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Mark Pallen

The Rough Guide to Evolution (Rough Guide Science/Phenomena) Paperback – January 1, 2009

by Mark Pallen (Author)

4.8 19 ratings

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Have you ever wondered what Charles Darwin would have had on his iPod? Or exactly how Cartman from South Park fits into the Theory of Evolution? The Rough Guide to Evolution delves into all of this and more, from the life and works of the eminent scientist to the impact of evolutionary thinking on modern times. Read about the evolutionary history of life on Earth, the stark evidence for evolution – including feathered dinosaurs – and how Darwin’s breakthrough is still denied by creationists, who have repeatedly tried to ban evolution from the classroom. Providing a complete and authoritative overview of one of the most controversial topics of our age, the guide is an accessible one-stop-shop for all things Darwinian, while listing resources for those keen to dig deeper into our murky beginnings. Find out exactly how Charles Darwin and The Origin of Species have affected human life in the 150 years since its publication – everything from Darwinian tourism to the evolution of The Simpsons – as well as some new angles that make The Rough Guide to Evolution a must-have for die-hard Darwin fans.

Rediscover Darwin’s earth-shattering explanation for the diversity of life with The Rough Guide to Evolution.

Print length

352 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Rough Guides
Publication date

January 1, 2009
Dimensions

5.12 x 0.68 x 7.78 inches
ISBN-10

1858289467
ISBN-13

978-1858289465
See all details

Editorial Reviews

Review

This year, we run the risk of drowning in books about evolution and Darwin. This little book is a truly
useful primer. Mark Pallen has pulled together a vast array of information, from early pre-Darwinian
ideas about organic change to an entertaining section on evolution on cult TV. He has even got it right
about the role of Galapagos finches in Darwin s thinking, and cites much useful literature for anyone
interested in exploring further. He does not pull any punches in the controversy of evolution versus
religion but tells it like it really is. It s a worthwhile book for anyone wanting a quick review or an
easy start into the way the world works. --Galapagos News

About the Author

Darwin expert Mark Pallen is a Professor of Microbial Genomics, hosts Darwin Day events and has converted The Origin of the Species into a reggae album!

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rough Guides; 59706th edition (January 1, 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1858289467
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1858289465
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.12 x 0.68 x 7.78 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,829,828 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,863 in Southeast Asia Travel Guides
- #5,828 in General Travel Reference
- #12,522 in Evolution (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.8 19 ratings

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4.8 out of 5

19 global ratings

5 star		82%
4 star		18%
3 star 0% (0%)		0%
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Top reviews from the United States

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Peppercorn

An easy version to understand of the evolutionary Darwinian theory

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 23, 2009

Verified Purchase

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.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Christina H

As good as expected

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 12, 2013

Verified Purchase

This book was affordable and I got exactly what I asked for. It was an almost new book and it came in pretty perfect condition (very minimal wear). I got my book well within the shipping time and am ready to go for college.

Helpful

Lloyd W. Aultman-moore

Five Stars

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

Verified Purchase

Why has this really fine and informative introduction to evolutionary thought gone out of print? It's bewildering.

Helpful

Howie K

Everything Evolutionary

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 5, 2009

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.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

M. Bailey

A treasure trove

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 25, 2009

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.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Neutral

Naturally Selected For Reference

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 21, 2009

Verified Purchase

This is a very good book, even for those of us who are skeptical of the validity of evolution by natural selection. Not only is it a very good book it is an essential preliminary read for anyone with an interest in the subject from a non-scientific viewpoint. While it's true that Pallen fails to deal with the argument that modern evolutionary theory is, in effect, "Evolution of the Gaps" his exposition of the theory is clear, concise and intelligible. In addition, while he is clear where he stands in the evolution and religion controversy, he does present a broad spectrum of both sides of the argument.

Pallen traces evolutionary thought back to the Greek philosophers and acknowledges that the Biblical account hints at "the idea that simpler life forms arrived on the scene before more complex ones". He sets Darwin in his historical context although, as is the problem with broad brush evolutionary theory, he quotes, without criticism, Contosta's notion that freedom evolves as an example of the application of evolutionary theory. Rather like Darwin's theory these things are allegedly so slow and imperceptible that we see them only in retrospect. Pallen also deals with four alleged "myths" about Darwin although no one with even the most cursory knowledge of Darwin's life would regard anyone of them as having substance.

Darwin's big idea had three strands (the mutability of species, common descent and natural selection). As for the latter Pallen extends this concept to a variety of natural selections, none of which are any more convincing than the other. In particular Pallen attaches a variety of meanings to the term evolution when simply referring to adaptation to the environment. Ironically Darwin's finches are amongst the examples cited in which Pallen interchanges evolution and adaptation but assumes natural selection. Natural selection requires a common origin (an idea favoured by Erasmus Darwin) from which the various of species evolved. Of course "species" is an artificial term which has been foisted on to the natural world by humans.

Although I disagree with Pallen's conclusions (some of which are speculative rather than fact based) what I particularly like about the book is the comprehensive way in which he sets the whole theory in its intellectual and historical contexts. In referring to LUCA (last universal common ancestor) Pallen acknowledges that it cannot be identified but asserts that "molecular studies have confirmed that all living organisms trace their ancestry back to a single common ancestor". However, as there is controversy over whether LUCA is a discrete cellular entity or a community, one wonders how he can be so certain. The more so since he acknowledges his limitations in the case of the mitochondrial merger. The primacy of chance or necessity is never fully explored satisfactorily.

I particularly like Pallen's exploration of the the relationship between biology and other sciences, philosophy, politics and religion. However, he is weak on Darwin's view of non Caucasian races. Darwin's opposition to slavery and the savage treatment of native Americans neither made him a racist, nor provided philosophical justification for the Holocaust, but to deny the relationship between Eugenics and natural selection is to fly in the face of historical reality. It is the equivalent of arguing that Stalinism was a deviation from Marxist-Leninism when it was in fact its logical conclusion. In his eulogy at Marx's graveside Engels spoke of Marxism and Darwinism as twin forces for progress. The faulty intellectual reasoning that led Haldane and others to assume that Marxism was politically correct was easily transferred to the notion that Social Darwinism, though equally as false, was biologically justifiable. Darwin was the product of nineteenth century imperialist culture and to deny any link is willful blindness.

Pallen's chapter on religion is historically sound and, as with other parts of the book, comprehensive in covering the main issues. He understands that the conflict between some religious groups and evolutionary theory is political in nature. He acknowledges that the weakness of Intelligent Design is that it lacks explanatory power in scientific terms. His argument is that human beings are looking for explanations and his conclusion is that science can provide all such explanations. On that point I disagree with his conclusion but not his argument.

So why five stars? Identifying assumptions and weaknesses is not the same as identifying error. The book is an excellent read and can be read as a whole or in sections. It would be a disservice to Pallen to judge his book on whether it satisfactorily answers all the questions that exercise the human mind. In any future studies on this subject I will naturally select this volume for its clarity, its references and its glossary. Well worth buying whatever your views on evolution by natural selection.

5 people found this helpful

Howie K

Everything Evolutionary

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 6, 2009

Verified Purchase

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. The book is not just an excellent introductory read for the newcomer to the subject, even someone who have done some quite a lot of serious reading on the subject of Evolution is still certain to broaden, clarify or update his/her subject knowledge by reading Rough Guide. All-in-all a wonderful read by someone who not only writes well, but also an author who really knows and loves his entire subject.

9 people found this helpful

Dr. Kenneth Lancer

All you will ever need to know about evolution

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 14, 2011

Verified Purchase

This is a most brilliant account of the theory of evolution. Whether you are a beginner and know little of the subject or someone who is well versed in evolution you will find enough in this book to enjoy. The production of the volume is delightful giving you the choice of reading it from cover to cover or simply dipping into it from time to time. Darwin's personal details are detailed - both professionally and as a human being. All aspects bearing on evolution are here with its tremendous impact on religion and science. I can thoroughly recommend this book for your delight.

2 people found this helpful

G. Shaw

Evolution made easy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 22, 2010

Verified Purchase

As a non biologist I have been drawn to and fasinated by evolution. This book is brilliant in giving all the basics is an enjoyable style. It can be picked up and used at any time. It prompted me to buy a version of the original " Origin of Species " and when I found certain passages difficult or boring the Rough Guide filled in the gaps.

4 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 12, 2017

Verified Purchase

Excellent companion book to a biological sciences degree!

One person found this helpful

See all reviews

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