Cretinist

What is the most thorough book debunking Creationism? I've read in a few places that it is Arthur Strahler's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0879754141/internetinfidelsA/" target="_blank">Science and Earth History: The Evolution/Creation Controversy</a>, but I just wanted to make sure. Some of the reviews at amazon.com suggest that it is a little out of date.

[ July 25, 2002: Message edited by: Cretinist ]</p>

DireStraits

Cut to the chase. Go over to talk.origins. It wipes out the whole creationist case. Takes more than your average time to read a book though...

Oolon Colluphid

I'll second TO (of course). It's bound to be better than a book, cos it's compiled by people who are constantly involved in discussions such as we find here.

The best two books I know of are Douglas Futuyma's Science on Trial, which covers all the biological stuff, and Philip Kitcher's Abusing Science, from a more philosophical point of view.

I also hear great things about Miller's Finding Darwin's God, though can't vouch for it personally.

The most ultimately rewarding thing, though, is to plough through a degree-level text like Futuyma's Evolutionary Biology. That way you'll really see just how stupid is the denial of evolution.

Cheers, Oolon

Albion

Agree with all of the above. Also, Ernst Mayr's book "What Evolution Is" is excellent. And if you have a spare couple of years, there's always Stephen Jay Gould's magnum opus "The Structure of Evolutionary Theory." And then I'm always surprised how much there is in "The Blind Watchmaker."

For dealing with ID creationism, Robert Pennock's book "Intelligent Design Creationism and Its Critics" is very informative. And enormous.

(edited cos I'm a useless typist)

[ July 26, 2002: Message edited by: Albion ]</p>

Secular Pinoy

Some of us would prefer the portability and ease of a book rather than view a website (which can strain the eyes). Finding Darwin's God is not that thorough, but it does demolish IDC to smithereens. I haven't read Strahler or Futuyma. Strahler is probably more concerned with YECs' misuse of Earth Science because he is a geologist, though I'm not sure. With Tim Berra's Evolution and the Myth of Creationism you get to see almost all of YEC's arguments refuted, though it didn't go deep enough. The NAS (<a href="http://www.nap.edu/html/creationism/" target="_blank">Science and Creationism</a>) book didn't delve too much with the details. The Blind Watchmaker is pretty long but you won't get to read much debunking of non-biological arguments of Creationism. Abusing Science is great if you like to read the philosophical side of the EvoCre debate, but it is quite dated and says nothing about IDC. Michael Ruse is another Philosopher who tackles the EvoCre debate. I haven't read his books but one of his books, But is it Science?, is found in the <a href="http://www.secweb.org/bookstore/bookdetail.asp?BookID=698" target="_blank">SecWeb Bookstore</a>. Niles Eldredge's The Triumph of Evolution: And the Failure of Creationism is my personal favorite, but I don't think he tackled IDC that much. I probably have some more EvoCre books but I can't remember them right now. Here's a good bibliography from the Creation Science Debunked webpage: <a href="http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/2437/biblio.htm" target="_blank">http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/2437/biblio.htm</a>

HumanisTim

If someone is new to the whole evolution and creation debate, I think the book Evolution and the Myth of Creationism by Tim M Berra is pretty good. I'm still very new to the mechanics of evolution and am learning more about it everyday. But the book is good for those who are beginers.

gravitybow

I agree wholeheartedly with Oolon. These books are the first I ever read on E/C, and they are excellent. Together, they're a one-two punch.

Tim Berra's Evolution and the Myth of Creationism is also a good overview.

KC

Pennock's Tower of Babel is very good as well.

Cheers,

KC

Oolon Colluphid

I agree it's good -- but for 'beginners'. I got my copy (second-hand, fortunately) after having read the other two, and found it too superficial.

But that's not to knock it, it contains some very useful stuff, eg on myxomatosis in Australian rabbits, and some good illustrations. The one to start with if you're new to evolutionary biology, maybe, then move on to more detail.

Cheers, Oolon

Bubba

I'll second Oolon on Barra's book.

To me the best case against creationism is the case from Geology. Once you've proven the earth is old and fossils are preogressively ordered for the most part creationist/IDer's I've casually debated have been stopped in their tracks.

So I guess I'm suggesting perhaps reading a good high school/college level textbook on Geology would help. I know that it did for me.

Bubba