The Road to Now: Taking Stock of Evolution and Our Place in the World [Paperback]

Melvin Bolton (Author), M. Bolton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2002

As fields of study in human biology become ever more specialized and difficult for the non-specialist, the bigger picture in the life sciences is being lost. We face an information overload on such issues as genetics, evolution, population growth and the environment. Written for those of us interested in how we have evolved as a species and what our future holds for us, "The Road to Now" assumes no scientific background and offers a clear overview of how the workings of evolution have shaped us in mind and body. Milestones of human history, including the development of tools, and the growth of agriculture, towns and cities, are encountered in a story that extends from early life to modern society. Bolton's predictions for the future, based on current trends and knowledge, should arouse lively debate.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Melvin Bolton is the author of Ethiopian Wildlands, Conservation and the Use of Wildlife Resources, and three spy fiction novels: The Softener, The Testing, and The Opener.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Allen & Unwin Academic (June 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1865084905
• ISBN-13: 978-1865084909
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,748,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Regarding Science-Ejected Vitalism:, January 13, 2008

By 

Robert J. Cullen "'Dr. Bob Ironic'" (Bridgeport, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Road to Now: Taking Stock of Evolution and Our Place in the World (Paperback)

Vitalism is a hugely science-ejected concept, though many CAM or 'natural health' cabals claim that vitalism survives scientific scrutiny, and that the scientific supports and contains the supernatural.

A few favorite quotes from this book:

"concepts of the supernatural, phenomena outside the influence of natural causes, are by definition outside the scope of science [p.013...] today, mainstream biology sees no need for explanations of life based on any special force or property that is unique to living things [...] notions of life forces or vital sparks were never really explanations. To say that something is alive because of a life force explains nothing at all unless you can say what the life force might be [p.019]."