Darwin's Ghost: The Origin of Species Updated [Paperback]

Steve Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2001

Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species is probably the best-known, least-read book. One of the most important achievements of the past millennium, it did for biology what Galileo did for astronomy: made it into a single science rather than a collection of unrelated facts. Important though Origin remains, its examples and intricate Victorian prose are now a century and a half old. They are ripe for renewal and reaffirmation. Writing as "Darwin's ghost," eminent geneticist Steve Jones updates this seminal work—and restates evolution's case for the 21st century.

Jones is a writer of engaging wit and dazzling erudition and has been called "the British Carl Sagan." Using modern examples—the AIDS virus, the puzzles of sexual selection, the physiology and psychology of pets, and the unparalleled genetic success of our own species—he shows the power and immediacy of Darwin's great argument and makes us appreciate how it makes life make sense. Eye-opening and entertaining, filled with astonishing facts, amusing anecdotes, and the very latest research, Darwin's Ghost is contemporary science writing at its very best.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Biologists have a dirty little secret: while practically everyone knows of The Origin of Species (and owes much to it), almost nobody has read it. British geneticist Steve Jones wants to make the arguments contained in that great text accessible to modern audiences, and succeeds with the delightful Darwin's Ghost. Approximating the structure of Darwin's opus, Jones uses the original chapter headings and summaries as a scaffolding to build an up-to-date demonstration of the power of a few simple ideas. Heredity, variation, and natural selection are all you need to infer evolution over time, and now that Jones can fill in the gaps in Darwin's pre-Mendelian understanding of genetics, the case becomes airtight.

More than a polemic, though, Darwin's Ghost is nearly as pleasurable a read as its ancestor is--one suspects that part of Jones's mission is to inspire today's readers to turn back to the grand but humble Origin of Species. While he may not be able to quite match Darwin's vast erudition or hawk's eye for detail, he still makes the theory of evolution shudder and breathe on the page. Dog breeding, mass extinctions, and weird fossils of tiny elephants all march to his drumbeat and--just when you least expect it--return to the main point that all living things share a common ancestor. Whether you're one of the elite who's had the pleasure of Darwin's literary company or you'd like a taste of what you're missing, Darwin's Ghost will bring the spirit of the great man back into your world of ideas. --Rob Lightner --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Using recent empirical evidence, Jones (genetics, Univ. Coll., London) has updated Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species (l859) so that the fact of organic evolution is both understandable and relevant to today's general reader. He focuses on dogs, whales, snails, insects, bacteria, and, particularly, the AIDS retrovirus in order to illustrate the struggle for existence and descent with modification through genetic variation and natural selection. Special attention is given to social instincts, biogeography, biodiversity, and the evolutionary affinities among similar species through a common descent. The author stresses that all species and their environments are continuously changing (sometimes rapidly, sometimes slowly), e.g., the organisms and their habitats on the Galapagos and Hawaiian Islands. Furthermore, since Darwin's writings, serious problems with the theory of evolution are being solved in light of ongoing scientific discoveries in population genetics, geopaleontology, and radiometric dating techniques. Very informative and cogently argued, this book is an important addition to the natural history literature. Recommended for all science collections.
-H. James Birx, Canisius Coll., Buffalo
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 377 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 2nd edition (April 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345422775
• ISBN-13: 978-0345422774
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.9 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #160,151 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Evolution > Organic

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The New/Old Science, May 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Darwin's Ghost: The Origin of the Species Updated (Hardcover)

Regardless of your interest in or knowledge of science, Jones' work is captivating. Equally important, for the general reader, it is not hard work. Using modern scientific advances including work on diseases (such as AIDS and sickle cell anemia), primate research and genetics, Jones sets out to prove Darwin's theory of "descent by modification" all over again. He succeeds both in supporting Darwin's theory and holding the reader's interest with a sharp writing style and a gift for applying useful analogies and metaphors that make his subject accessible. Some of Jones' sidebar comments will make you laugh out loud and some of his more profound conclusions will have you thinking about and recommending this book long after you have finished it.

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for science buffs, April 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Darwin's Ghost: The Origin of the Species Updated (Hardcover)

I picked this up because of the great NY Times Book Review review--I'm not a science buff in particular, but it just sounded like a good, intelligent read. Just want to say how glad I am I took the plunge, because this book is so wide-ranging, it's about everything. It's fantastic--I've never read anything quite like it. Animals, life, AIDS, history, geography, God--you name it, Jones talks about it, and he weaves it all together into an incredibly readable book. So here's from one satisfied reader--I couldn't recommend this book more.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Evoution Made Understandable for the Nonscientist, February 13, 2001

By 

Mark Evans (Radnor, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Darwin's Ghost: The Origin of the Species Updated (Hardcover)

The last serious book I read on evolution was Darwin's Origin of Species, which I read as a requirement for a History of Science course in college. I wish had first read Darwin's Ghost. This book completely rekindled my scientific interest in evolution. Jones follows the structure of the original, but updates it with more than a century's worth of scientific progress. For example, the question of why we can't actually observe evolution in progress is answered through modern examples such as HIV. But more importantly, Jones has made The Origin of Species readable for the common man. Darwin's Ghost is enjoyable, relative easy to comprehend, and most importantly, after you have read it you actually understand and retain much of the current evidence that supports modern evolutionary theory. I would recommend this book for those who consider themselves either "evolutionists" or "creationists", because without understanding the scientific evidence for evolution it is impossible to either defend or attack evolution. Far too much of the popular press coverage of evolution occurs in a vacuum of understanding (on both sides). For the diehard evolutionist, this book will certainly pale in comparison to the original. But for the vast majority of people, who will never read The Origin of Species, I would highly recommend this book. You may even find your intellectual curiosity piqued sufficiently to delve further into the field.