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Stephen Jay Gould

The Panda's Thumb: More Reflections in Natural History Reissue Edition

by Stephen Jay Gould (Author)

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"Gould is a natural writer; he has something to say and the inclination and skill with which to say it." ―P. B. Medawar, New York Review of Books

With sales of well over one million copies in North America alone, the commercial success of Gould's books now matches their critical acclaim. The Panda's Thumb will introduce a new generation of readers to this unique writer, who has taken the art of the scientific essay to new heights.

Were dinosaurs really dumber than lizards? Why, after all, are roughly the same number of men and women born into the world? What led the famous Dr. Down to his theory of mongolism, and its racist residue? What do the panda's magical "thumb" and the sea turtle's perilous migration tell us about imperfections that prove the evolutionary rule? The wonders and mysteries of evolutionary biology are elegantly explored in these and other essays by the celebrated natural history writer Stephen Jay Gould.

ISBN-10

0393308197
ISBN-13

978-0393308198
Edition

Reissue
Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company
Publication date

August 17, 1992
Language

English
Dimensions

5.5 x 1 x 8.3 inches
Print length

352 pages
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"It is a wonder what Mr. Gould can do with the most unlikely phenomena: a tiny organism's use of the earth's magnetic field as a guide to food and comfort, for instance, or the panda's thumb―which isn't one…Science writing at its best."
― The New Yorker

"Stephen Jay Gould is a serious and gifted interpreter of biological theory, of the history of ideas, and of the cultural context of scientific discovery…The Panda's Thumb is fresh and mind-stretching. Above all, it is exultant. So should its readers be."
― H. Jack Geiger, New York Times Book Review

"Gould can do no wrong…As long as he writes, you cannot help but read―and enjoy."
― Isaac Asimov

About the Author

Stephen Jay Gould (1941-2002) was the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology and Professor of Geology at Harvard University. He published over twenty books, received the National Book and National Book Critics Circle Awards, and a MacArthur Fellowship.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Reissue edition (August 17, 1992)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393308197
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393308198
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1280L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #605,444 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #289 in Science Essays & Commentary (Books)
- #503 in Natural History (Books)
- #2,549 in Biology (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 159 ratings

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Stephen Jay Gould

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Stephen Jay Gould (1941-2002) was the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology and Professor of Geology at Harvard University. He published over twenty books, received the National Book and National Book Critics Circle Awards, and a MacArthur Fellowship.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

159 global ratings

5 star		66%
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3 star		7%
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doc peterson

Hit and miss ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 6, 2020

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There is little disagreement that the late Stephen Gould was a brilliant writer, brining science to the masses through his frequent essays published in "Natural History" magazine. _The Panda's Thumb_ is a collection of these essays. And like any collection of writing, there is the good, and there is the not-so-good. (I can't classify anything by Gould as "bad.")

Among the essays that particularly enjoyed was his piece on Mickey Mouse ("A Biological Homage to Mickey Mouse") in which Gould both describes and quatifies the changes in the appearance of that beloved Disney character - and relates these changes to why people think the character is "cute" before extrapolating that this "cuteness" is perhaps a biological function for survival (and to which we have modified any number of domesticated critters.) "The Episodic Nature of Evolutionary Change" was especially fascinating, as it opened the door for lay-readers such as myself to peek into a scientific debate that is still very much alive: does evolution happen in sudden bursts of advancement or in a slow, gradual progression? Of course Gould has his own ideas on the controversy, but he does an admirable job of outlining both sides of the argument without straw-man reasoning.

Other articles I didn't care much for - either because I was unfamiliar with the anatomy to which Gould refers, or the topic just didn't strike me as interesting - but that's the cost of admission for a work like this. On the balance, there is much more to like than to not.

4 people found this helpful

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Reynaldo Bo

Some great essays, but uneven

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 23, 2015

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Gould is a terrific writer when on the right subjects, neatly and concisely laying out in a series of essays originally written as magazine columns some interesting trivia. When he sticks to evolution, he's incredible. When he veers in to the history of science, he can be uneven and long-winded, and the forays in to geology are largely pointless. When discussing the period from Darwin's first publishing of his theory to the widespread acceptance over the course of a generation, he focuses too much on one or two unimportant characters and misses the forest for the trees.
Which is a shame. The early chapters are great fun to read, and offer great insight in to how adaptation works. But unlike, say, Dawkins, Gould wanders about in an uneven fashion. That's expected somewhat in a book that is a collection of magazine pieces written over many years, unlike a purpose-written book. But some of these feel like an idea that had been sitting in a drawer for many years, he decided to write something about it, but didn't really have much to say. A good editor could have cleaned that up, but perhaps that would not have left enough material for a book.

8 people found this helpful

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Serious Sewist

A Classic in Evolutionary Biology

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 25, 2020

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Gould was always an engaging writer, from his earliest days. This is an excellent introduction to thinking about evolution for anyone.

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Septimus MacGhilleglas

An excellent read!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 2, 2019

Verified Purchase

Breaks my heart that Stephen Jay Gould is no longer among us to offer insights in his own unique style. the man could make snails incredibly interesting, for crying out loud. I recommend this book to any and all who have an insatiable curiosity about the world around us.

2 people found this helpful

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Mountain West Bob

Stimulating Essays on the Natural World

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 22, 2017

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Gould never really disappoints. Thirty years ago, his columns in Natural History magazine challenged me and ended up stimulating a desire to learn about and study the natural world we share with so many diverse species. I'm still reading "sciency" material every day, and Gould and others have really improved the quality of my understanding and appreciation. Got to say, Gould improved my life!

One person found this helpful

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Eduardo J. Escardo

Critical reflections on human thought

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 14, 2013

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I believe this group of Gould's essays reflect the ways of human thought development. Gould doesn't' just present his ideas, reflections and proposals, or those of other prominent scientists, but continuously contrasts them to different or even opposing ones, providing food for our own thought process.

2 people found this helpful

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Jon D. Zern, DVM

Nature's Secrets

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 28, 2015

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Wonderfully written and thought provoking. Although I do not necessarily agree with all of Mr. Gould's opinions, he provides good arguments and interesting facts. A must read for anyone with a keen interest in evolutionary biology.

One person found this helpful

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brutus

Great book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 23, 2018

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Gould was one of the great minds of our time as well as a wonderful writer. Always a pleasure. Book is in great condition

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Ernest Barton

WONDERFUL STUFF

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 31, 2021

Verified Purchase

I have had a copy of this book for some time and it startwed falling apart so I ordered this one which has a slightly bigger font, Great stuff almost every essay could be expanded into a book SJG is a great loss to us all.

Dr G.

Fascinating

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 29, 2019

Verified Purchase

The author never fails to keep the reader enthralled. He is a scientific storyteller without his equal. I for one cannot wait to read more.

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Gould was an excellent writer

Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on August 24, 2019

Verified Purchase

There are many important things to learn from this book. For me personally, it helped explain the difference between Darwinism and Lamarckism.

Oshito

Finally

Reviewed in Japan 🇯🇵 on March 4, 2015

Verified Purchase

I have wanted to read this book for more than 20 years. But somehow I've had no chance, or chance hasn't brought me into contact with this informative,sobering biological collection of essays. This time Thanks to kindle I managed to read it from cover to cover in the original.(I'm Japanese) True, some parts are beyond me, and it's all my fault, but I'm intelligent and modest enough to get revelation from this work. Jay gould is a realist through and through and those who read this book are overwhelmed by the power of sheer facts although if i were more learned, I could have absorbed more. Lastly, this book has crushed my idea of eternity. When I learned the fact that the explosion of the sun would swallow the earth, my foundation of existence was shaked, which in turn led me to take an etheist position.It's ok. After all, This perception savored my relation with my wife. Of course I won't go into my boring privacy.

sunnyboy

日本語訳が残念

Reviewed in Japan 🇯🇵 on January 4, 2012

Verified Purchase

いろいろな例を元に進化論について語っています。取り上げる題材は興味を引くものが多く、面白いものばかりでした。なんとなく昔読んだ『アシモフの科学エッセイ』を思い出しました。
ただ　日本語訳が直訳すぎてわかりにくいですね。内容そのものは中高生にも興味を持ってもらえるものなのに、文章を読み取るのに挫折してしまうかもしれません。

4 people found this helpful

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