Customer Reviews

Punctuated Equilibrium

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This book was originally the central chapter of Gould's masterpiece, "The Structure of Evolutionary Theory". It would have benefited greatly from a substantial re-write to make it more useful to the non-specialist reader. The technical terminology makes the book hard going.

You pretty much need a dictionary by your side as you read - not that it helps much with the more arcane terminology. There is no Glossary, which I find incredible for a book of this type.

I would not recommend this book to the general reader who just wants to understand the basics of punctuated equilibrium. The non-specialist will give up after the first dozen pages. Reading this book was an agonising experience for a non-palaeontologist like me.

To follow the book, you need to be familiar with the details of Darwin's evolutionary theory and with the technicalities of formal naming and classification of species (cladistics) as well as the technical jargon of palaeontology and geological classifications of strata. Even thus prepared, the non-specialist will find the book hard going.

Here is a fairly typical sample of what the reader faces: "The four taxa represent good biospecies, based on absence of hybrids in sympatry, and on extensive electrophoretic study (Michaux, 1987) showing distinct separation among species and no detectable cryptic groupings (Michaux ,1989) within any species. Michaux then used canonical discriminant analysis to achieve clear morphometric distinction among the species".

Not only is the technical jargon daunting, but one also has to navigate through Gould's often opaque style of writing.

Gould is generally fair in presenting the arguments of his critics. However, he often employs a provocative style in presenting his case. He does not pick fights with individuals (at least not in this book) - but rather chooses to criticise the prevalent beliefs of a whole profession. Such a style must inevitably create friction among professional colleagues.

However, having said that, Gould and Eldredge were responsible for one of the most significant advances in evolution (punctuated equilibrium) since Darwin, and it was probably inevitable that such radical views would generate controversy. And also be seized on with relish by partisans of creationism.

But all is not lost. Gould includes a 63-page Appendix that is very readable by the layman. The Appendix deals with the controversies aroused by punctuated equilibrium in the broader media and academic communities outside palaeontology. The "hijacking" of punctuated equilibrium by creationists to debunk Darwin is well-covered and very interesting. Thankfully, Gould explains where creationist views are ignorant, wrong or dishonest - often all three.

The Appendix (pages 317 - 319) also contains the best description of punctuated equilibrium for the non-specialist in the whole book, in two passages quoted from Colin Tudge and James Gleick. Readers would benefit by referring to these quotes as they plough through the rest of the book.

The less useful section of the Appendix is where Gould answers (or perhaps provokes anew) his critics. Some of these "attacks" warmed over by Gould are legitimate scientific criticisms, some are personal vendettas against him and some are shameless mis-use of his work to push philosophical or religious bandwagons.

Gould himself is not an innocent bystander in any of these tiffs. But I doubt if any lay reader could figure out where the truth lies. Only those who have followed the controversies blow by blow over the years have any hope of forming a balanced opinion of the combatants.

Anyway, who cares about these personal conflicts? What matters is the substance of Gould's contribution to palaeontology, and that is great indeed.

But I suppose such unedifying ephemera might appeal to readers interested in raking over academic tittle tattle and feuds, micro-scandals, gossip and the like from years gone by.

This book makes me sick! Its an insult to Gould's life and career. This is just one portion of a much larger book! Gould's reasoning is very dialectical. The first half of "The Sturcture of Evolutionary Theory" is on the history of Evolutionary biology. Cutting that out of the book is just disgusting. He never would have wanted this or okay'd it. I understand that the price of The Structure is high, and there needs to be a cheaper paperback version, but this is not the way. If need be, cut the book into two volumes as a paperback, and drop the price. Don't gut his book and sell some abridged version. If you want to read this book, buy the structure!