The Encyclopedia of Evolution: Humanity's Search for Its Origins (A Henry Holt Reference Book) [Paperback]

Richard Milner (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA-- A colorful and interesting resource and an excellent reference guide. Students of both the natural and the behavioral sciences will be able to glean information on a given topic while having their interest sparked by other entries. The book gives anthropological data as it builds subject interest and motivation. The black-and-white illustrations are valuable assets to the overall content and provide an added dimension.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The author, an anthropologist, defines the scope of evolution broadly enough to cover anthropology, animal behavior, biology, genetics, geology, and even some astronomy as it relates to theories about the mass extinctions of dinosaurs and the origin of life on earth. Short entries (500-1000 words) explain theories and present capsule biographies of significant people. They also discuss controversial ideas ranging from the science versus Bible disputes initiated by Bishop Wilberforce and Thomas Henry Huxley, continued today by scientific creationists and religious fundamentalists, through eugenics practiced by Nazi Germany to arguments between the Leakey family and Donald Johanson over their interpretation of which fossils represent precursors to modern humans. Milner even describes the "bone wars" among 19th-century fossil hunters and the popularization of dinosaurs by artists and movie special effects creators. Many entries end with brief bibliographies of books and articles by and/or about the subject. With its emphasis not only on evolutionary theories but their impact on popular culture, this is more appropriate for public and high school libraries than academic collections.-- Laurie Tynan, Montgomery Cty.
Norristown P.L., Pa.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 483 pages
• Publisher: Owlet; Reprint Edition edition (September 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805027173
• ISBN-13: 978-0805027174
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,656,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, December 31, 1998

By 

James R. Jackson - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Evolution: Humanity's Search for Its Origins (A Henry Holt Reference Book) (Paperback)

If you're interested in biological evolution, this is a book you've got to have. A huge collection of articles, arranged alphabetically, but each one interesting in itself. And many are fascinating. It's written for common folks, like me, but few compromises are made with scientific precision. Of special interest to many will be the biographical sketches (of "losers" like Lysenko as well as "winners" up to an including both Charles and Erasmus Darwin). Also covers a lot of frauds and hoaxes (e.g., Piltdown Man). You'll have fun. And even professional evolutionary biologists can expect to learn a lot.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable, July 19, 2003

By 

Irreverent (Ventura, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Evolution: Humanity's Search for Its Origins (A Henry Holt Reference Book) (Paperback)

Danger: This encyclopedia is habit-forming. I try to stop at just one entry, but each one is so very interesting that it leads me to more cross-referenced entries and then still more. All in all it seems very even-handed in its tone and treatment of the various contentious theories and theorists. It is indispensable for anyone working with evolution, no matter how versant in evolutionary history, and eminently readable for nonspecialists. The only negative criticism I have of the book is that it lacks an index in the back so that one could track a thread. The cross-references at the end of each article are not as exhaustive as I'd like, so a word index to find every mention of a concept should definitely be considered for subsequent editions.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Science written for humans, not robots, July 15, 2007

By 

Earth that Was - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Evolution: Humanity's Search for Its Origins (A Henry Holt Reference Book) (Paperback)

This book really is a treasure. Richard Milner's encyclopedia is both entertaining and educational. And it's fun. There is no reason the intellectual adventure can be fun. And Milner's book is wonderful.

Richard Milner isn't delivering a book for technical specialists who know the theory anyway, he writing for the intelligent layman and uses wit, humour and sparkling ideas to home deliver one of the biggest ideas of all, Darwin's theory of evolution.

Along the way Milner takes us on side trips to see how the theory of evolution itself evolved, to see how evolution has impacted both religion (and not just Christianity) and popular culture. He introduces us to some of the great characters who have played a role in the rise of evolution. Science is a human enterprise, not a pursuit for robots, and humans like to have fun.