Astrobiology, the Origin of Life, and the Death of Darwinism (2nd Edition) [Paperback]

Rhawn Joseph (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2001 | ISBN-10: 0970073380 | ISBN-13: 978-0970073389 | Edition: 2nd

The Origin of Life: The Earth is an island, swirling in an ocean of space, and life has been washing ashore since the creation.

Cosmic collisions are commonplace, not only between meteors and planets, but entire galaxies, and life has been repeatedly tossed into the abyss... only to land on other planets.

The genetic seeds of life swarm throughout the cosmos, and these "genetic seeds," these living creatures, fell to Earth encased in stellar debris which pounded the planet for 700 million years after the creation. And these "seeds" contained the DNA instructions for the metamorphosis of all life, including woman and man.

DNA acts to purposefully modify the environment, which acts on gene selection, to fulfill specific genetic goals: the dispersal and activation of silent DNA, and the replication of life forms that long ago lived on other planets.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Dr. Joseph has been a pioneering evolutionary and developmental neuroscientist for over 20 years. Dr. Joseph's Previous Books Have Received Rave Reviews:

"One of the most astonishing books of our time." -Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society

"First rate... Among the best... Deserving of a place on the shelf of any neuropsychologist, neuropsychiatrist, or behavioral neurologist." -the journal of Neuropsychiatry.

"The finest analysis of... brain phenomena that we have to date."- The New England Review of Books

"Joseph is to mind brain studies as Asimov and Sagan are to the physical sciences." -Choice

"An intense, in-depth examination of the relationship between neuroanatomy and associated behavior." 5 Stars! Highly recommended. -Doody's Medical Review Journal

"Brilliant." -Choice

"Excellent... Comprehensive... Exceptional...Enthusiastically recommended!" -Health Sciences Review Journal

"Astounding... astounding... [Joseph] deserves our admiration." -Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology

About the Author

Evolutionary neurobiologist and developmental neuroscientist, Dr. Rhawn Joseph pioneered research in neuroplasticity back in the 1970s when he demonstrated the profound effects of the environment on learning, memory, perception, and the developing brain, and was the first to demonstrate that atrophied neurons in the primate brain could be functionally regenerated and the first to demonstrate recovery of neural and perceptual functioning in primates.

In the 1970s Dr. Joseph also provided evidence that the brain was sexually differentiated, that the same exact sex differences were present in other species, that he could reverse these sex differences and the sexual differentiation of the brain, and that these sex differences were maintained regardless of rearing conditions.

In the 1980s, Dr. Joseph published a number of studies on "split-brain" functioning in adults and children, demonstrating, experimentally, the presence of two independent mental realms, localized side by side in the right and left hemisphere.

In 1982 he presented a comprehensive new theory on the neurological organization and expression of language, and introduced the concept of "limbic language," and throughout the 1980s provided experimental support for his convergence-gap filling language axis theory of speech--a neurological theory of language which has now been repeatedy experimentally verified and which numerous scientists now champion as their own.

Dr. Joseph has also pioneered research on the evolution of the brain and mind, consciousness, language, thought, religious and spiritual experience, sexuality (e.g. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2000, 29, 35-66. Zygon: Journal of Religion & Science, 2001, 36, 105-136; Behavioral & Brain Science, 2000, 23, 439-441), and the limbic system foundations of emotion.

Dr. Joseph is the author of one of the best selling neuroscience text books of all time, his work has been discussed in Time magazine (1997) and his theory on the origin of life was telecast almost verbatim in a 15 minute segment televised by ABC News and ABC Nightline in 1997.

Product Details

• Paperback: 370 pages
• Publisher: University Pr; 2nd edition (May 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970073380
• ISBN-13: 978-0970073389
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #624,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but not science, July 18, 2003

By 

Jessica Perkey (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Astrobiology, the Origin of Life, and the Death of Darwinism (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

As an evolutionary biologist I was interested to read this book to see if it had any true merits. Now that I have I see that it is a work of wonderful science fiction, not science. It is quite apparent that the author has no formal training in evolutionary biology. Much of the book is interesting and HIGHLY speculative, it provides little evidence for its wild claims. In real science extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence but the author provides no convincing evidence for his claims. Also, even if life did arrive here instead of the accepted method (which DOES have much evidence supporting it) it still does not refute Darwinian evolution. Darwinian evolution is the ONLY mechanisms currently proposed which results in adaptation, the mere idea that individuals come to resemble alien life forms because their DNA is silent and "remembers" these forms is pure fantasy. If this is the case how could there be adaptation on a foreign planet, and for that case how did these little "seeds" come to be created in the first place? I could continue ripping this book apart but I've more important things to do. I am very interested in astrobiology but as a scientist I realize that mere speculation is not science, no matter how enticing the theories may be. Very good read if you're looking for science fiction, but don't bother if you know anything about evolutionary biology.

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining nonsense for the scientifically illiterate, November 19, 2001

By 

Frank Paris (Beaverton, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Astrobiology, the Origin of Life, and the Death of Darwinism (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Do we live in a natural universe or not? If DNA evolved naturally SOMEWHERE, then it COULD have evolved on Earth, and the biochemical search for an existence proof will eventually be found by our own scientists. This won't necessarily disprove the old idea of panspermia (of which this book is just a vainglorious rehash), but Occam's Razor might convince some that the postulate is redundant and unnecessary. There certainly is no evidence that DNA is transmitted among the planets of the universe, and until that evidence is found, it makes a lot more sense to postulate that the origin of life is something that probably happens all the time throughout the universe, and quite readily, all within the universal laws of nature, given a suitably benign environment, of which there are undoubtedly millions per galaxy, "Rare Earth" notwithstanding (another book full of non-sequiturs). This book is good entertainment for the scientifically illiterate and for those who wish to remain so. It is nothing more than that.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Work of Revolutionary Genius, April 10, 2001

By 

"dawksinrp" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Astrobiology, the Origin of Life and the Death of Darwinism (Paperback)

OK,I'm biased. I am familiar with this author's previous work; he pioneered research in neuroplasticity back in the 1970s, was the first to demonstrate neuroplasticity and recovery of function in the primate brain (again back in the 1970s), and pioneered research on the sexual differentiation of the brain (again, back in the 1970s); repeatedly making discoveries that repeatedly overturned established scientific dogma. I have also read and reread his classic neuroscience text. So, I'm biased. But this is truly a fantastic, ground breaking book--which is exactly what you would expect of a man with his background. It is also more than that. It is revolutionary. Joseph details the prevailing theories as to the origin and evolution of life, explains their strengths and weaknesses, and then presents well researched viable alternatives to the mainstream view. What is the origin of life? He tells us: The earth is an island and life has washed ashore. The universe is probably crawling with life. How did life evolve? He tells us: In a predictable,step-wise molecular clock-like fashion and in accordance with the genetic engineering of the environment, and presents the genetic and astrobiological evidence to support his conclusions. This book differs from all others on this topic in that the author is actually a pioneering evolutionary and developmental neurobiologist, he presents the only viable alternative to the mainstream scientific view (instead of simply echoing that view as is standard practice in all other books on the topic), and, more importantly, I would guess that in about 10 years most scientists will not only completely embrace Dr. Joseph's conclusions, but they will wonder how anyone could have ever thought otherwise. Read this book and you too will be years ahead of your time. Read this book, and feel enlightened. Read this book and you will feel like a genius.