Freethought & Rationalism Archive

jediguy · 04-03-2002, 08:22 PM

As an budding? evolutionist, I've always tried hard to study the facts and theory behind evolution. I recently read "The Blind Watchmaker", which I found very interesting, but can anyone suggest some other good books on evolution?

Cheers.

RufusAtticus · 04-03-2002, 09:02 PM

Jonathan Weiner's "The Beak of the Finch"
Ernst Mayr's "What Evolution Is"

cricket · 04-03-2002, 09:06 PM

The Red Queen by Matt Ridley
The Moral Animal by Robert Wright
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins

Quetzal · 04-03-2002, 09:20 PM

Hi Jediguy: Welcome to II! Oooh, book recommendations - one of my favorite topics. There's a lot of material out there, so it sort of depends on how "deep" you want to go...

My favorites:

"Popular Science"
Dawkins "Climbing Mount Improbable"
Carl Zimmer's "Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea" (outstanding primer)
Sagan's "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" (hominid evolution)
S.J. Gould "Wonderful Life" (Burgess Shale and the Cambrian Explosion)
S.J. Gould "Hens' Teeth and Horses' Toes" and "The Panda's Thumb" (excellent collections of essays)

A bit more technical, but still very readable
Zimmer's "At the Water's Edge" (whale evolution - awesome read)
Ernst Mayr "What Evolution Is" (my hero <img src="graemlins/notworthy.gif" border="0" alt="[Not Worthy]" /> )
Darwin "Voyage of the Beagle" (more interesting and readable than "Origins" IMO)
Jonathan Weiner "The Beak of the Finch" (about the Grants' work on Galapagos finches)

evolution of biodiversity (more technical)
E.O. Wilson "The Diversity of Life"
Simon Levin "Fragile Dominion"
Robert Morley "Origin and Evolution of Tropical Rainforests" (really expensive, and very technical - unless this subject totally fascinates you, don't bother - I just like it)

technical/textbooks
Douglas Futuyma "Evolutionary Biology"
Lynn Margulis "Early Life"

I'll leave the "bonesy" stuff to the experts. This should get you started...

tronvillain · 04-03-2002, 09:28 PM

Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel C. Dennett
Mendel's Demon by Mark Ridley
Darwin's Ghost by Steve Jones

And of course the rest of Dawkins' stuff.

[ April 03, 2002: Message edited by: tronvillain ]</p>

jediguy · 04-03-2002, 09:33 PM

Thanks for the replies. I've actually read 'Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors', which I found to be riveting. I'll have to take at look at the Uni bookshop next time I'm around for the books you people listed...

Thanks.

04-03-2002, 09:38 PM

Icons of Evolution by Johnathan Wells
Darwin on Trial by Philip Johnson

These books are choke full of accurate information, fascinating anecdotes and open-mindeness- that's the gospel truth!

Pomp · 04-03-2002, 09:44 PM

[B]Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel C. Dennett

I need to second this one. This is, hands down, the best book I have ever read on the philosophical implications of evolution.

tronvillain · 04-03-2002, 10:08 PM

I wish I had all of my creatonist books here so I could recommend some more humour. Well, you could read Niles Eldridge's The Triumph of Evolution and the Failure of Creatonism.

hezekiah jones · 04-03-2002, 10:27 PM

Henry Morris' The Troubled Waters of Evolution: The grandfather of "modern creationism" (how's that for an oxymoron) explains how the unlikely combination of evolution and the second law of thermodynamics is responsible for America's moral decay.

"Our school systems teach the children that they are nothing but glorified apes who have evolutionized out of some primordial soup of mud." - Tom DeLay on Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold

04-03-2002, 08:22 PM	#1
jediguy Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 7	Good books on Evolution... As an budding? evolutionist, I've always tried hard to study the facts and theory behind evolution. I recently read "The Blind Watchmaker", which I found very interesting, but can anyone suggest some other good books on evolution? Cheers.

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04-03-2002, 09:02 PM	#2
RufusAtticus Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NCSU Posts: 5,853	Jonathan Weiner's "The Beak of the Finch" Ernst Mayr's "What Evolution Is"

04-03-2002, 09:06 PM	#3
cricket Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: St Louis MO USA Posts: 1,188	The Red Queen by Matt Ridley The Moral Animal by Robert Wright The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins

04-03-2002, 09:20 PM	#4
Quetzal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Ecuador Posts: 738	Hi Jediguy: Welcome to II! Oooh, book recommendations - one of my favorite topics. There's a lot of material out there, so it sort of depends on how "deep" you want to go... My favorites: "Popular Science" Dawkins "Climbing Mount Improbable" Carl Zimmer's "Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea" (outstanding primer) Sagan's "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" (hominid evolution) S.J. Gould "Wonderful Life" (Burgess Shale and the Cambrian Explosion) S.J. Gould "Hens' Teeth and Horses' Toes" and "The Panda's Thumb" (excellent collections of essays) A bit more technical, but still very readable Zimmer's "At the Water's Edge" (whale evolution - awesome read) Ernst Mayr "What Evolution Is" (my hero <img src="graemlins/notworthy.gif" border="0" alt="[Not Worthy]" /> ) Darwin "Voyage of the Beagle" (more interesting and readable than "Origins" IMO) Jonathan Weiner "The Beak of the Finch" (about the Grants' work on Galapagos finches) evolution of biodiversity (more technical) E.O. Wilson "The Diversity of Life" Simon Levin "Fragile Dominion" Robert Morley "Origin and Evolution of Tropical Rainforests" (really expensive, and very technical - unless this subject totally fascinates you, don't bother - I just like it) technical/textbooks Douglas Futuyma "Evolutionary Biology" Lynn Margulis "Early Life" I'll leave the "bonesy" stuff to the experts. This should get you started...

04-03-2002, 09:28 PM	#5
tronvillain Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 5,658	Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel C. Dennett Mendel's Demon by Mark Ridley Darwin's Ghost by Steve Jones And of course the rest of Dawkins' stuff. [ April 03, 2002: Message edited by: tronvillain ]</p>

04-03-2002, 09:33 PM	#6
jediguy Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 7	Thanks for the replies. I've actually read 'Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors', which I found to be riveting. I'll have to take at look at the Uni bookshop next time I'm around for the books you people listed... Thanks.

04-03-2002, 09:38 PM	#7
Synaesthesia Guest Posts: n/a	Icons of Evolution by Johnathan Wells Darwin on Trial by Philip Johnson These books are choke full of accurate information, fascinating anecdotes and open-mindeness- that's the gospel truth!

04-03-2002, 09:44 PM	#8
Pomp Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Indianapolis area Posts: 3,468	[B]Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel C. Dennett I need to second this one. This is, hands down, the best book I have ever read on the philosophical implications of evolution.

04-03-2002, 10:08 PM	#9
tronvillain Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 5,658	I wish I had all of my creatonist books here so I could recommend some more humour. Well, you could read Niles Eldridge's The Triumph of Evolution and the Failure of Creatonism.

04-03-2002, 10:27 PM	#10
hezekiah jones Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: WI Posts: 4,357	Henry Morris' The Troubled Waters of Evolution: The grandfather of "modern creationism" (how's that for an oxymoron) explains how the unlikely combination of evolution and the second law of thermodynamics is responsible for America's moral decay. "Our school systems teach the children that they are nothing but glorified apes who have evolutionized out of some primordial soup of mud." - Tom DeLay on Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold

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