were). The book thoroughly explains Darwin's theory of evolution with regard to biology (including its finer philosophical and technical details) and extends the theory even further to just about everything, including the universe itself. The basic premise being that complexity arises out of simplicity and this is precisely what it would take for anything in the known universe to be in existence today.
Dennett sees no contradiction for example, in how humans behave by explaining that memes (cultural elements) that influence our behaviours and which seem to have a far greater effect than genes on our future evolution are themselves merely products of genetic evolution. Think of it as many smaller cranes (tiny steps in evolution that build upon one another) building a better, bigger crane (i.e. humans capable of storing, producing and transmitting memes). As a philosopher, the man has a vast knowledge of science, biology and computer science, in particular. He is extremely well-read and explains his ideas with such lucidity, you'll be amazed at how he can actually get you to understand very complex ideas and examples.
I sometimes found myself unable to follow certain topics but every time, Dennett grabbed my hand and lifted me back into my seat of understanding with his natural flare of wanting more than anything, not to obfuscate in any way the message he is trying to get across. If only all educators were like that. He presents many examples and references from diverse fields in science and literature (e.g. Borge's Library of Babel) that will amaze and get you thinking. Dennett also critiques work by other scientists such as Stephen J. Gould and Noam Chomsky where relevant, to name just two. I learned a lot about science in general, not to mention artificial intelligence, architecture, philosophy and literature by reading this book.
The last chapter is very nice closure to his whole thesis. Despite being an atheist, Dennett does not see religion as completely evil and acknowledges the role it played (as a result of cultural evolution) that in some ways have benefitted mankind; not "spiritually" but at least in terms of comfort and artistic inspiration. At 586 pages, it is an extremely satisfying read. I'm eager to dig into his latest book, "Breaking the Spell" and one of his earlier works, "The Mind's, I" soon.
Average customer rating:
- An important book, if a bit outdated nowadays...
- Thought provoking in every page
- Thinking about how we think.
- Thought-provoking, enduringly valuable, & highly recommended
- About "On Human Nature" by Edward O. Wilson
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On Human Nature
Edward O. Wilson
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Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge
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ASIN: 067463442X |
Book Description
No one who cares about the human future can afford to ignore Edward O. Wilson's book. On Human Nature begins a new phase in the most important intellectual controversy of this generation: Is human behavior controlled by the species' biological heritage? Does this heritage limit human destiny?
With characteristic pungency and simplicity of style, the author of Sociobiology challenges old prejudices and current misconceptions about the nature-nurture debate. He shows how...evolution has left its traces on the most distinctively human activities, how patterns of generosity, self-sacrifice, and worship, as well as sexuality and aggression, reveal their deep roots in the life histories of primate bands that hunted big game in the last Ice Age. His goal is nothing less than the completion of the Darwinian revolution by bringing biological thought into the center of the social sciences and the humanities.
Wilson presents a philosophy that cuts across the usual categories of conservative, liberal, or radical thought. In systematically applying the modern theory of natural selection to human society, he arrives at conclusions far removed from the social Darwinist legacy of the last century. Sociobiological theory, he shows, is compatible with a broadly humane and egalitarian outlook. Human diversity is to be treasured, not merely tolerated, he argues. Discrimination against ethnic groups, homosexuals, and women is based on a complete misunderstanding of biological fact.
But biological facts can never take the place of ethical choices. Once we understand our human nature, we must choose how "human" in the fullest, biological sense, we wish to remain. We cannot make this choice with the aid of external guides or absolute ethical principles because our very concept of right and wrong is wholly rooted in our own biological past. This paradox is fundamental to the evolution of consciousness in any species; there is no formula for escaping it. To understand its essence is to grasp the full predicament of the human condition.
Customer Reviews:
An important book, if a bit outdated nowadays..........2007-04-24
An oldie but a goodie. Published in 1978, On Human Nature completes Wilson's self-declared "trilogy" (The Insect Societies, 1971, and Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, 1975) that proposes the scientific search for genetic explanations for social behavior in animals, including humans.
Then and now, Wilson has been criticized by both religious and atheistic folks for reducing human behavior to the cold and limiting science of genetics. However, I didn't read it that way at all. Over and Over Wilson emphasizes the complexity, and that these are merely tendencies that are indeed influenced by environment (nurture). Consider that men tend to be faster than women, but that a female Olympic runner will always beat the average man in a race.
Some people in my book club had difficulty with some of the science, but I didn't at all (partially due to a minor in anthropology, and a cultivated layman's interest in science), so I doubt the average skeptic would have difficulty reading and fully understanding this book.
While this book was rather groundbreaking when it first came out, further developments in evolutionary psychology make it look rather dated, as do passages like these:
"There is, I wish to suggest, a strong possibility that homosexuality is normal in a biological sense, that it is a distinctive beneficent behavior that evolved as an important element of early human social organization. Homosexuals may be the genetic carriers of some of mankind's rare altruistic impulses. The support for this radical hypothesis..."
Hmmm, not so radical these days. This one's even better:
"...note that it is already within our reach to build computers with the memory capacity of a human brain. Such an instrument is admittedly not very practical: it would occupy most of the space of the Empire State Building and draw down an amount of energy equal to half the output of the Grand Coulee Dam. In the 1980's, however, when new "bubble memory" elements already in the experimental stage are added, the computer might be shrunk to fill a suite of offices on one floor of the same building."
Tee hee hee.
But most of Wilson's book still have powerful and provacative messages for today's readers. The preface and first four chapters prove to be a bit of a slow setup, but the next four: "Aggression", "Sex", "Altruism", and "Religion" vividly suggest naturalistic explanations for moral and ethical tendencies in each of these areas. Wilson deals with all the juicy issues: racism, male-female roles, good-n-evil, etc. This is great stuff to memorize for debates with absolute moralists. The chapter on "Religion" is sort of a precursor to Daniel Dennet's new book Breaking the Spell. Although Wilson's ultimate conclusion is clear: no amount of naturalistic explaining of religious belief will stop people from believing. Here's a bold statement coming from a scientific humanist:
"The predisposition to religious belief is the most complex and powerful force in the human mind and in all probability an ineradicable part of human nature."
Wilson spends a good amount of time explaining and giving examples of an interesting concept called "hypertrophy" or as it is defined in the Glossary:
"The extreme development of a preexisting structure. The elephant's tusk, for example, represents the hypertophic enlargement and change in shape through evolution of a tooth that originally had an ordinary form. In this book it is suggested that most kinds of human social behavior are hypertrophic forms of original, simpler responses that were of more direct adaptive advantage in hunter-gatherer and primitively agricultural societies."
It is fascinating, to say the least, to read about the enslavement of women compared to an elephant's tusk (hypertrophy via genetic tendency plus extreme cultural exaggeration). Almost as cool as seeing human self-sacrifice compared with that of bees and wasps.
Thought provoking in every page.......2006-08-21
It is rare that I read a book which makes me stop and think at every page. Littered with deep insights and interesting information, and still an easy read. E.O. Wilson projects a briliant mind that knows how to express and communicate his thoughts to any reader. Being a scientist myself (Physics), this book was a great vehicle to learn on sociobiology. Wilson has an incredible ability to provide just enough facts to support his ideas in a clear and economical style. I wish more scientist would know how to write like him. A pleasure from beginning to end.
Thinking about how we think........2006-03-29
Since the discovery of DNA by Watson and Crick, a whole slew of fields have arisen in the life sciences that relate various aspects of life, its meaning, history and its manifestations, to genetics. Correspondingly, there has been a growth of related literature. This classic by E. O. Wilson is one such work. Probably one of the more widely read authors in the life sciences, this is one of the more influential and widely read books by him. In short, this book provides explanations for various human behaviors by examining how they help to advance the gene pool of both the individual manifesting the behavior, and the species itself. As such, culture, religion, language, government, and free will itself are all brought under the domain and hence pressures of human evolution. The book is itself quite easy to read for both scientists and non-scientists. Yet it is difficult to read in that at times the book mixes commentary with opinion with fact. Not a standard textbook this is. It reads more like an introduction to a new way of thinking... about how humans think! In all a recommended book for anyone who ever pondered the meaning of it all.
Thought-provoking, enduringly valuable, & highly recommended.......2005-03-07
If Edward O. Wilson's On Human Nature sounds familiar, it's because this printing represents the 25th anniversary of the original classic that gave birth to the field of evolutionary psychology. Adding a new preface to this edition, Wilson reflects on how he came to write the book which would led to a political, religious and scientific uproar. A seminal, groundbreaking, informative, thought-provoking, enduringly valuable, and highly recommended read.
About "On Human Nature" by Edward O. Wilson.......2004-08-29
About "On Human Nature" by Edward O. Wilson.
Wilson considers "On Human Nature" (1978) to be part of a trilogy that began with "Insect Societies" (1971) and includes his "Sociobiology - The New Syntheses" (1975). He describes the inception of this third book of the trilogy as follows:
"The aftermath of the publication of Sociobiology led me to read more widely on human behavior and drew me to many seminars and written exchanges with social scientists. I became more persuaded than ever that the time has come to close that famous gap between the two cultures, and that general sociobiology, which is simply the extension of population biology and evolutionary theory, is the appropriate instrument for the effort. On Human Nature is an exploration of that thesis."
About the book itself he says:
"To address human behavior systematically is to make a potential topic of every corridor in the labyrinth of the human mind, and hence to consider not just the social sciences but the humanities, including philosophy and the process of scientific discovery itself. Consequently, 'On Human Nature' is not a work of science; it is a work about science, and about how far natural sciences can penetrate into human behavior before they will be transformed into something new."
This is a theme he was later to pursue also in his "Consilience - The Unity of Knowledge" (1998). Discussing the great branches of knowledge in it he says: "The greatest enterprse of the mind has always been and always will be the attempted linkage of the sciences and the humanities. The ongoing fragmentation of knowledge and resulting chaos in philosophy are not reflections of the real world but artifacts of scholarsip." I find myself in total agreement with that. "Consilience" subsequently inspired the New York Academy of Sciences to organize a three day conference entitled "Unity of Knowledge - The Convergence of Natural and Human Science" in June 2000. Wilson was the keynote speaker and when it came time for questions, the first question out of the box was about his support for eugenics. Marxists have always been trying to pin that label on him ever since "Sociobiology" came out. This is part of the ongoing Marxist attack on Wilson and sociobiology which he himself referred to as "The aftermath of the publication of Sociobiology..." The full account of that attack which has lasted more than a quarter century and is still going strong is found in "Defenders of the Truth - The Battle for Science in the Sociobiology Debate and Beyond" by Ullica Segerstråle. She was originally against him, even attended meetings of the Sociobiology Study Group as an observer, but has come to feel that Wilson has been vindicated.
"On Human Nature" covers aggressioin, sex, altruism and religion as well as heredity, development and emergent behavior brilliantly. He is extremely persuasive and has a very humane approach to these topics. To find out about him as a person you can read his memoir "Naturalist." And for those who truly desire a more in-depth analysis I recommend that they also take in Wilson's "Consilience" and Segerstråle's "Defenders of the Truth."
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- Turning the baloney-detector on Philip Johnson
- Science can be Dogma, Scientists can be fanatic.
- watered down
- Some of you are missing the point!
- Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds
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Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds
Phillip E. Johnson
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Darwin on Trial
ASIN: 0830813608 |
Book Description
Voted one of Christianity Today's 1998 Books of the Year!For decades, Christians have felt voiceless in the critical debate over evolution. Until now. Finally, ordinary Christians have the opportunity and the resources to defeat the false claims of Darwinism.With all of the complicated scientific debate swirling around the topic of evolution, Christians need an easy way to understand the basic issues without oversimplifying. Phillip Johnson has the answer: the key to defeating the false claims of Darwinism is to open our minds to good thinking habits. Here is first-rate advice on avoiding common mistakes in discussions about evolution, understanding the legacy of the Scopes trial, spotting deceptive arguments, and grasping the basic scientific issues without getting bogged down in unnecessary details.In the bestselling and critically acclaimed Darwin on Trial and Reason in the Balance, Phillip Johnson took on the academic elites and exposed the misleading claims of evolutionary naturalism.
Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds provides a new and powerful treatment of these issues for high-school students, parents, teachers, pastors, youth advisors and ordinary readers. Johnson aims not just to defeat a bad theory, but to defeat it in the right way-by opening minds to the truth.
Customer Reviews:
Turning the baloney-detector on Philip Johnson.......2007-09-22
For someone who purports to build a case against evolution with a fair & open mind, Johnson sure stacks the deck by intentionally biased means. His primary techniques, repeated over & over, are: 1) quoting scientists out of context, & 2) lightly dismissing pro-evolution evidence that deserves serious consideration.
1. Our-of-context: It is not a secret, hidden from the public, that there are, & have been, mildly differing interpretations of the precise ways in which evolution works. The best known recent example of this is the proposal by Stephen Jay Gould & Niles Eldredge that the history of life on earth exhibits Puncuated Equilibria, as distinct from the incremental gradual changes that Charles Darwin envisioned. This hardly makes Stephen Jay Gould & Niles Eldredge anti-evolutionists. It does however allow Mr. Johnson to quote Niles Eldredge out of context, as if he were precisely an anti-evolutionist:
"No wonder paleontologists shied away from evolution for so long. It never seems to happen...that's how the fossil record has struck many a forelorn paleontologist looking to learn something about evolution." pp. 60-61.
Johnson oh so conveniently neglects to explain how Eldredge & Gould resolve this apparent dilemma in a manner that is perfectly consistent with neo-Darwinism, in fact in a manner that in my opinion (bolstered by my geology PhD) strengthens neo-Darwinism.
Similarly, Johnson abuses the work of Tim Berra (OSU zoology prof, pp. 62ff), George C. Williams (evolutionary biology prof, emer., Stony Brook; pp. 70ff.), and others.
Laymen may innocently misinterpret the healthy vigorous debate that constantly stirs within the scientific conmmunity regarding details of the evolutionary process as indicating some sort of growing weakness in the overall theory itself. Nothing could be farther from the truth. But Johnson is not an innocent layman, he is willfully misconstruing the thoughts & words of others. To a scientist, this is perhaps the purest form of evil, & consequently it makes me wonder how Johnson manages to square his actions with his Christianity.
2. Lightly dismissing substantive evidence. There are many examples of this scattered throughout Defeating Darwin, but one example will suffice, since it is repeated at least 10 times in Johnson's book. This is his constant derision of the thirty years of work by Peter & Rosemary Grant (& their multitude of students & associates) on the year-by-year changes in the fauna of the Galapagos. Johnson sneers at this massive body of work as "measuring finch beaks", of no relevance whatsoever. But he just happens to neglect to remind his readers that the Galapagos were precisely Darwin's unexpected natural laboratory that suggested the theory of evolution to him in the first place.
Consequently, when the Grants report on the remarkable physical changes that can occur in some species in a single season, that does in fact point precisely to the powerful potential for speciation to occur, given even a very minor amount of geologic time.
Two other points about the book: First, Johnson surprisingly does not speak in this book of 'speciation'. That used to be his mantra: micro-evolution yes, speciation no. Apparently he realizes that he is slowing but surely being driven from that particular battlement by the patiently accumulating work of tens of thousands of evolutionary scientists. Instead, Johnson focusses on demanding proof of the evolution of the first lifeform on earth from non-living organic chemicals. This is as reasonable as my refusing to believe that Philip Johnson exists, unless he can show me the particular sperm & egg cell that gave rise to his embryo-hood. But this sort of pretended willful ignorance is, I suppose, a highly useful tactic on his part, occupying a battlement that he knows can never be stormed, however silly a point it might be.
Second, this book advances no positive program of its own. It is an attack on evolution, but it fails at every instance to state what Johnson would substitute for evolution in the biology & earth science courses of this nation, beyond Behe's Intelligent Design. And presenting ID takes about 5 minutes, for what is there to discuss once the teacher has established that a supernatural intelligence (wink, wink) was responsible for Life, every different species, & every organ of moderate or greater complexity.
One is pretty much forced to conclude, by default, while reading Johnson's repeated pieties, that he imagines the remainder of the semester will be filled with detailed studies of the New Testament (& how many open-minded questions will be asked then?).
Science can be Dogma, Scientists can be fanatic........2007-06-02
Obliviously, most of the negative reviewers didn't even read this book. The main focus of this brief book is to give a quick introduction to philosophical, scientific and theological arguments against the Evolution. What most of the negative reviewers are missing is his main point: Evolution as asserted by Dawkins and other fanatics, means the universe and all life in it came by about by chance - it doesn't mean you disagree with darwin's finches or other microevolution.
He brings up cases of logical, particularly from microbiologists - objections to evolution that are shot down by 'fanatics' and just as illogical as fundmentalist creationists. For example a 15 year boy in denver objected to NOVA special on evolution being shown in his school. The press portrayed him as a fanatic, but his objection was that the flaws in the show, such as 'the first form of life was a bacteria that fed off of other bacteria' (!).
In short, this isn't the either or argument that the press makes it out to be - evolution cannot and has not explained all aspects of life -and for example Richard Dawkin's reductionist theories that we are just walking bits of DNA meant to pass on DNA passes the line from science to fanatical dogma
watered down.......2007-04-05
This was an unecessary book. It is simply a watered down version of Darwin on Trial. This book leaves out the evidence of the scientific flaws of Darwinism that Darwin on Trial contained. Also be warned, Johnson is not a 6 day creationist nor is he a scientist like Duane Gish. He is more in line with intellegent design. You can decide if that is a good or bad thing.
Some of you are missing the point!.......2007-03-01
There are scores of books on scientific arguments with evidence available for those who want to know. This book is designed to get people to use critical thinking and common sense to start a new dialogue on the origins of life. This is the sole purpose of this book, persuading a person to fairly look at both sides. IMHO the naturalistic evidence is so lacking that belief in evolution is equivalent to belief in God as creator in that neither side can explain exactly how it was done. However, the prescence of conciousness and information alone argue in favor of ID for the origins of life on earth. Many people are totally unwilling to consider any evidence contrary to naturalistic theory. And the reference made by another reviewer about Billy Graham is a little lacking. Mr Johnson explains quite clearly that Billy didnt have the time to fully investigate all the evidence and chose instead to believe God. This is not the same as being afraid to evaluate the evidence for fear of finding out you are wrong. In addition I think that most people would agree that just in the last 30 years there have been new discoveries in many fields that place intelligent design in a much more favorable light. So in the past Billy Graham's contemporaries may very well have been swayed by the evidence of naturalistic origins. Today, I think that anyone who honestly weighs the evidence on both sides would be hard pressed to believe that all we see in nature could have arisen by chance.
Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds.......2007-02-28
I recommend this book if you're someone who is straddling the line between believing evolution and creationism, or believe both. This book will teach you how creationism and evolutionism cannot coexist. I'm almost 14 years old, and I can understand this book, surely anyone else can. This book clearly portrays the falseness of evolution and makes it easy to understand that they can't be true at the same time. Remember, it takes more faith to believe evolution than creationism, because with creationism at least you have a starting point with God, and evolution you have nothing!
Book Description
Philosopher David Stove concludes in his hilarious and razor-sharp inquiry that Darwin's theory of evolution is a ridiculous slander on human beings. But wait! Stove is no creationist nor a proponent of so-called intelligent design. He is a theological skeptic who admits Darwin's great genius and acknowledges that the theory of natural selection is the most successful biological theory in history. But Stove also thinks that it is also one of the most overblown and gives a penetrating inventory of what he regards as the unbelievable claims of Darwinism. Darwinian Fairytales is a must-read book for people who want to really understand the issues behind the most hotly debated scientific controversy of our time.
Customer Reviews:
A skeptical, analytical philosopher takes on Darwin, Dawkins.......2007-10-02
"[Stove] is particularly good at exposing the `amazingly arrogant habit of Darwinians' of `blaming the fact, instead of blaming their theory' when they encounter contrary biological facts. Doctrinaire Darwinists have an answer for everything, always a bad sign in science, since it means that mere facts can never prove them wrong." - from Roger Kimball's Introduction
It is not at all the case that Stove objects to Darwinism on religious grounds, in fact he believes that present life has by some means evolved from earlier forms; however he is quite certain that "Darwin's explanation of evolution, even though it is . . . still the best one available, is not true." Stove would object, and strongly so, to having his essays cast as being sympathetic to `creationism' or `intelligent design', as he defines himself as a man "of no religion." His knowledge and scholarship of Darwinian theory is self-evidently vast; he suggests that he has "wasted" his time reading hundreds of Darwinism's books and `Darwinian Fairytales' makes it quite evident that he has indeed studied every prominent Darwinian "from 1859 to the present hour."
I had just begun reading Richard Dawkins' `The Blind Watchmaker' when I noticed that David Stove's `Darwinian Fairytales' had been reprinted. While reading them both it quickly seemed imperative that I read Dawkins' `The Selfish Gene' before proceeding with either TBW or DF. So that is what I did. Reading the three books in close conjunction was quite a fascinating experience, and, as I have indicated elsewhere (my review of TSG), Dawkins didn't fare to well.
Stove, the late Australian philosopher of science, effectively skewers Dawkins (especially TSG, but, to a lesser extent, TBW as well), Stove nails E.O. Wilson too, in fact he takes a troupe of Darwinian champions to the woodshed -- T.H. Huxley, R.D. Alexander, R. Trivers, R.A. Fisher, among many others. A skeptic in Hume's mold, Stove has acerbically critiqued various iconic founts of Western thought, some more effectively than others, so Darwinians need not feel singled out (but of course they probably will). This book was his last, completed not long before his death in 1994.
Although he presents a few other criticisms, Stove relentlessly targets (1) Darwinism's ideological death-struggle with "altruism" -- that it must deny is actually altruism, and (2) Darwinism's non-falsifiable teleological doctrine: the immutable Lordship of "the selfish gene" -- a doggedly fideistic article of simple faith. Darwinism's teachings on altruism are easily sacked, both by clear logic and by mere empirical evidence; its supposedly anti-teleological teleology of itself qualifies Darwinism as being a religion.
If there is something to be faulted in Stove's book (a collection of 11 essays), it is the repetitiveness (not surprising as this is usually a problem in works of argumentation). Long after he has defeated the teleological and "altruism" defamations of Dawkins, Wilson, and the like, he is still throwing the badly bloodied doctrines to the ground. Because of this, and because each of the essays can more or less stand on its own, I recommend reading the first essay (Darwin's Dilemma), the second and the last (eleventh) before heading into the others. If the essay (#4) treating the influence of Malthus' population dynamics on Darwin's thought becomes dry or uninteresting, then skip it, perhaps moving to essays #9 (A New Religion) or 10 (Paley's Revenge, or Purpose Regained).
This is not what I expected.......2007-05-13
I barely read into the book when I realized that the author is still a true believer of the Darwin fairy tale. It was painful for me to do, but I threw the book in the trash today. Next time I'll be more careful.
The H.L. Mencken of sociobiology.......2007-04-04
David Stove is one of the great underappreciated writers of the late 20th century. He's also dead, which doesn't generally do much for one's ability to slay dragons. It is fortunate the good people at the New Criterion have more or less sponsored his revival; he deserves to be much more widely known. Stove was an Australian academic philosopher who became embroiled in a university in-fight against what I like to call, the "know nothing academics" who came to prominence in the 1960s. Know nothings essentially make their livings making rasberry sounds at Western civilization. Stove was outraged such people could be taken seriously by anyone, and so he devoted a large amount of his considerable remaining wit and energy making such people miserable. This book represents one of his efforts in that direction. Contrary to what many people are saying in the reviews, Stove explicitly believes in Darwinian evolution, "more or less." I.e. he states that he believes in the broad strokes of evolutionary theory. He is, as others have stated, an atheist (as am I, if that matters to anyone).
He very specifically doesn't believe in nonsense views of evolution; in particular, the "hard man" view of Herbert Spencer or its intellectual descendant, the "selfish gene" view of Dawkins and company. Stove ruthlessly mocks the preposterous premises of these ideas (which even a 'good' Popperian would instantly recognize as non-falsifiable piffle), simply by examining them for what they really are. He also points out numerous giant conceptual lacunae, counterfactuals and the examples of flat out nonsense that make up the evidence for sociobiological "theory." Why does Stove do this? Apparently, he was ahead of his time. People like Dawkins have become pervasive pests; insisting that everyone think as he does, or risk being labeled, "unbright." Sociobiological 'theoretical' deconstructings of literature have become all the rage. Dawkins and his unseemly ilk need to be put in their place, along with other pseudo-scientific charlatans like Lysenko or the Phrenologists. Sociobiology is a shabby set of shaggy dog stories; Stove shows us how funny and absurd they really are. I rather wish Stove was a statistician as well; that would be the final cherry on top of the sociobiological humble pie, but I suppose one must leave work for future thinkers.
Stop misunderstanding texts!.......2007-04-02
This text does not attempt to show that Darwinism is false, at best it succeeds in showing that certain applications of the theory are incorrect.
Evolution is not a "religion for adults" - it is a complex theory that should not be debated by those who do not know it. Simply because there exist statements about the theory (or statements made by the proponents of the theory) that are perhaps false, does not mean the entire theory is.
Has anyone heard of Richard Dawkins? He clearly showed how evolution can and has created cooperative systems.
Everyone - please educate yourselves from a well-balanced mix of texts, understand what the author's points are, and more importantly, reason about what is said - there are authors that care more for the money made from publishing a book, than the honest science and research that should go into it.
enjoy the ride.......2007-02-07
Modern "scientists" have elevated evolution to a cult. Enter intelligent design (ID) critics, whacked on by their roots with creationists (their own pre-Socratics), and you have one helluva fight. With these ideologues migrating to extremism and away from reason as understood by both scientific method and Aristotelian logic you are bound to have very murky waters indeed. The debate becomes unrecognizable to the classically educated.
Enter the reasonable atheist apologist for no side with whom people of faith (like myself) and no faith (like my friends) can wholeheartedly cheer on by anchoring the conversation in reason once again. The late David Stove does just that, with precision, wit, logic, clarity, and joy. Reading this book is like a breath of fresh air, and restores faith in human reason and the ability of thinkers to expose unsupportable extremes cloaked in unearned authority, whether it is "science" or "religion." A marvellous book which will have ideologues steaming and truth lovers and sideline quarterbacks enjoying the game.
Book Description
Presenting an ardent defence of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, this book offers a clear and comprehensive exposition of Darwin’s thinking. Michael Ruse brings the story up-to-date, examining the origins of life, the fossil record, and the mechanism of natural selection. Rival theories are explored, from punctuated equilibrium to human evolution (including the recently found ‘hobbits’, Homo floresiensis). The philosophical and religious implications of Darwinism are discussed, including a discussion of Creationism and its modern day offshoot, Intelligent Design Theory. Ruse draws upon the most recent discoveries, writing with a minimum of jargon in order to appeal to all readers, from professional biologists to those concerned that Darwinism is a naturalistic religion that is forced on school children despite their own Christian convictions. Openly revealing his own beliefs, Ruse presents readers with all the information and critical tools they need to make an informed decision on evolutionary theory.
Customer Reviews:
Quite A Substantive Introduction to Darwinism and its Impact.......2007-04-19
I found this to be quite a useful discussion of Darwin which gets much more into the underlying scientific and philosophical dimensions than do other introductory books. I can't say I understood all of the points the author was making (despite a rather articulate and cogent writing style), but I absorbed enough to at least understand what some of the various arguments relating to Darwin involve. This is not an attack per se on intelligent design or religion even for that matter--in fact one of the most interesting chapters deals with religion in a most even-handed fashion. Especially well done are the initial overview chapter on "Charles Darwin and His Revolution," followed by very detailed and sometimes challenging chapters on topics such as "Humans," "Literature" and the "Facts," "Path" and "Cause of Evolution." The author's discussion of "Dishonest Science" was particularly helpful since so many scientific claims and counterclaims seem to be flying around relating to evolution--and as usual, the discussion is extremely balanced. The author has written many books on evolution and is quite expert on the topic at all levels of complexity. His ability to explain all these concepts to those less versed is to be commended. His bibliography is of great value, and the book comes in at around 300 pages (including helpful illustrations and diagrams). A valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in getting more deeply into Darwin and his revolution.
Truth Over Ideology.......2007-03-05
What a satisfying book! For a while it seemed that we were stuck with two extremes: (1) Creationist/ID efforts to discredit Evolution or (2) rabid scientists (like Dawkins & Crew) who sought to imbue Evolution with a religious tone, insisting that those who accept it must also adopt an religion-bashing atheist. Worse, those latter efforts have turned the discussion on its head, moving it out of the scientific world into the culture wars of politics and religion. Besides, someone's position on faith is so scientifically irrelevant in the first place - science rises and falls on evidence, not on belief.
This is a good middle ground that does NOT take arguments from both sides and fuse them in a confusing mush of conflicting ideas. The defense of Evolution is broad, deep and thorough (although it is not textbook complexity). At the same time he gives air time to those from the other side (ID mainly) who cannot accept the fact that life arose from non-life and that natural selection could bring about such complex organisms as worms (you thought I was going to say "people" - LOL). Ruse not only explains the mechanical workings of Evolution (abbrevieated) but is somewhat of an expert on the history of the idea. This part was, in many ways, one of the most satisfying as he traces Darwins's thought process, suppositions and conflicts. One can almost see the great man pondering these things on his way to church or as he putters in his nice English garden. Parenthetically, Darwin was totally against any war on religion and stated this numerous times.
While it is true that there are philosophical and religious implications of Darwinism, troubles immediately rise when it is used outside biology. That old fandango, Social Darwinism, was once widely accepted by "progressives" as a scientific way of measuring societies and individuals. The new emphasis on biosociology and biopsychology follows the same pathway by proposing that social constructs be formed around biological theories.
The most obvious example of conflict - and one he handles well - is religion. He does this however by diluting the underpinnings of many a religious person, treating miracles as allegory, supernatural events as parables and religious history as suspect. What he retains is the most important part in the real world - its ethical tradition. Although I find it difficult to understand how one can continue practicing traditional faith once the stories, miracles and history are removed, it is certaintly their right to do so without being insulted or savaged. Altogether a very good read.
Adjudicating points of contention.......2007-03-02
In a previous book, Can a Darwinian Be a Christian? (2001), Michael Ruse reconciled the ways of Christianity to the fact of evolution. He did so by allowing for a largely symbolic reading of the Bible and by defining Christianity as a system of belief about matters beyond the reach of Darwinism, such as our having souls and being made in the image of God and being given heavenly or hellish eternal life in realms not subject to biological evolution.
Here Ruse adjudicates various disputes between Darwinism and its critics and among Darwinians themselves on such matters as natural selection (especially this), punctuated equilibrium, group selection, drift, reductionism, etc. Unfortunately I don't think he adds much that is new to the discussion, and his torturously "correct" navigation between believers and non-believers left this reader annoyed. Spill the beans! For example, state it clearly: Christianity that relies on a literal interpretation of the Bible is incompatible with Darwinism. Period. Add: Those who appreciate the fact of biological evolution cannot accept that man was made in a Christian God's image or that a personal God is, and has been, shaping events on this planet.
Ruse writes from the point of view of a historian of evolutionary science and as someone sympathetic with what I might call progressive Christianity, a Christianity that knows that the world was not made in six days and that the earth has been around for a few billion years and that God does not have a belly button or even an alimentary canal or a need for either. Ruse is an expert on Darwinism and its contemptuous history and he understands the major issues very well. He is the kind of writer who bends over backwards to be fair to his opposition, such as creationists and Intelligent Designers, as well as atheists like Richard Dawkins or agnostics like Stephen Jay Gould. He is also the kind of writer who equivocates a lot, whose instincts are to find common ground and to further responsible and honorable dialogue, which is the strength of this book.
He begins with a chapter demonstrating the Charles Darwin really does deserve the credit he gets for being the first to understand natural selection, which is the very heart and soul of evolutionary theory. He goes on to argue for "The Fact of Evolution" (the title of Chapter Two) while giving a hearing to creationist/ID people like Alvin Plantinga and Michael Behe. He follows with a discussion of the some of the problems surrounding "The Origin of Life" (Chapter Three). He ends the book with chapters ten, eleven and twelve on "Philosophy," "Literature," and "Religion." There is some interesting material on the epistemological ramifications of biological evolution and whether we can construct some sort of morality from Darwin's blueprint. (No!) He analyses Ian McEwan's contemporary novel, Enduring Love (1997) in terms of its relationship to Darwinism, and he dregs up some raucous anti-Darwinian quotes from George Bernard Shaw and recalls Samuel Butler's Erewhon (1872) amid a gloss about the differences between machines and organisms. In-between there is some interesting pro and con about familiar issues within evolutionary theory.
Ruse's style is a little long-winded and (typical of philosophers) weighted down with careful qualification--yet, at the same time, he is capable of wit and sharp expression. This is the sort of book that will appeal to those readers with philosophic, literary and historical inclinations. This is not a book for biological scientists or for those looking for cutting edge discussions of problems in evolutionary theory.
Three things:
(1) I am not enamored of the term "Darwinism" as a synonym for biological evolution. It is too restrictive both in terms of the ideas and manifestations of evolution, but also in terms of the historical record.
(2) While Ruse understands that the facts about our biological nature revealed by evolutionary biology do not necessarily support any kind of "ought" about how we should behave, he doesn't seem to realize (see pages189-193) that we can understand and forgive on a biological level while on a societal level we must throw the violent criminals into jail. There is no "very fine line" between knowledge of our biology and our ethics, and "Darwinian approaches to humankind certainly" do not "cross that line." (p. 193) "What is" is one thing. "What should be" is another. People crossing that blunt and clearly marked line do so on their own.
(3) Little light and certainly no resolution are brought to bear on the problem of evil and free will that Ruse addresses beginning on page 284. He brings the matter up because some people think that seeing the world from the view of biological evolution somehow supports evil in the world and argues against free will. The problem of evil is the result of the belief in a personal God who is all powerful and at the same time all compassionate and has nothing to do with biological evolution. Furthermore, the question of whether we have free will or whether it is just an illusion we cannot help but believe, is a philosophical problem and not a scientific one.
Postdarwinism and its discontents.......2007-01-22
It has been a vintage year for Darwin books, the second for Mr. Ruse. The more there are, the less they seem to convince. Besieged by Intelligent Design, the cadre of obsessives plying Darwin's theory must be meaning to lay down the paradigm boundaries once and for all for a confused and, unfortunately, thoroughly hoodwinked public simultaneously tempted by the opposite oversimplifications of the design argument and its minions. Ruse's book is exceptionally clear, and that's a problem, the weakness of the theory of natural selection stands out all the more. No amount of official material defending Darwin will finally convince the world, to the frustration of the hard-core 'contented' Darwin true believers. The question has gone on too long, and we really don't need anymore books defending Darwin at this point. The jig is up if fundamentalist Christians, in the midst of their incompetence and rival obsessions, nonetheless can see through a theory when the best scientists aren't able to do this. Part of the problem is that the domination of Darwin's theory is so entrenched that public discussion is essentially bogus, leaving the reigning paradigm to coast in an atmosphere of overconfidence. We need someone in the field, it might have been Ruse, to say 'enough's enough' and simply expose the false certitude of Darwinian theory at the point where it is being used to construct a metaphysical worldview to be imposed on the public with a dogmatism hidden behind scientism. Stemming the tide of the inexorable coming of Postdarwinism is impossible in the end, and better that scientists do the job, since the Bible Belt appears ready otherwise to do it for them.
It Won't Convince Those Who Simply Refuse to Consider.......2006-11-14
The current issue of Newsweek magazine ways that about have of the people in the United States believes that the universe is 6000 years old. That fossils like the dinosaurs were put there just to test one's beliefs, that the light coming from distant galaxies is somehow being created while it's on its way here, that there is no need to conserve energy because the selected few are going to be taken up bo heaven by Jesus sometime in the next fifty years or so while the rest of the population of the earth dies.
If someone actually believes these things as a matter of faith with no room for questioning, there is little that any book can do to change their minds.
On the other hand, this is the most complete analysis of the arguments against Darwin and evolution that I have ever seen. And with each argument the author clearly points out that experimental evidence is against such an argument. To anyone with an open mind who is interested in what the evidence shows, this is a supurb book. It basically takes one argument against Darwin per chapter and discusses it completely. If anything, he leans almost to far in accepting the arguments. Still at the end, he explains the best thinking that scientists backed up with experimental evidence have to justify evolution.
Book Description
Recent years have seen the rise to prominence of ever more sophisticated philosophical and scientific critiques of the ideas marketed under the name of Darwinism. In Uncommon Dissent, mathematician and philosopher William A. Dembski brings together essays by leading intellectuals who find one or more aspects of Darwinism unpersuasive. As Dembski explains, Darwinism has gathered around itself an aura of invincibility that is inhospitable to rational discussion—to say the least: "Darwinism, its proponents assure us, has been overwhelmingly vindicated. Any resistance to it is futile and indicates bad faith or worse." Indeed, those who question the Darwinian synthesis are supposed, in the famous formulation of Richard Dawkins, to be ignorant, stupid, insane, or wicked.
The hostility of dogmatic Darwinians like Dawkins has not, however, prevented the advent of a growing cadre of scholarly critics of metaphysical Darwinism. The measured, thought-provoking essays in Uncommon Dissent make it increasingly obvious that these critics are not the brainwashed fundamentalist buffoons that Darwinism's defenders suggest they are, but rather serious, skeptical, open-minded inquirers whose challenges pose serious questions about the viability of Darwinist ideology. The intellectual power of their contributions to Uncommon Dissent is bracing.
Customer Reviews:
Food for Thought.......2007-06-27
To me, there's more to life than is either explainable or predictable exclusively by Darwin's theory. Where did the first cell come from, anyway, and why was it so amenable to the evolution process? THis book offers several discussions as to the sometimes mistaken view of Darwinism as being a proved theory on a par with other theories of science, gravity or energy. Darwinism can't predict future interactions or allow repeatable experiments, for example.
Some authors have more of a religious bent than others but, overall, the discussions do not dwell on magical creation. The point is that there is something more going on than just shaking a planet full of dirt and 'evolving' Shania Twain and Albert Einstien. David Berlinski is particularly brilliant, well spoken and knowlegable. Search other of his writings on the web.
I'd keep a pretty open mind as to whether Darwinism, exclusively, can explain all the phenomina associated with life on Earth.
Outstanding.......2007-05-13
This collection is must reading for anyone who has an interest in thinking about Darwinism and well-written responses to various types of Darwinism. No cheap shots or half-baked arguments found here.
All are carefully selected pieces - and each is worth taking the time to mentally engage.
Darwin's delusions examined.......2007-03-11
Essentially the theory of evolution can be said to endorse by implication the claim that birds fly because they are afraid of cats. Enough said.
Creationism without the forcing of Religion.......2006-12-22
This is a very good collection of writings and essays that merely say that Creationism is just as viable as Darwinism. Good read that really makes you think. It also makes clear arguments and clear and decisive points about Darwinism. It is also nice because it's Secular creationism and not doesn't spout religion at you. It allows you to make up your own mind and not to be influenced by one theory or another but to keep your mind open. And in the long run thats all that matters.
A pick for college-level collections strong in either science or philosophy.......2006-09-07
It's hard to easily categorize this: both science and philosophy blend in Uncommon Dissent: Intellectuals Who Find Darwinism Unconvincing, making it a pick for college-level collections strong in either science or philosophy. Contributors discuss Darwinian evolutionary theory with an eye to revealing its problems: Dembski gathers essays from leading intellectuals who provide strong counter-arguments against Darwin's ideas.
Book Description
In this tour de force of evidence and logic, Michael Behe draws on the most extensive and detailed genetic studies available - - concerning the genomes both of human beings and of our worst diseases, especially malaria - - to reveal a stunning fact: Darwin's theory of common descent is decisively proven, but his mechanism of random mutation and natural selection is woefully, irrefutably insufficient to account for the evolution of life on earth. With The Edge of Evolution, the theory of intelligent design finally has its masterwork, a comprehensive scientific statement that draws the line between random and non-random mutation in nature; defines the principles by which Darwinism evolution can be distinguished from designl fits design theory together with the findings of cosmology, chemistry, and physics into an overarching theory of the universe; and lays out a research program, with predictions, to counter the failed predictions of Darwin's enthusiasts.
The Edge of Evolution is certain to be one of the most controversial books of science published in years. Critics have dismissed design theory as mere disguised creationism, and claimed that it is unscientific and/or just another "God of the gaps" argument, yet they cannot say the same about Behe's new work. Studies of DNA have revealed the various types and rates of mutation. That information, combined with population sizes, makes it possible to define the mathematical limits of Darwinism - - and they are radically circumscribed. Extrapolating from studies of malaria, E Coli, HIV, and the human genome, to the entire history of life on earth, proves that random mutation plays only a minor role in evolutionary change.
Customer Reviews:
Could be titled "The End of Evolution".......2007-10-10
Michael Behe does it again! After single-handedly proving evolution wrong in his seminal work Darwin's Black Box, Behe continues his assault upon the vacuous myth of science we call Darwin's Theory of Evolution. It is astonishing that anybody can still believe in evolution after reading this book and Darwin's Black Box. The evidence for evolution just isn't there! And all of the evidence that is there is squarely on the side of Intelligent Design. And we have Behe to thank for making these revolutionary discoveries that have opened the minds of so many people to God. If Behe can continue to dismantle evolution with the skill he has thus far shown, evolution can be completely destroyed and our children will be saved from learning this vile myth!
Asks the questions no one else seems to........2007-10-01
In this book Michael Behe bypasses all the assertions surrounding what evolution is supposedly able to do and actually looks at what the raw material of evolution, mutations, are empirically able to achieve.
Looking at two of the most well studied and prolific organisms available to us, maleria and HIV, Behe shows that random mutations can achieve a great deal, if just one site change is required. Far less successful are changes that require two related site changes, and for three or more... in the words of the Mafia "fugedaboutit".
Behe advances an argument based on his observations that in order to beat so-called "superbugs" we just have to focus on finding antibiotics that would require the organism to mutate three or more sites to overcome it's affects.
Evolution, you are weighed in the balance and found wanting.
The questions nobody wants to ask.......2007-09-26
The edge of evolution is a terrific book. It asks, and often answers, the questions that many research biologists don't want asked. I am a university professor, and in my experience research and "the present state of scientific understanding" is often as much about accepted views as it is about provable experiments. This is often a good system, but also creates enclaves in scientific research - schools of thought in which people of like philosophical thinking defend their point of view. This is often healthy - for example those advancing string theory versus those who think the subject is irrelevant.
The edge of evolution challenges modes of thinking that are widely accepted, putting a real scientific test to ideas that are often taken without examination. These types of questions are the most important element of science and The Edge of Evolution is a must read for anyone who considers evolution an important subject.
Don't panic . . . unless you are a Darwinist.......2007-09-25
Limitations of the mutation-selection mechanism have been coming into focus for some years. Michael Behe does a masterful job of showing that attributing the marvelous machinery of living things to this mechanism makes about as much sense as claiming my breakfast was made by an earthquake. It is not that mutation and selection can't do anything, it is just that it can't do - either in theory or in practice - what true-believers claim it can.
Scientists should be glad to know this as it opens up a wealth of opportunities to seek out the mechanism that really did the heavy lifting in creation of living things. Apparently some people have a big problem with that as evidenced in the hysterical one star reviews responding to The Edge of Evolution. These can be safely ignored, they are the religiously motivated rants of those who seem to have based their faith on something that turns out to be simply wrong. They are clearly not motivated by open scientific inquiry.
In the mean time, I remain perfectly comfortable in the observation that it was my wife who cracked the eggs and scrambled them for breakfast, not an earthquake. Yes, earthquakes can crack eggs and yes mutation and selection can do something, but an earthquake didn't make my breakfast and mutation and selection played only a minor role in creating my wife. If you don't believe me, read The Edge of Evolution with an open mind. It turns out that there is more to learn in biology than we thought!
Edge of Evolution rescues Darwinian evolution from fanatics.......2007-09-23
Mike Behe's Edge of Evolution is, quite obviously, a fundamental challenge to the vast claims made for Darwinian evolution.
Behe is exactly the right challenger. He has no concerns about (1) the age of the Earth, (2) whether Ronald Reagan and Bonzo are ultimately cousins, or (3) whether Darwinian evolution can create things.
His questions are: What can Darwinian evolution actually create? What are the limits on what it can create?
As it happens, the war between the malaria parasite and the human blood cell gives us a reasonable idea of what Darwinian evolution can do over many generations, and the answer is: a bit but not much
Now here we come to a fork in the road: If you think evolution happened, but do not need it to explain everything, you will see Behe's book as a valuable achievement in science. He lays the groundwork for analyzing the effects a specific cause (Darwinian evolution) produces.
If, on the other hand, you need Darwinian evolution to explain the origin and development of all life, and perhaps of the universe itself and even the human mind - you will not like this book. Not a bit.
But then, it wasn't written to please you. It was written to rescue Darwinian evolution from the swamps of vulgar, materialist religion and restore it to its rightful, minor place in the history of life.
Book Description
In an easy-to-read text, this book examines growing scientific evidence that is challenging Darwin's theory of evolution: lack of transitional forms in the fossil record, the impossibility of mutations (almost universally destructive) serving as evolutionary building blocks, the bad logic of natural selection theory, the stunning lack of evidence for "ape-men," the mathematic impossibility of life beginning by itself, more. Also explores how Darwinism helped foster Hitler's racial policies and examines how Inherit the Wind grossly misled Americans about the Scopes trial. Addresses the ever-vital question: Are we here by chance or are we created by God? Indexed, over 80 illustrations, hundreds of quotes from scientists.
Customer Reviews:
How Creationism can poison an intelligent mind.......2007-06-30
I gave this book three stars because it is a fascinating peek into how a Creationist mindset can blind even an intelligent person seeking the truth.
As one reviewer said previously, a "hole" in a theory doesn't mean that an alternate theory is immediately true, especially one as farfetched as Creationist theory. The "holes" in Evolutionary theory are miniscule compared to those is Creationist theory.
Using your rationality, I ask you this question: which is more believable to you: Darwin's theory of evolution or the literal belief in Noah's Ark? Please, use your head!
Exposes the flaws in evolution THEORY.......2005-12-23
If you read this book with an honest open mind and evaluate evolution logically, chances are you will walk away amazed that the THEORY of evolution has gotten so far. I had no idea there was such a lack of evidence for evolution until I read this. I am encouraged to see that evolution is not advancing as a theory...more and more people (and scientists) are recognizing it for what it is: pure speculation.
I think Darwin himself said it best in his letter to a colleague in 1858. He said evolution "will be grievously too hypothetical." I couldn't agree more.
Childish nonsense.......2004-04-20
I just finished reading this mind-numbing waste of time and now I really need to take a shower. I always thought that creationists, with their childish arguments and Santa Claus logic, were semi-amusing and ultimately harmless. But now that I have a child of my own I think it may be time to circle the wagons of intellect. Dig?
Methodically refutes Darwin's theory of evolution.......2003-11-11
Darwin's theory of evolution and "survival of the fittest" are taught as fact in nearly all of today's schools. Any other theory of the source and principles of life on earth are shouted down, belittled and attacked with vigor. But how sound is Darwin's theory?
James Perloff uses statements from evolutionist scientists and those of prominent scientists to expose the weaknesses of evolution theory. In the end, you have to have more faith in miracles to believe in evolution than you do for "intelligent design" theory.
Some of the areas discussed:
* Darwin's own concerns of the weakness of his theory.
* Difference between variation within a species, and transformation of a species into another species.
* Lack of evidence of evolutionary development in the record of 250,000 fossils, or even in the known history of animal life.
* Order does not accidentally arise from disorder.
* Living organisms are rife with examples of irreducible complexity. That is, mechanisms such as reproduction that require many complex components to be available at the same time; there is no means by which the components could be evolved independently.
With so many weaknesses in evolution theory, and so many indications of intelligent design in nature and especially life, why is it that evolutionists are so adamant and vigorous in the defense of their own theory and in the attack of competing theories? In other areas of science multiple theories are acccepted and taught simultaneously until hard proof is developed to disprove one or the other. But when it comes to the origin of life the evolutionists are religious zealots of Darwin. It seems obvious their position is not based on science but on a strong desire to eliminate God (or some supreme intelligent being as the creator and designer of the universe)from science. The premise of a creator God is a more valid and consistent theory of life than evolution.
Perloff extensively documents the premises of evolution theory and the multitude of "holes" in the evidence, or even evidence to the contrary. He uses the words of evolutionists, Nobel honorees, and prominent scientists from microbology to astronomy to introduce and validate his points.
If you are weary of evolutionsist forcing their theory as fact on you, your children and society in general, or are actually a disciplined scientist that wants to explore *all* the aspects of a theory, then read Perloff. James Perloff offers a detailed explanation of the premises and weaknesses of Darwin's theory of evolution. Intelligent design or creationism will appear much more likely as a workable theory than evolution. Science is a useful an honored employment of our rational brain to understand the workings of the world around us. But can we eliminate God from science and still understand the world, especially living organisms? Read Perloff to stimulate your mind.
Critique of a Theory is NOT a Theory.......2003-08-04
Creationists just don't wish to understand the scientific process.
Contrary to what some others have said, I will not argue that the complete book is a straw man. It contains some valid critique of the evolutionary theory. Critique of a theory DOES NOT mean validation of another, considerably more farfetched theory. If there is critique to be found in the theory, the model changes, it is not destroyed. Once creationism is able to destroy the central tenets of the theory, I will buy it.
In the current case, it is simply redundant. Peer-reviewed critiques change the model already; creationism introduces NOTHING new to the debate.
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Darwinism and the Linguistic Image: Language, Race, and Natural Theology in the Nineteenth Century (New Studies in American Intellectual and Cultural History)
Stephen G. Alter
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
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ASIN: 0801858828 |
Book Description
In the nineteenth century, philology -- especially comparative philology -- made impressive gains as a discipline, thus laying the foundation for the modern field of linguistics. In Darwinism and the Linguistic Image, Stephen G. Alter examines how comparative philology provided a genealogical model of language that Darwin, as well as other scientists and language scholars, used to construct rhetorical parallels with the common-descent theory of evolution.
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