Customer Reviews

The Evolution Conspiracy, Vol. 1: Exposing Life's Inexplicable Origins & The Cult of Darwin

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book was decidedly informative. In some ways it read like a text book, but at the same time it made me laugh, and there were times when I was so interested that I really felt like I couldn't put it down.
When it comes to evolution, Lisa A. Shiel really does know what she's talking about. She presents her points in clear, concise chapters, using words and a writing style that is easily accessible to the layman. She tried to stay neutral, and for the most part, she did a good job of this. Occasionally, though, she would sarcastically refer to Darwin as "the evolutionist's god, Darwin" or she would say negative things about evolutionists from a standpoint that was obviously bitter as opposed to factual. This bothered me slightly, but it in no way negated her arguments. She also has a clear and concise biblography at the end of every chapter and a glossary at the end of the book, for some of the more difficult terms.
As a child, I never learned evolution (or creationism, for that matter) in school, and I have therefore never understood it to be fact. It's something that scientists think about, that they would like to prove, but that they are unable to prove. After reading this book, I have a much better understanding of why they are unable to prove it. And how they hide this inability from the layman, masking the incongruities. Unfortunately, a lot what she said seemed to be based on the idea that EVERYONE is taught evolution as fact when they are in grade school. I wasn't, so this didn't really click for me.
Shiel concludes with "Evolutionists must stretch, manipulate, and outright ignore evidence to shore up established theories about life's origins and expansions. Myriad problems plague the research." If this is what she set out to prove, she succeeded. She more than succeeded. If, however, she set out to prove that there is no way that evolution could exist, she didn't quite reach her goal.
I found this book exciting, and I learned so much from it, things that I have always wondered about. This book is for anyone who ever wanted to know a thing or two about evolution.

Final Question: At one point in the book, so shows pictures of the skulls of several different Hominids. She also regularly talked about what exactly a species is and how scientists are never in agreement about this. Some scientists, she said, would classify different sized humans as different species if they found our bones in the future. So my question is this - several million years in the future, do you think scientist will find human bones and classify Caucasians, Asians, and Africans as being from different species? Does the idea of this happening make you laugh or does it disgust you? Or whatever else? I think it's hilarious to think about. I was glad she broached this subject in the book, because it is something I have always wondered about.

The preface of this book states "Every discipline spawns jargon as a verbal shorthand. In evolutionary science, the jargon both helps scientists keep control and dissuades laymen from asking questions scientists would rather not answer. That's why this book promotes one key premise: Anyone can understand evolution. "

That is exactly was Lisa A. Shiel does in "The Evolution Conspiracy." This short, concise book gives the reader an option of looking at evolution in an understandable way. Shiel includes charts, explanations, photographs, definitions, references, and research to help the lay persons make their own decision of what to believe. There is no jargon; just plain and simple comprehensible English.

However, it is not easy reading by no means. Because of the depth that Shiel goes into I found, as an interested reader, I often had to re-read paragraphs and chapters. As well, I chose to do further research on my own. This is not to say the writing was flawed, but this is to say the Shiel's writing manifested curiosity for me and I wanted to thoroughly understand what she was saying.

In Chapter 11 "Untangling the Vines" Shiel presents questions to ask oneself and even after reading her book, I'm not sure I can answer them. Not much wonder the worlds of politics, science and religion clash on the subject of evolution. None can come up with a proven answer, just an assumption that is considered to be correct depending on the trail you choose to embark.

Deep and to the point, "The Evolution Conspiracy" will make you think, which in itself is a evolutionary process.

This short critique of Darwinism is clear, cogent, and to the point, without the usual overbearing creationist strain muddling the account. This presumably makes the book a secular review of Darwinism: such books are needed in the excessively religous context of Darwin critics (it didn't always used to be that way).
It is hard for those who feel doubts about Darwinism to navigate the narrow shoals between ID/creationism and hard-core Darwinism. Shiel speaks to that condition and state of mind and comes up with a barbed expose of the principal mythology of the times run by the Darwin establishment. A close look at the details of the 'science' shows how easy that is to do.

Rarely do we question the premise of scientific concepts. The definition of premise is "a previous statement or assertion that serves as the basis of an argument or theory." Conclusions in science cannot be depended on to be fact when they are based on the premise of theory and assumption.

Lisa A. Shiel, in her book "The Evolution Conspiracy", does a superb job of showing the reader that the theory of evolution is just that...a theory. It is only a theory because it is based on theory and assumption. Shiel methodically takes us step by step from the premise through to the conclusion and demonstrates how the theory of evolution is built on a foundation of sand. Shiel convincingly washes away this theoretical foundation with her documented facts.
The author discusses the theory of all life beginning in the sea from one cell. She examines genetics,species and subspecies, fossils, falsification of data (including DNA evidence), natural selection....and much more.
I think that the following quote sums up the basic message of the book. "Evolutionists love to proclaim that biological evolution is a fact, like gravity. Nobody would argue that if an egg slides off a table, the egg will plummet to the ground. It will not hover or float off into space. Is evolution equally as obvious? A fact is more than mere data. A fact must have passed the reality test, proving itself repeatable (not a singular event), observable and falsifiable." Shiel then raises the question...."Evolution tells us every species alive today sprang from the same source. Can anyone see evolution altering life-forms in this way?"

I feel that Lisa's book is an important contribution, not only for understanding what is really behind the theory of evolution...but also for another reason. Her book gives us the basic tools to evaluate the legitimacy of other scientific concepts. Sometimes theories are promoted as fact for the purpose of promoting social or political agendas. In other words, they can be used to manipulate us. Consider this quote by Bill Keith, former Louisiana State Senator. " Without evolution, there can be no Marxism, no Leninism, no Secular Humanism; unless the universe created itself, unless man is god, unless there is no creator, none of these philosophies will stand."

Lisa Shiel's writing is clear and organized. The concepts and facts presented in this book are easy to comprehend and one doesn't need to be a scientist to follow her logic and common sense. I would recommend this book to anyone searching to understand the truth of man's origins. We have been conditioned to think that if we look deeper into the theory of evolution..then we must be a religious fanatic. Apparently this is one method used to prevent us from discerning Truth. Shiel does not promote her religious beliefs in this book but only examines the legitimacy of the theory of evolution based on the evidence presented in her book.

It's time for us to begin questioning some of the basic ideas which we have been taught are fact.

Supporters of prohibiting evolution from being questioned in the classroom like to evade the problems with the theory by turning the debate's focus onto creationism. Author Lisa A. Shiel takes evolutionists to task for this type of evasiveness in her new book The Evolution Conspiracy: Vol. 1 Exposing Life's Inexplicable Origins & The Cult of Darwin.

Shiel approaches the evolution controversy from a secular viewpoint. She points out that it is not just those trying to promote creationism that have serious doubts about evolution as legitimate science.

In confronting the status quo, Shiel will undoubtedly receive rebuttals that go no deeper than name calling. Some critics will probably point to the subject matter of her previous book Backyard Bigfoot: The True Story of Stick Signs, UFOs, & the Sasquatch as reason to dismiss what she has to say. This book is not for them. Shiel has written for a lay audience that is willing to listen to the facts about the "science" of evolution.

In this book, Shiel delves into the ambiguity surrounding definitions of the scientific terms involved in the study of evolution and other disagreements in the science community. (Topics include punctuated equilibrium and gradualism.) The consensus among scientists is that evolution took place--somehow.

Scientists offer the "explanation" that evolution works by gradual change through mutations and natural selection--somehow this led a single cell over billions of years to produce humans. Try testing that in the laboratory. Shiel says that scientists have skipped over the scientific method in their hast to conclude that evolution is true.

Let's not forget the fossil record. Darwin even recognized in his day that the absence of numerous links posed the biggest challenge to his idea. Punctuated equilibrium--which Shiel abbreviates to "punk eek"--attempts to sidestep the problem by stating that evolution occurs in occasional spurts that don't make it into the fossil record. (Would anyone like a miracle with that explanation?)

Paleoanthropologists, for their part, sift through the fossil record looking for any evidence they can find of the missing links. Shiel says that their finds often consist of just a few bones or a partial skeleton reconstructed from bits of bones that were scattered across a wide area. As an example, Shiel points to the famous "Lucy" skeleton. Only 40% of the skeleton was recovered but it is still sometimes referred to as "almost complete."

The 132 page book cuts through the confusion in the science community and offers readers explanations that get as close as possible to what scientists are thinking. Readers, however, will be left with one big question: Why would anyone think evolution is a fact?

This book review by Sam Stickle was originally posted at AccountabilityInTheMedia.com:

[...]

Evolution is an issue that causes everyone to jump on their soapbox. Some people believe that it is totally true and anyone else is crazy. Others believe that God created the world and anyone who says otherwise is a heretic. The rest of us straddle the fence, unable to decide and not wanting to offend the two militant parties.
Lisa Shiel is willing to question the scientists. She believes that evolution is not the well proven fact scientists insist it is. In reality, evolution doesn't even rate the title of theory. Scientists treat the public as if they are too ignorant to understand the arguments and don't rate the effort to impart the truth. Shiel says anyone can understand the arguments, but they are not sound enough to be convincing.
This book starts the argument at the very beginning, how did life begin? After proving scientists don't actually know, she moves on to evolution, looking for proof. While Darwin gave us his book, The Origin of Species,, Shiel reminds us scientists don't have the right to call evolution a theory, because it fails all the tests a theory must pass. For example, it can not be reproduced and observed in a lab and theories must be testable.
The book then takes us to the study of the first humans and points out that so little of the skeleton is found, the majority of the final image is the conjecture of the scientists. Also, even the so-called experts can't decide the exact evolution of humans or even how many species or sub-species are between apes and humans.
I enjoyed this book a great deal. I'm a writer, so advanced biology is way out of my league. However, Lisa Shiel makes the most difficult issues easy to comprehend. She explains the myriad of complex words, even providing the average Joe a glossary with useful definitions.
The Evolution Conspiracy gives us a knowledgeable person in Lisa Shiel, willing to present an educated alternative argument. Even though many of us have doubts, we don't know enough of the workings of the science of evolution to give intelligent arguments. Shiel takes each of the `facts' and with her own set of facts tears apart the castles in the air.
This book also voices the concerns many of us wonder about by silence. For example I've always wondered, if humans evolved from apes, why aren't there beings that are between humans and apes? Apes exist and humans exist, but no middle man walks the earth today. I speak for many when I say that I want some more proof This book is a delight because it encourages questioning and urges readers to think for themselves. Evolution has been taught so much in schools, we don't think we have a right to ask questions or disagree. Shiel reminds us that we can question, and

The Cult of Darwin...?! This from a woman who freely spreads nonsense about Bigfoot and crop circles? This whole pile has the steaming funk of Intelligent Design-ism slopped all over it. Biological evolution has just as much evidence supporting it as anything we know in nature. Anything. Period. Referring to 99.999% of all biologists and naturalists as cultists is beyond ridiculous. The most ignorant are always among the most brazen.