Deception by Design: The Intelligent Design Movement in America [Kindle Edition]

Lenny Flank (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A history of the anti-evolution "Intelligent Design" movement in the US, from the Scopes trial in 1925, through the rise of the creation "science" movement in the 1980's, to the rise of intelligent design "theory" in the 1990's. Appendix includes the Wedge Document, a leaked internal planning paper which spells out the theocratic goals of the Intelligent Design movement.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 296 KB
• Publisher: Red and Black Publishers (May 7, 2009)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00292BQPK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #664,756 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good overview of the political basis for Creationism/ID, March 23, 2007

By 

Brett McCoy "Programmer by Day, Musician by N... (Germantown, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Deception by Design: The Intelligent Design Movement in America (Hardcover)

Evolutionary biology, since its inception in the 19th Century, more than any other branch of science, has been serious called into question by hardline fundamentalist Christians... but not for scientific reasons, but for religious reasons. In the early part of the 20th century, there was the famous Scopes trial, and in the latter half of the 20th century, the 'Scientific Creationism' movement was a further manifestation of the fundamentalist battle against Evolution. And even now, in the beginning of the 21st Century, the next generation of fundamentalists are yet again trying to inject their religious teachings into school curricula through "Intelligent Design".

As Mr. Flank describes in great detail in this book, the motivation behind all of this isn't in the least bit scientific, but is instead a political movement with the ultimate goal of transforming the United States into a theocratic state. As anyone who has been following the news in the past few years, and reading websites such as Theocracy Watch, the rise of Dominionist Christianity is not the fantasy of "conspiracy theorists", and is a very real threat to the US (and beyond).

Lenny also provides details of court proceedings where time and time again the Creationists were struck under the provisions of the First Amendment of the Constitution. And best of all, he provides the complete text of the "Wedge Document", which was leaked from the Dicovery Institute (a Creationist think tank) and outlines the Dominionist strategy of using Intelligent Design as a wedge to inject literalist Biblical teachings into public schools and ultimately undermine the separation of Church and State.

This book also provides a bit of the scientific background of evolution to help the reader along with understanding some of the basic concepts, as well as the basic concepts of Creationism/Intelligent Design, as well as details on why the latter is not science and does not belong in publicly funded school systems.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, Lenny's excellent web pages in concise book form, April 9, 2008

By 

Stephen T. Crye (Earth) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Deception by Design: The Intelligent Design Movement in America (Hardcover)

Well researched and referenced, this book is essential reading for everyone dedicated to fighting the ignorance and superstition that is Creationism. Mr. Flank devastates the shallow, specious, anti-scientific arguments used by the thinly-veiled so-called Creation "Scientists" as they attempt to use America's science classrooms to advance their narrow brand of Christian Fundamentalism.

Mr. Flank does not rely on credentials or degrees for validation - his work stands on it's own; accurate, factual, and written in a captivating style that reminds me a bit of the late great Isaac Asimov. He presents excellent summaries of the Scientific Method and the therapsid-mammal evolutionary transition. I am a bit disappointed that he did not include his web essays on radioisotope dating ([...]), but I presume that space in the book was limited.

Although the book's informal format does not include footnotes, there is an extensive "Sources and Reading List", along with a reprint of the infamous "Wedge" document.

12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A timely synopsis with global relevance, June 19, 2007

By 

M. Wurr "maxwurr" (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deception by Design: The Intelligent Design Movement in America (Hardcover)

Lenny Flank is something of a personality in the online anti-creation campaign, and not undeservedly. Whilst his book does address and debunk (again) the standard creationist arguments against Darwinism, its real achievement is in providing a meaningful socio-historical context to the creation-evolution 'debate' in the US. I am a UK citizen, but even on this side of the Atlantic, a lazy media seeking to be demonstrably 'impartial' is happy to give airtime to the anti-scientific fundamentalists that would foist on us their discredited account of the history of the Earth. The lunacy has to stop and Flank does a fine job in setting the stage for the backlash. As part of the current wave of rational, nu-enlightenment thinkers that includes Dawkins, Dennett and Hitchens, Flank is a bulldog that deserves wider recognition, not just for this volume, but also for his sterling work as captain of the DebunkCreation Yahoo Groups community. Recommended reading for all that fear the encroachment of the religious right, everywhere in the world.