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The Amazon Store at MillionDollarPetPix.com ( In association with Amazon.com )Evolution: The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory (Modern Library Chronicles)by: Edward J. Larson  List Price: $14.95 Amazon.com's Price: $10.17 You Save: $4.78 (32%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 576.8 EAN: 9780812968491 ISBN: 0812968492 Label: Modern Library Manufacturer: Modern Library Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 368 Publication Date: August 08, 2006 Publisher: Modern Library Release Date: August 08, 2006 Studio: Modern Library Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Product Description: “I often said before starting, that I had no doubt I should frequently repent of the whole undertaking.” So wrote Charles Darwin aboard The Beagle, bound for the Galapagos Islands and what would arguably become the greatest and most controversial discovery in scientific history. But the theory of evolution did not spring full-blown from the head of Darwin. Since the dawn of humanity, priests, philosophers, and scientists have debated the origin and development of life on earth, and with modern science, that debate shifted into high gear. In this lively, deeply erudite work, Pulitzer Prize–winning science historian Edward J. Larson takes us on a guided tour of Darwin’s “dangerous idea,” from its theoretical antecedents in the early nineteenth century to the brilliant breakthroughs of Darwin and Wallace, to Watson and Crick’s stunning discovery of the DNA double helix, and to the triumphant neo-Darwinian synthesis and rising sociobiology today. Along the way, Larson expertly places the scientific upheaval of evolution in cultural perspective: the social and philosophical earthquake that was the French Revolution; the development, in England, of a laissez-faire capitalism in tune with a Darwinian ethos of “survival of the fittest”; the emergence of Social Darwinism and the dark science of eugenics against a backdrop of industrial revolution; the American Christian backlash against evolutionism that culminated in the famous Scopes trial; and on to today’s world, where religious fundamentalists litigate for the right to teach “creation science” alongside evolution in U.S. public schools, even as the theory itself continues to evolve in new and surprising directions. Throughout, Larson trains his spotlight on the lives and careers of the scientists, explorers, and eccentrics whose collaborations and competitions have driven the theory of evolution forward. Here are portraits of Cuvier, Lamarck, Darwin, Wallace, Haeckel, Galton, Huxley, Mendel, Morgan, Fisher, Dobzhansky, Watson and Crick, W. D. Hamilton, E. O. Wilson, and many others. Celebrated as one of mankind’s crowning scientific achievements and reviled as a threat to our deepest values, the theory of evolution has utterly transformed our view of life, religion, origins, and the theory itself, and remains controversial, especially in the United States (where 90% of adults do not subscribe to the full Darwinian vision). Replete with fresh material and new insights, Evolution will educate and inform while taking readers on a fascinating journey of discovery. From the Hardcover edition. Average Rating:
 Rating: - very good, if somewhat light, history of evolutionThis is a well written, and relatively brief account of the history of the theory of evolution. It starts with an overview of related theories before Darwin. While Darwin certainly plays a central role, the book quickly moves on to the early 20th century when evolution really became a scientific theory (this may be incorrect, but it seems to be implied in the account). While the account up to about the 70s is fascinating, I think that it petered out after ... Read More Rating: - Detailed history of an important theoryLarson's book is a thorough survey of the figures of history who contributed to the theory of evolution. From 18th century French naturalist Cuvier to modern British biologist Dawkins, this volume details the story and impact of those men, often delving into the religious implications of scientific findings, but focusing on the concepts of evolution itself. While the description of those concepts are sufficient, they aren't exactly stimulating, but the background anecdotes on each contributor give the ... Read More Rating: - How Darwinism made headway among ChristiansIf, as Edward Larson says, Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species" "dealt a body blow to traditional Western religious thought," then how in the world did it succeed as quickly as it did in a society that was, to put it mildly, staunchly devoted to Christianity? Larson, a professor of both law and history at the University of Georgia, has been trying to explain that for years. "Evolution" is the third and last volume of that study. The second volume in his saga, "Summer of the Gods," which covered the ... Read More Rating:  - A Highly Useful Introduction to EvolutionEdward Larson's book on Evolution I found to be extremely useful and a valuable resource. Larson is the author of a fine study of the Scopes Trial called "Summer for the Gods." This Modern Library book in its 300 pages is chock full of useful information on this topic. This is not a book just about Darwin, though of course he is the central character, but more about what preceded Darwin and what went on after the Darwinian breakthrough, all the way to the present, in Europe and the U.S. In other words, ... Read More Rating: - Excellent General History of a Great IdeaI can't add a lot to the other reviews here. I encourage you to read some of the other reviews to get a summary of the book's contents - I won't repeat those here. I recommend skipping the couple of reviews that are by people simply pushing an agenda. I applaud the Deacon, who while not believing in evolution, still read the book and gave it a fair and honest review (his review proves that fair-minded people can disagree with an author but still give an intellectually honest evaluation). I enjoyed ... Read More 
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