Why Evolution is True: Jerry Coyne
As is evident by the title, this book is about evolution: specifically, this book deals with creationist/intelligent design "theory" proposed by some. This is non-fiction, with a sizable bibliography and index.
*Bias Warning* I am: Atheist, accepts evolution completely, [add description here]
The greatest strength of this book, I think, is that it lays out so much research. I am reminded of my own education in biology--high school IB level, so certainly not professional--crumpled into a book-size. He lays out evidence from all sorts of scientific fields--not just the commonly-cited anthropology and paleontology, but also geology and the field studies of species that exist today. Many of the major contemporary discoveries--tiktaalik roseae (2003), for instance, are included, as well as the famous Rosemary and Peter Grant project that actually saw evolution in action. (!) Most fo the examples are indexed, but I wish he'd also referenced them to the appropriate paper.
However, I read this book as someone who knows and understand what the mechanism of evolution is about. There's so many people without clue as to what evolution is (except it must be evil, right?) that an explanation of evolution at page one hundred seventeen is a bit of a problem, in my opinion. Only in the glossary is a succint description: evolution is the change in genetics of populations--special emphasis on genetic and on population. Furthermore, I will admit that the title made me twitch a little. Using the word 'true' in science is iffy, because there's no way you could possibly test every single occurence and see if something's true. Same with some of the language used in the book: really, many, lots. There is little quantitative data--understandable, as Coyne's not writing for the scientific community, which would demand that--but still, it makes me a little cautious.
I find it is absolutely absurd that scientist like Coyne are still trying to convince people evolution is well-backed, is verified again and again by many other scientific fields, and (this part gets to me) is really very intuitive. I find it absurd that there are idiots still trying to push intelligent design as a science (it fails the very first test: a theory must be testable, or else it's not science. It can be valid, but not valid science. ) I don't have an issue with people believing the Genesis stories, the Bible's words exactly, but I do have issues with people asserting that the earth is only a few thousand years old. I can't prove or disprove the supernatural, so I'm willing to let you argue with me on that one.
It was a good enough read and I blazed through it (I admit, this is because I was running around the city all week, and consequently spent so much time at bus stops). Definitely déjà vu as far as the examples and contents went, and one of these days I have to screw up my courage and read The Origin of Species.
*draws breath* Well, sorry 'bout dumping that on you. This was supposed to be a normal book review, but it appears to have shapeshifted into a rant within a review.