Evidence of Evolution [Hardcover]

Mary Ellen Hannibal (Author), Susan Middleton (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2009

Published to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, Evidence of Evolution uses exquisite images by distinguished photographer Susan Middleton to reveal beautiful and surprising patterns of evolutionary development in animals and plants. These photographs, of rare and remarkable specimens from the collections of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, are accompanied by a clear, accessible overview  of the key evolutionary concepts that explain life on Earth, by science writer Mary Ellen Hannibal.

Virtually a natural history museum in a book, Evidence of Evolution expresses the power of Darwin's vision in images and words that bridge art and science.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Susan Middleton is a photographer specializing in portraits of animals and plants. She is co-author of four books on the world's natural heritage, including Archipelago and Witness. She lives in San Francisco. Mary Ellen Hannibal is the author of Leaves & Pods (Abrams). Her writing has appeared in publications such as the San Francisco Chronicle, Esquire, and Elle. She is the founder of Evolve 2009 and lives in San Francisco.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Abrams (October 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810949245
• ISBN-13: 978-0810949249
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 10 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #135,901 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The text may be interesting, but it's impossible to read, January 25, 2011

By 

David A. Marks "norcalidave" (Paradise, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Evidence of Evolution (Hardcover)

I have read the other two more positive reviews of this book, and I am in shock & awe! The book has the potential to be quite interesting and informative, and many of the photos themselves are both remarkable and fascinating.

But the text itself is almost impossible to read, because the font is a light grey color against a white background, and so there is almost no discernible contrast. And by the way, my eyes are just fine...the problem is the outrageous book design, notably the font choice.

Thus I cannot recommend this book to Amazon's readers, due to this fatal flaw.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rarely Does Art Serve Nature So Beautifully, February 14, 2010

By 

Edward Hannibal (East Hampton, New York) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Evidence of Evolution (Hardcover)

'Evidence of Evolution' advances the "coffee table book" several generations in both intelligence and design. The art work photography is stunning; the text is captivating. Here is earth's life story, from newborn sea horse to prehistoric tortoise, written in prose both factually accurate and crystal clear, without ever being dull. Finally, a serious science book created to educate and charm the general reader. A timely salute to the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's seminal, On the Origin of the Species, 'Evidence of Evolution' is the ideal gift book for any occasion. -- Edward Hannibal, novelist.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite, informative, haunting, December 15, 2009

By 

lionrocksf (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Evidence of Evolution (Hardcover)

Images far more emotional than specimen photographs...ideas far deeper than explanatory captions: this is an exquisite collection of photos and mini-essays that evokes wonder at the complexity and strangeness and sheer randomness of the natural world. The book works at several levels: as a handsome "coffee-table" book (yikes, but it could suffice if you just want to look at beautifully composed images); as a very informative and accessible read on Darwin's ideas and their physical manifestation in nature; and as an ongoing dialogue between a photographer and a writer, each using her particular medium powerfully to convey something splendid to the other, and vicariously to us as the lucky eavesdroppers.