Suggested Readings

Chapter 3: Biology and Evolution

Berra, T. M. (1990). Evolution and the Myth of Creationism. Stanford, CA.: Stanford University Press.

Written by a zoologist, this book is a basic guide to the facts in the debate over evolution. It is not an attack on religion but a successful effort to assist in understanding the scientific basis for evolution.

Edey, M. A., & Johanson, D. (1989). Blueprints: Solving the mystery of evolution. Boston: Little, Brown.

This book is about the evolution of the idea of evolution, told as a scientific detective story. As much about the discoverers of evolution as it is about their discoveries, the book provides insights into the workings of science and gives readers the information they need to ponder the significance of our newfound ability, through genetic engineering, to actually direct the evolution of living things, including ourselves.

Gould, S. J. (1996). Full House: The spread of excellence from Plato to Darwin. New York: Harmony.

In this highly readable book, Gould explodes the misconception that evolution is inherently progressive. In the process, he shows how trends should be read as changes in variation within systems.

Ridley, M. (1999). Genome: The autobiography of a species in 23 chapters. New York: HarperCollins.

Written just as the mapping of the human genome was about to be announced, this book made The New York Times best-seller list. The 23 chapters discuss DNA on each of the 23 human chromosomes. A word of warning, however: The author uncritically accepts some ideas (one example relates to IQ). Still, there’s much food for thought here.

Zimmer, C. (2001). Evolution: The triumph of an idea. New York: HarperCollins.

This is the companion volume to the seven part television series broadcast by PBS in fall 2001. Covered are a range of topics in modern evolutionary biology in a readable manner. Its drawback is that it pays too much attention to the tension between contemporary biblical literalism and the life sciences.