Blueprints: Solving the Mystery of Evolution [Hardcover]

Maitland Armstrong Edey (Author), Donald C. Johanson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0316210765 | ISBN-13: 978-0316210768 | Publication Date: March 1992 | Edition: 1st

This traces the evolution of evolution, from scientists' first conception of the process to their ability to shape its course. It shows us the extent of our power and the consequences. The authors have written "Lucy: the Beginnings of Humankind".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As taught in most science courses, the discovery of biological evolution is dry stuff. By contrast, in this wonderfully engaging book from the coauthors of Lucy: The Beginnings of Humankind , the researches of Lamarck, Mendel, Darwin, Alfred Russell Wallace and modern evolutionary biologists add up to an intriguing human drama. How Darwinism survived the critical onslaughts of creationists and scientists alike makes for a tale of stubborn persistence, ingenuity, sheer luck and ultimate vindication with the advent of geneticists who unravelled the workings of DNA. Paleoanthropologist Johanson, discoverer of "Lucy," a three-million-year-old fossil of an upright- walking African hominid, and Edey, former Life writer-editor, enliven their tale with down-to-earth cameos of scientists at work. In the closing section, they outline a tentative Homo family tree that posits our descent from Miocene apes, taking into account Lucy and the 1985 discovery of a fossil popularly known as the "Black Skull." It would be hard to imagine a more readable, comprehensive survey of the story of evolution. Illustrated.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

To readers who enjoyed Lucy: The Beginnings of Humankind ( LJ 2/1/81), another book by the same authors is a welcome event. This new collaboration is a recounting of evolutionary theory from its roots in the 18th century, through Darwin's and Wallace's revolutionary interpretation of natural selection as evolution's moving force, to the 20th-century unraveling of the genetic code. As in the authors' earlier book, clear writing, clever analogies from the everyday world, and portrayal of scientists as living personalities help make a complex subject approachable for the thoughtful lay reader. The authors are best at telling the genetic story, a sequel to the more often-told Darwinian history and essential to today's understanding of evolution as a well-established scientific dogma.
- Margery C. Coombs, Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 456 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown & Co (T); 1st edition (March 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316210765
• ISBN-13: 978-0316210768
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #865,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stroll through the history of our species., March 5, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Blueprints: Solving the Mystery of Evolution (Paperback)

Blueprints is just what the title says. A look at how evolution performed its magic work, on our species and others. While I started reading this book knowing what evolution was, I left it knowing how it works. Taking you from the first scientific investigation of the relations of species, through to the discovery of DNA, Maitland Edey and Donald Johanson clearly and easily walk you through time. The concepts are explained simply and succinctly, in an entertaining style that often includes humorous incidents as the world of science lurched toward our current level of understanding. I would recommend this book to anyone, including students, who wishes to experience the evolution of evolution

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The History of Evolution Told Simply, July 18, 2001

By 

Robert W. Burns III (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blueprints: Solving the Mystery of Evolution (Paperback)

Edey and Johanson do a splendid job of detailing the philosophies and scientific discoveries that led to the formation of modern evolutionary thought. The history they present is filled with interesting details and offers a good refresher on high school biology. It begins with many pre-Darwinian thoughts and works its way up to the present (or 1990). Along the way the authors occasionally dialogue between themselves explaining various topics, offering analogies for concepts, presenting possible theories, and giving personal details about the men and women involved in this field.

...the book is more presentational rather than apologetic. On occasion the authors did generalize creationism with Biblical fundamentalism, but they also admit once to the difficulty of originating life. I would also have liked to have seen more fossil discoveries outside the realm of humanity, a discussion on stem cell and embryo development, and perhaps a brief tracing of the likely line of descent from single celled bacteria to the major classes of vertebrates. (I am a theist, so take into consideration any bias.)

Overall, there were only a few tedious pages, but it is otherwise an excellent book that I had a hard time putting down.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great resource!, February 9, 2001

By 

Kim Foster "Kim" (Goleta, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blueprints: Solving the Mystery of Evolution (Paperback)

Don't worry if you are not a science-oriented person! This is a great resource for anyone interested in evolution, dna and natural selection. The book is almost a dialogue between the authors and each topic's history, growth and purpose is given in everyday language and images. If you are a scientist, you will still find this a valuable tool, especially if you've ever tried to explain some of these issues to non-scientists.