Matt C. (mattc) -
Helpful Score: 2
Richard Dawkins in this book focuses his scholarship on showing proofs for the theory of evolution from nature. This is mainly done through biology, though there are some forays in geology as well. Overall I thought it was fascinating and well constructed. I do not have much background in biology, and found it relatively easy to read...which I can rarely say for science-oriented books. I was lost at some points of analogy, as in comparing embryology and origami, which I thought was taken a little too far. Even so, some sections were among the most lucid I have every seen, especially "The Ark of the Continents" detailing how the flroa and fauna of islands tends to evolve distinctly, as with lemurs in Madagascar and marsupials in Australia.
Ronald A. (rarendt) reviewed The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution on + 107 more book reviews
Well, I made a mistake with this one... I had Richard Dawkins confused with Pete Dawkins, a West Point graduate and Rhodes scholar who was also a football star at the point, a huge success as a cadet, and a decorated war hero. I thought whatever he had to say would be worth hearing.
With Richard Dawkins, not so much. His magnum opus on evolution seems to be pretty much a fool's errand: if you already believe in evolution, he's preaching to the choir; if you are sold on creationism or intelligent design, you're probably going to ignore him whatever he says.
I do believe in evolution, so really don't need to listen to 14 cd's to be convinced that I'm descended from a rutasbaga. He shares narration with Lalla Ward, who is a lot easier to listen to than Dawkins himself who sounds sort of prissy and pedantic.
The material was way over my head; I'm a college grad with an above average IQ, but I don't think anyone without and advanced scientific degree is going to get much out of this. My eyes started to glaze over seven tracks into the first cd, and that's where I stopped. I'm 75, and don't have enough time left to wade through this; too many things out there I want to read or listen to.
With Richard Dawkins, not so much. His magnum opus on evolution seems to be pretty much a fool's errand: if you already believe in evolution, he's preaching to the choir; if you are sold on creationism or intelligent design, you're probably going to ignore him whatever he says.
I do believe in evolution, so really don't need to listen to 14 cd's to be convinced that I'm descended from a rutasbaga. He shares narration with Lalla Ward, who is a lot easier to listen to than Dawkins himself who sounds sort of prissy and pedantic.
The material was way over my head; I'm a college grad with an above average IQ, but I don't think anyone without and advanced scientific degree is going to get much out of this. My eyes started to glaze over seven tracks into the first cd, and that's where I stopped. I'm 75, and don't have enough time left to wade through this; too many things out there I want to read or listen to.
John O. (buzzby) -
Excellent book, he is very thorough, probably because he is the point man against the "creationists", and his disdain for them come out in the book. A lot of what he says he has already written about.
