List Price: $18.99 Details

Save: $8.00 (42%)

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime & FREE Returns

FREE delivery: Thursday, Sep 2 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. Details

Fastest delivery: Wednesday, Sep 1
Order within 58 mins Details

In Stock.
As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. Want to listen? Try Audible.

$$10.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Secure transaction

Ships from	Amazon.com
Sold by	Amazon.com

Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Return policy: This item is returnable

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery: Friday, Sep 3 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. Details

Used: Acceptable | Details

Sold by Prizehustle

Fulfilled by Amazon

Share <Embed>

Other Sellers on Amazon

$12.04
+ $3.87 shipping

Sold by: PLANET-OF-BOOKS

$14.29
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: allnewbooks

$18.72
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: Book Depository US

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 2 images

Follow the Author

Michael J. Behe

Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution Paperback – Illustrated, March 13, 2006

by Michael J. Behe (Author)

582 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$13.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Paperback, Illustrated

"Please retry"

$10.99

$2.04

Darwin’s Black Box helped to launch the Intelligent Design movement: the argument that nature exhibits evidence of design, beyond Darwinian randomness. Today, with the movement stronger than ever, Michael J. Behe updates the book with an important new Afterword on the state of the debate.

—Time

Naming Darwin’s Black Box to the National Review’s list of the 100 most important nonfiction works of the twentieth century, George Gilder wrote that it “overthrows Darwin at the end of the twentieth century in the same way that quantum theory overthrew Newton at the beginning.” Discussing the book in The New Yorker in May 2005, H. Allen Orr said of Behe, “he is the most prominent of the small circle of scientists working on intelligent design, and his arguments are by far the best known.” From one end of the spectrum to the other, Darwin’s Black Box has established itself as the key text in the Intelligent Design movement—the one argument that must be addressed in order to determine whether Darwinian evolution is sufficient to explain life as we know it, or not.

For this edition, Behe has written a major new Afterword tracing the state of the debate in the decade since it began. It is his first major new statement on the subject and will be welcomed by the thousands who wish to continue this intense debate.

Print length

352 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Free Press
Publication date

March 13, 2006
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.9 x 8.44 inches
ISBN-10

0743290313
ISBN-13

978-0743290319
See all details

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Michael J Behe
131
Paperback
$25.95
Get it as soon as Friday, Sep 3
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Michael Denton
102
Paperback
$24.84
Get it as soon as Monday, Sep 6
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Stephen C. Meyer
605
Hardcover
in Creationism
$26.99
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
In stock soon.
Norman L. Geisler
2,753
Paperback
$19.79
Get it as soon as Thursday, Sep 2
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Michael Denton
165
Paperback
$14.95
Get it as soon as Friday, Sep 3
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Stephen C. Meyer
1,352
Paperback
$20.99
Get it as soon as Thursday, Sep 2
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Michael J. Behe
356
Paperback
$15.89
Get it as soon as Thursday, Sep 2
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Stephen C. Meyer
1,141
Paperback
$16.19
Get it as soon as Thursday, Sep 2
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Stephen C. Meyer
605
Hardcover
in Creationism
$26.99
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
In stock soon.
Michael J Behe
131
Paperback
$25.95
Get it as soon as Friday, Sep 3
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Stephen C. Meyer
1,352
Paperback
$20.99
Get it as soon as Thursday, Sep 2
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Douglas Axe
620
Paperback
$15.29
Get it as soon as Thursday, Sep 2
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A persuasive book. It will speak to the layman and perhaps even to professional evolutionists as well, if they are able to suspend for a little while their own judgment about origins, the ultimate black box." -- The Washington Times

"An argument of great originality, elegance, and intellectual power. . . . No one can propose to defend Darwin without meeting the challenges set out in this superbly written and compelling book." -- David Berlinski, author of A Tour of the Calculus

"Overthrows Darwin at the end of the twentieth century in the same way that quantum theory overthrew Newton at the beginning." -- George Gilder in National Review

"[Behe] is the most prominent of the small circle of scientists working on intelligent design, and his arguments are by far the best known." -- H. Allen Orr in The New Yorker

"When examined with the powerful tools of modern biology, but not with its modern prejudices, life on a biochemical level can be a product, Behe says, only of intelligent design. Coming from a practicing biologist. . . this proposition is close to heretical." -- The New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Michael J. Behe is a Professor of Biological Science at Lehigh University, where he has worked since 1985. From 1978 to 1982 he did postdoctoral work on DNA structure at the National Institutes of Health. From 1982 to 1985 he was Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Queens College in New York City. He has authored more than forty technical papers, but he is best known as the author of Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution. He lives near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with his wife and nine children.

Start reading Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Free Press; 2nd edition (March 13, 2006)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0743290313
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743290319
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.44 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #49,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #7 in Organic Evolution
- #63 in Biochemistry (Books)
- #299 in History & Philosophy of Science (Books)

Customer Reviews:
582 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		78%
4 star		14%
3 star		4%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Aragorn

Impressive and food for thought

Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2019

Verified Purchase

If your spontaneous reaction to the idea of Intelligent Design is to dismiss it as a fairy tale by the creationists, you might think otherwise after reading this book. A lot has happened in the field of ID since the publication of this boo, but it's one of the important classics in it's field. In this book you'll find many great and illuminating analogies and clarifying examples by Behe that he uses to illustrate the irreducible complexity of life at the microlevel. I can see why the Neo-Darwinists reacted so strongly to this book – the examples make it clear in a powerful, and undeniable way, how many details concerning life can not have been developed by random mutations alone. And no, you'll not find anything about God, Jesus or The Bible in this book. Just science, plain and 'simple'.

53 people found this helpful

Helpful

Gaby

Most refreshing!

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2018

Verified Purchase

I finished the book last night and it is simply the best discussion on Intelligent Design I've ever read. Behe's call for common sense on the topic is the best grounded writing and the most refreshing reading I've done, helping to put into perspective all biochemical complexity. Wonderful!

After reading in this book about subjects that I have studied multiple times in the past (i.e. the coagulation cascade and the immune system), I'm still amazed as when reading similar recommended books, how it never crossed my mind of how all this came to be in the first place back then when I first studied these subjects. I think that in the past, as I studied the complexity of biological systems, classical Darwinian evolution explanations were boxed away in my brain as something that had nothing to do with the subject at hand. Still, it is mind boggling how thousands of researchers around the world breach such complex subjects on a daily basis and never ask the question: how this all came to be?

This is definitely a scientific inquiry worthy of pursuing and there's no reason why scientists should lose it when "supernatural"/intelligent design explanations are taken into account. All the data points to it and ignoring the obvious is what seems to be driving everybody nuts. Others who get away with the theory that doesn't take into account Intelligent Design are just ignorant of the level of coordinated complexity behind living beings. Looking forward for more of his common sense!

32 people found this helpful

Helpful

T-Rex 5

A Completely Scientific Explanation for Intelligent Design

Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2017

Verified Purchase

This book makes an incredible case for intelligent design. Sadly, it is clear that many of the 1 star reviews have not actually read his book, as their criticisms do not at all relate to this book. This book is NOT a 7-day creationist/young earth/biblical literalist book. Behe does believe in evolution and the scientifically accepted age of the earth. In this book, he discusses the complexity of biochemistry, why natural selection can not work at the biochemical level, and the positive case for design. He goes into great technical detail about the biochemistry of body systems such as the blood clotting system and the immune system, and why it is not possible that these type of systems evolved via natural selection. He does not mention God or guess at who the designer is, as he says that is outside the realm of science and in the philosophical/religious domain. He goes into great detail explaining why the simplistic view of natural selections in systems such as eyesight made sense at one time, but why these explanations no longer make any sense with the discovery of DNA and the advent of the science of biochemistry. He discusses how the nearly complete lack of scientific articles supporting natural selection at the biochemical level and newer scientific theories proposing other mechanisms than natural selection as an explanation for systems such as the immune system or blood clotting system. (He also shows how the evidence shows that intelligent design is more likely, but scientifically admits that these other explanations can not be ruled out completely.) For the positive case for design, he discusses how other fields (such as archaeology) can scientifically determine if something was designed or natural (perhaps not in all cases, but in many cases without a shadow of a doubt) and how science can also look at the biochemistry of a cell in the same way, scientifically determining design or naturalstance. In an afterward written 10 years after the book, he discusses criticisms of his book--and sadly, most of these criticisms also seem to be from people who did not actually read his book.Bottom line, none of the critics have answered the main points he's made in this book. The one problem with this book, is that in spite of Behe's best attempts to teach biochemistry, this can be extremely hard to understand if someone has background in organic chemistry. I suspect many people without the appropriate background, could not slog through the text. This would explain why the 1 star reviews attack what non-scientist intelligent design proponents have said in the past, and not what was actually said in this book.

63 people found this helpful

Helpful

Philip W. Knopp

No hype Just facts

Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2019

Verified Purchase

This should be a must read for parents and kids in high school or college. It is a direct route to the truth about the failings of Darwinian evolution, that it is based on assumptions and not fact. It indicates where the real action is regarding biological form and change: the study of microbiology and the cell with all of its biochemical machinery. From my perspective it completely sidesteps the confrontation of Creationism and Darwinism, and goes to the basis of all life.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Messiah's Misfit

Darwinism is dead

Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2019

Verified Purchase

Excellent intellectual read. This book is not a casual read as you must pay attention. I don't mean difficult to read. I mean you must stay focused on it just because, if you let your mind wonder, you could get lost in the technicalities and biological vocabulary. Definitely puts another nail in the THEORY of Darwinism.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Brett S

Behe did a great job on this subject!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 10, 2019

Verified Purchase

This book is very good, and so I give it full rating in whatever system being used. There is no superstition here nor invoking of religion, just looking hard at the evidence with a scientific eye.

I appreciated the introduction to the complexities of systems at the molecular level that this biochemist knows and so he then explained clearly and made accessible to the layman. He made great use of metaphors to explain concepts in terms of real life examples. He also has a sense of humor too - not a dry book at all!

His elucidation of the theory of intelligent design is very well thought out. His arguments and presentation of the data is so good that it is no wonder everyone who hates his book because it challenges their dogma has not really tried to refute anything in it, but instead resort to mainly hit pieces that attack made up straw man arguments of things Behe never said, instead of directly and clearly arguing against things he actually wrote about (and it has been 23 years now since the first version came out).

Since science has advanced in these past years he has recently released a new book which should also be a good read: Darwin Devolves: The New Science About DNA That Challenges Evolution. I think I will also get one of his previous books that I have heard is worthwhile follow up: The Edge of Evolution: The Search for the Limits of Darwinism.

I have to say I really enjoy such clearly written, rational, logical books as these that are really scientific in the sense they look at the facts as clearly as possible and use that to formulate a reasonable theory. I am not impressed with theories of our origin that do not answer most questions, and rely on mostly rhetoric and wishful thinking.

There have been plenty of people who have very reasonably pointed out flaws, unanswered questions, and great improbabilities in the Darwinian theory of evolution that asserts life came into being in a gradual step by step process of random mutations over a very long period of time and so I have been skeptical about it before reading this book. Now this book gives me even more reasons to suspect neo-Darwinist theories are never going figure out the origin of life, despite promises and bluster. Science needs something better.

4 people found this helpful

Mark Carter

Brilliant but CHECK THE PRINT QUALITY!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2018

Verified Purchase

This is a great book, I’ve owned and given away several copies, you won’t be disappointed unless your mind is already shut off to one side of this argument. Wrote that headline simply because last copy I received was not printed/bound corrrctly and a whole chunk at the back was inserted upside down. Sent it back, instant replacement so great service but watch this doesn’t catch you too. Inspect your book if you buy it!

4 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Jah Live!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 12, 2016

Verified Purchase

Love it! If you're interesting in finding out the actually mathematically possibility of evolution getting a grip on life and whipping it up into shape to create conscious sentient beings like ourselves then this book is for you. Conclusion.. Theres probably more chance in Katie Price getting her boobs removed than this miracle of life to happen by accident. All praise to the most high!

6 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Read whether or not you advocate for intelligent design

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 31, 2020

Verified Purchase

To dip into rather than read as a entire work. Compelling arguments based in deep understanding of bio-chemistry and genetics.

Steve

Clear balanced approach to a difficult topic

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 30, 2017

Verified Purchase

This book is all about the importance of open and unfettered scientific exploration and discovery at a time when certain dogmas and absolutes both religious and atheistic seem to be driving scientific inquiry down limiting paths.
I was greatly encouraged to be inspired and excited by the awe and wonder of the natural world in all it's complexity and mystery.

3 people found this helpful

See all reviews

More items to explore

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Stephen C. Meyer
1,141
Paperback
$16.19
Get it as soon as Thursday, Sep 2
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Stephen C. Meyer
1,352
Paperback
$20.99
Get it as soon as Thursday, Sep 2
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Norman L. Geisler
2,753
Paperback
$19.79
Get it as soon as Thursday, Sep 2
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Dr Jason Lisle
356
Paperback
$12.66
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Norman L. Geisler
279
Paperback
$25.49
Get it as soon as Thursday, Sep 2
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Stephen C. Meyer
605
Hardcover
in Creationism
$26.99
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
In stock soon.

Pages with related products. See and discover other items: design theory, basic chemistry, pond life, protein chemistry book, Chemical Bags

Buy new: $10.99 FREE delivery: Thursday, Sep 2 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. Ships from: Amazon.com Sold by: Amazon.com

Buy used: $9.23

Other Sellers on Amazon

Follow the Author

Similar authors to follow

Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution Paperback – Illustrated, March 13, 2006

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries

More items to explore

Buy new:

$10.99

FREE delivery: Thursday, Sep 2 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon.

Ships from: Amazon.com

Sold by: Amazon.com

Buy used:

$9.23