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The Rough Guide to Evolution (Rough Guide Science/Phenomena)

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Why is evolution one of the most important ideas of science? Who was Charles Darwin, and why should he be seen as one of the greatest scientists of all time? How has evolutionary thought influenced sciences other than biology? What impact has evolutionary thought made on the humanities and arts? Why is evolution controversial? These are the principal questions addressed by British microbiologist Mark Pallen in "The Rough Guide to Evolution". It is simply no exaggeration to regard his book as the best, most succinct, introduction to evolution and its impact on human culture that I've encountered. It is, quite simply, an utterly delightful book, replete in clear, concise, prose. It is a relatively terse masterpiece of scientific writing and content, which tells the story of evolution and its fundamental importance to human society and culture in barely more than three hundred twenty pages. "The Rough Guide to Evolution" deserves a place on the bookshelves of everyone, both the scientifically literate, and especially, those who are not, simply for the compelling story it tells about the origins, history and current thinking with regards to evolution.

Readers will be pleasantly surprised in finding that this is one guide to evolution that isn't so replete with scientific jargon (And if you are indeed put off by that jargon, Pallen provides a most useful glossary defining key evolutionary concepts and principles at the very end.). Nor is it a guide that's rich in dry, dense prose. Pallen is such an engaging writer that you may wonder, especially towards the end, whether he's crafted a scientifically literate guide to evolution, or instead, one that pays homage too to evolution's enduring influence on both popular and traditional literary and other artistic forms of expression, including television (This slender tome is actually a well-written guide to both, and one whose like I have not seen before, that's succinctly organized into four sections.). This may be the only book where one will encounter humorous references to eminent British science writer Richard Dawkins and television series such as "South Park" and "The Simpsons", along with serious in-depth profiles of notable evolutionary biologists like Ernst Mayr, John Maynard Smith, William Hamilton and Willi Hennig. Readers may also share my ample admiration and awe for Pallen's book, wondering how he has managed to stress evolution's importance to humanity in such a relatively short span of pages.

The largest, most important, section is entitled "Part 1: Ideas and Evidence", tracing the history of evolutionary thought, from the Classical Greeks and Muslims, to, of course, Darwin and beyond, to the very present, including an extensive overview of modern evolutionary biology. The first three chapters summarize early thinking on evolution and, of course, Darwin's life and career (Among the most unexpected, but still fascinating, points Pallen notes are the important cultural and intellectual contributions made by Darwin's descendants, including such noted luminaries as physicist Sir Charles Darwin, artist Gwen Raverat, writer Randal Keynes (His son Skandar will be familiar to movie fans for his performances in the "Chronicles of Narnia" films), writer and filmmaker Matthew Chapman, and novelist Emma Darwin.). Pallen's biographical chapters on Darwin (2 and 3) are especially noteworthy for dispelling myths about Darwin's life and work, and for succinctly presenting the main concepts of his theory of evolution via natural selection (which was discovered independently by Wallace). Chapter 4 is a most admirable summary of the major lines of evidence for evolution, covering everything from biogeography to missing links in the fossil record, vestigial organs in humans, and the significance of homology. In Chapter 5 ("Evolutionary Biology"), Pallen offers among the best written accounts I have read on the nature of speciation (accompanied by simple, well-executed diagrams illustrating the major types) and of phylogenetic systematics (more popularly known as "cladistics"), emphasizing how much modern evolutionary biology has advanced considerably since the joint publication of Darwin and Wallace's ideas on natural selection in 1858 (The only glaring omissions appear to be extensive discussions of coevolution and of ecology, especially of the important species area effect, noted first by one of Darwin's heroes, Baron Alexander von Humboldt.).

A relatively brief section on the history of life (Part 2) is subtitled, "The Greatest Story Ever Told". Pallen's exquisite prose offers one of the most lucid accounts I have read on the origins and history of life on Earth. Much to my surprise, in one long chapter (6), Pallen discusses not only the origin of life on Earth, but also a surprisingly thorough summary of the entire Phanerozoic Eon (the history of life since the dawn of the Cambrian Period, approximately 550 million years ago), which notes not just the major innovations in that history (evolution of the earliest metazoans and the successive invasions of the land by plants and animals), but such, quite literally, Earth-shattering, events as the terminal Permian and Cretaceous mass extinctions, which, respectively, wiped out approximately 96 and 50 percent of Earth's biota (There's an extensive discussion too on the probable causes of mass extinctions, which, amazingly, refers to the important 1982 paper by American invertebrate paleontologists J. John Sepkoski and David M. Raup.). Human evolution is covered extensively in the following chapter (7), and this may be as noteworthy for both the socio-political aspects of paleoanthropology (Pallen has a most intriguing discussion of the history of African paleoanthropology, emphasizing how native Africans have had such an important impact on it recently.) and, of course, its fossil evidence.

Part 3 ("Impact") emphasizes evolution's influence on other sciences, humanities and the arts, and its still controversial relationship to certain religions. For these reasons alone, readers may find this the most interesting, most compelling, section of this Rough Guide. In Chapter 8, Pallen truly covers a vast terrain, emphasizing how natural selection is influencing modern cosmology, computer science, and even, economics (which, I suppose, isn't surprising, given how early modern economics - in the form of Adam Smith's thinking - influenced Darwin's own conception of the "economy of nature"). He also devotes much attention to the still controversial evolutionary psychology and its intellectual ancestor, sociobiology (Incidentally Pallen neglects to mention American entomologist E. O. Wilson's seminal contribution to ecology; the MacArthur - Wilson model of equilibrium island biogeography. One might argue persuasively that this very concept has had as much importance in modern biology - especially in the realm of conservation biology - as has sociobiology.). Chapter 9, devoted to evolution's impact on philosophy and the arts, covers everything from late 19th Century Victorian fiction to science fiction, and even, rock and roll and reggae (I am surprised that the songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin is omitted, their early 1980s "I Am Your Robot" might qualify as a song inspired by evolutionary thought.). Chapter 10, on evolution's uneasy relationship with politics, not only discusses at length, Herbert Spencer's Social Darwinism (It was he, not Darwin, who coined the phrase "survival of the fittest".), but also lays to rest the ridiculous canard - still perpetuated by Discovery Institute Senior Fellow David Klinghoffer and comedian/writer Ben Stein among others - that, somehow, Darwinian thought inspired Hitler and his fellow Nazis towards committing the Holocaust (Pallen recognizes only one thinly veiled reference to natural selection, which was stated at the infamous 1942 Wannsee conference which sanctioned the Holocaust as official "unofficial" Nazi policy.). Chapter 11 traces evolution's peculiar history with Western religions, including Islam, and provides a most concise overview of the American creationist movement, from the 1925 Scopes Trial to the 2005 Dover Trial (There is a succinct, but still excellent, account of the Dover trial itself.), refuting every major argument made by creationists against evolution, especially those by Intelligent Design creationists.

Last, but not least, Part 4 ("Resources") is an all too brief coda to this splendid book, outlining the extensive print, other media, and online resources available to those interested in exploring further, both evolution and its intellectual and cultural impact on contemporary societies. Chapter 12 is written especially for the diehard Darwin fan, describing most of the buildings in London and elsewhere associated with Darwin, his life and career, including, of course, his home at Down. Chapter 13 discusses primarily the commemorative events associated each year with his birthday (February 12), especially this bicentennial year. Chapter 14 summarizes the extensive literature on Darwin - and should be invaluable as a bibliographic guide alone, even if it's not nearly as complete as I would have wished - and other media references, such as, for example, American invertebrate paleobiologist Stephen Jay Gould's appearance on "The Simpsons" (for which he supplied his own voice). And finally, at the very end, Chapter 15 is a superb glossary devoted to key evolutionary biology scientific terms and concepts.

If one is seeking a one-stop, all inclusive, guide to evolution and its intellectual and cultural impact on contemporary society, then don't walk, but, by all means, please run to your nearest bookstore (or online retailer like Amazon) and buy this book. Trust me. Without a doubt, Mark Pallen has demonstrated most persuasively, and most brilliantly, how and why evolution is so important.

If you're only going to purchase and read one book about Evolution, this has GOT to be the book. Pallen's great achievement is that he's been able to create a virtual encyclopaedia of information about Darwinian science, history and influence in a mere 340 pages. This does not mean that the treatment of any part of the subject is at all superficial; Pallen's great talent (aside from producing such clear and readable text) is his ability to get to the heart of the matter in such a direct and concise way. For the non-scientifically inclined reader this means that he/she can come to grips with these not so obvious concepts without what seems a long, confusing and tedious uphill grind. Nor is the excellent treatment of how the mechanisms of Evolution work done at the cost of less focus on the implications of Evolution on Philosophy, Politics, Religion, the Arts and even modern hip culture. Pallen brings to life the histories and character profiles of the great evolutionary scientists - Darwin himself, Mendel, Bill Hamilton, John Maynard Smith and many others, making the subject all the more human. Pallen's treatment of the subject of the "science wars" of Creationism vs. Evolution and Religion vs. Science, where such an understanding is so necessary these days for a well-informed reader, is unparalleled in both clarity and conciseness. Pallen also provides many light-hearted Evolutionary diversions, e.g. a "top-10" evolutionary iPod playlist, evolution based games, entertainments, and one of the best reference reading guides around. The book can be read "cover to cover" or even by just skipping about, without losing any understanding of the topic; indeed the book is an entirely enticing and tasty smorgasbord of information about this important and fascinating subject. All-in-all a wonderful read by someone who not only writes well, but also someone who really knows and loves his entire subject.

The publication of The Origin of Species in 1859 by Charles Darwin changed forever our understanding and view about life and I mean all life, as well as, it started a debate about our beliefs and traditions it gave us a different perspective a new way of thought one with scientific data one that can actually be proven. 150years later we are still talking about this masterpiece about the person behind the courage and writings. The Rough guide to Evolution is a readable introduction to evolution its influences on all aspects of human thought it delves into the life of the man that started it all. It gives information on the stark evidence of scientists, providing a complete and authoritative overview of one of the most controversial topics to date. It's an incredibly easy read it has been masterfully set out in order of importance. A must for any Darwinian fan, or anyone wanting to understand the basics of evolution from the very beginning to now.

This book includes a huge amount of information on both Darwin (and his predecessors and colleagues) and evolution and its various related theories. There are also lengthy discussions of evolution as it relates to religion, politics and philosophy, and the evidence for the science is overwhelming in its accumulated proofs. I do find what I presume is the Rough Guide format, with its many many sidebars, to be distracting; but perhaps for the younger generation this would seem natural given the way text books and web pages are developed these days. The photos, all black and white, are poorly reproduced and at times seem pointless because of the difficulty in making out detail.

All-in-all, this is a treasure trove for anyone looking for a detailed introduction to all things evolution.