The book gets one star for the author having read the material hecritiques -- an innovative approach for his position. But reading does't mean understanding. Quick take: the book's language may make Darwinians feel good, but will ill-prepare them for actual issues. It systematically misrepresents Darwin's critics. Don't believe me? It's your money.
The book starts out explaining it won't question sincerity or intent of people who criticize Darwinian theory. (Questioning Darwinism is automatically taken as creationism). Thereafter, such people are characterized as doing things slyly and being disingenuous. People with Ph.D's and publication history in fields the author has no background in are described as "slightly less cartoonish" than others. The author is a philosophy professor, defending claims of biology from critiques by others with backgrounds in biology and mathematics.
A technique the author uses is to put quote marks around words. This negates what someone says without having to address content. For example, he might report another author says "by definition"the "empirical evidence" shows the "truth" is X. By putting positive words like "by definition" and"truth" in quotes, it negates them without analysis.
It creates a sense in the reader's mind that it's NOT truth being discussed, but only what some other person THINKS is truth. It associates an emotion of doubt, in the reader's mind, with the word being quoted. When the reader is done, he is left with the sense something has been refuted, when it's only typography. Quotation of single words should red-flag any reader. "Tower of Babel" is filled with quote negation, sometimes a dozen per page. It's partly why the book may make Darwinians feel good, but will ill-prepare them for actual issues.
The author enjoys differences between groups critiquing Darwinism; some analysis has changed over time. I guess that's unusual. The practical upshot is it allows the author to make a point, then pick the group that can be made to look most absurd in contrast. Raelions, a UFO cult, are grouped with all other Darwin-doubters. Never heard of them before, but they make good foils.
The author tries to lump Darwin-doubters in with post-modernism, Kuhnianism, relativism and so on. Christian writers have written powerful, devastating analytical critiques of such humanist follies for years. Now, as these systems come to a close, with error undeniable, the evolutionary position that developed and nourished them tries to associate the failure with the very position that has single-handedly fought them all along. Expect next book from author claiming Reagan was a Marxist.
The critique of naturalism he contests comes from the observation there is now a dual aspect to modern science: the method ("testing ideas") and the philosophical assumption ("there are only undirected, naturalcauses"). The METHOD is common-sense and biblical. The PHILOSOPHYis problematic and cannot be proven (think about it). While it can force the search for material cause, it cannot recognize non-material cause since it's excluded a-priori. A-priori categorical exclusion is unscientific.
Intelligent design studies address a small piece of this problem through an addition to the scientist's toolkit that will allow rigorous mathematical recognition of design. Have you driven down the road and seen a billboard ad? Do you spend time wondering whether it was designed or is a natural feature? How do you make the determination? At present, scientists can only do what everyone does: appeal to hand-waving and common-sense. OK for billboards, not less-everyday things.
Attacks on design studies (such as this book and Baylor faculty voting to cancel an ID research center) seek to deflect scientists from a tool that has wide relevance. For example, determining whether a transmission is noise or an encrypted message. ID analysis wouldn't break the code, but would indicate its presence.
The author is upset that ID researchers refuse to speculate on the designer, if such classification is made of biological systems. He doesn't know what to make of scientists unwilling to go beyond what the data says, being acclimated to Darwinists answering every question confidently with a myth-story that seems plausible, whether or not there is evidence.
One badly needs to understand that, prior to Darwin, the dominant view was that humans were subordinate to God. Made in his image, but self-corrupted by freely made choice. Darwin seemed to provide an alternate path that made human desire and power the effective pivot around which the universe revolves. Humans were mechanically derived, thus subordinate only to others who achieved power over them. With Original Sin gone,it seemed possible to perfect human nature and build a Utopian society.
The 20th century, from Marx to Freud to Lenin to Stalin to Hitler to WW II to the moral and cultural relativism that distinguishes political parties, was energized by the Utopian schemes Darwin seemed to justify scientifically, by redefining what a humanis. Christians recognize humans cannot create Utopia and act accordingly.
Not being able to indoctrinate children with Darwin's definition of a human is worrisome to people such as the author. Never mind Darwinian science is stitched with fraud and deception (see"Icons of Evolution", Wells). This does not concern them when they speak of education.
Those who are are trying to lead us toa Utopia imagined by flawed and corrupt humans are most worried about this: if people are subordinate to God, who will listen to university philosophy professors? And if there is an ultimate authority, other than myself, then ...uh-oh...
One can try conforming desire to truth, or truth to desire. Darwinians have tried warping truth to fit their desires and are now being called on it. Not much more to it than that, folks. Save your money for popcorn.
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