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 Preaching to the choir June 18, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Even though it is now over 120 years since Darwin's death, relatively few people truly understand Evolution. Unfortunately, the author of this book does not appear to be one of them. Don't get me wrong, Dr. Carroll is a respected scientist, well published, and a professor of molecular biology and genetics at the University of Wisconsin, but he is also what Ortega y Gasset called a "barbarian of specialization." He understands the minutia of his scientific field but not the larger implications of Science, the principle he attempts to defend or the ideas he tries to attack.
The title itself betrays part of the problem. As Prof. Carroll notes briefly, Darwin did not coin the unfortunate term "Survival of the Fittest," but he seems unaware of Tom Bethell's criticism that the term is a tautology, i.e., species survive because they are fit but they are considered fit because they survived. Jay Gould addressed this criticism adequately long ago, but Carroll misses a great opportunity to address this problem and others anew with his numerous examples of natural selection at the molecular level - his academic specialization. Prof. Carroll is not the second coming of Jay Gould though you get the feeling he wants to be. But, he fails to lay out clearly any of the many objections to Principle of Evolution and deal with each of them systematically and scientifically as Gould did. He never clearly explains the problems associated with speciation relative to simple molecular selection (the examples he provides do not in themselves lead to new species) and he does not clearly enunciate the importance of geographical isolation in that process. He addresses the problem of transitional species only in passing and his regard for climate change is paradoxical. Indeed the book is noteworthy for all it neglects. It is simply this; Prof. Carroll is utterly convinced that his barrage of examples of natural selection at the molecular level will absolutely convince any reasonable reader, as it has convinced himself, of the irrefutable "Truth" of Evolution. He almost shouts "HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE IT." But his is the truth of a religion formed around a "belief." It is not Science. His constant harangue that you must "believe" is the equivalent of a sermon at a tent revival not a convincing academic presentation. Read Darwin for that.
That said, the best part of the book is the examples of natural selection at the molecular level, the explanation of the necessity time in the process of natural selection and some of the mathematics of Evolution (the Hardy-Weinberg Law is strangely neglected?). Prof. Carroll's explanations of these many examples are clear and simple if somewhat redundant. One particular example of molecular selection Prof. Carroll chooses is perfect, what could be better then a discussion of opsin and the development of the eye. One of the greatest debates among evolutionary scientist and their opponents since the time of Darwin has been over the development of complex anatomical structures, particularly the eye, in the context of natural selection. This is the example of all examples, but Prof. Carroll seems utterly unaware of the enormous historical context of it and neglects any discussion of the problem of complex structures.
The worst part of the book is the last chapter, an unsystematic retaliation against the foes of Evolution, the foes of Prof. Carroll's religion. He describes the dreadful tactics of these enemies of all mankind in their persecution of the Sacred Order of Darwin then turns around and uses exactly the same tactics in a totally unselfconscious attempt to discredit them. The weak arguments here will not faze those whose faith demands they cling to Intelligent Design. Nevertheless, the book has been well and uncritically received as other reviews attest. That is because it is perfect solace for the sophomoric atheists who paste that silly and inaccurate outline of a fish with four legs on the back of their cars thereby demonstrating that they understand neither what they advocate nor what they mock. Prof. Carroll will be a hero to this crowd.
I am a biologist, a chemist and a physicist. I do not "believe" in Evolution any more than I "believe" in the Second Law of Thermodynamics or Relativity. Rather I know that these three principles consistently and accurately describe the physical and biological phenomena of this Earthly realm to the degree that we can detect and observe them. I know that probably these principles will all be superseded by more advanced ideas as they have themselves superseded previous ways of describing physical reality. As religion, science is cold gruel. And when science is presented as utterly unquestionable dogma it is every bit as barbaric as the Jesuit prosecution of Galileo and every bit the social and intellectual equivalent.
 an excellent discussion of the scientific support for evolution June 4, 2008
Anyone with any interest in the theory of evolution should read this book. Citing evidence from the genetics of the visual systems of fish, birds, mammals and primates, Dr. Carroll presents a clear discussion of how mutations create new functionality and also eliminate unused functionality. In addition, he discusses how the mutations that produce sickle-cell anemia and G6PD deficiency have conferred resistance to malaria and thus have been favored by natural selection in humans in some parts of the world. Moreover, he provides a fascinating account of the rejection of scientific evidence, both by the Russian biology community and by the American chiropractic community. My only criticism of this book is the final chapter that diverges into the imminent depletion of fish populations due to over harvesting. While this chapter is interesting in its own right, it has little to do with the rest of the book.
The best of the evolution explanation books of the last 20 years April 8, 2008
If you read only one book about evolution, read this one. In this book the author does an incredible job of pulling together all those things we hear about regularly - DNA, genes, amino acids, etc. in an explanation of how they function and the immense increase in knowledge they have brought us as to evolutionary relationships and mechanisms. The text is very accessible for someone like me who never studied any of these things after high school and does not work in a science-related field.
Carroll's examples really make evolution exciting - such as how fish in both the arctic and the antarctic have separately evolved "antifreeze" that keeps their blood from freezing. The section explaining the evolution of the eye is particularly fascinating as the author tells us about numerous animals with light sensing cells and how the complex human eye evolved from more rudimentary structures.
Carroll touches briefly on the issue of global climate change and how it will dramatically decrease the diversity of species on the earth as it occurs much faster than plants and animals can possibly evolve.
This would make a great gift for anyone curious about how humans became what they are today.
reasoned, thought-provoking, and thoroughly enjoyable March 23, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is the third book I've read recently about DNA and evolution: Your Inner Fish and Relics of Eden were the other two. All three books are wonderfully written, and all three provide different windows to look at DNA and evolution. What Making of the Fittest does, and does very well, is to show how DNA can help to produce similar functions in various forms of life. It also focusses on unusual species such as ice fish, where the DNA for red blood cells has almost entirely been lost, and the author stresses the "use it or lose it" side of DNA.
You'll see, for example, that the DNA for sickle cells came about as a survival mechanism against malaria--that's well-known. But what isn't as well known is that this mutation occurred not just once, but at at least 5 different sites, including India. You'll read about sticklebacks, which can undergo a DNA transition that affects armor plates and spines in a remarkably short period when under survival pressures. You'll see that full-color vision in primates evolved at least twice--once for old-world primates and later, separately, for new-world howler monkeys.
There's a very interesting part on potassium channel blockers--the poison used by black mambas. This same kind of poison also is found in anemones, scorpions, and conefish--all different phyla. Another poison is found in certain newts and puffer fish. There is one small error in that regard, which in no way detracts from the value of this book--the trained chefs who prepare fugu fish to eat do not carefully remove all the toxin. They rather remove almost all the toxin so that the person dining on this expensive delicacy gets a tingling/numbing sensation in the lips: removing all the toxin is akin to removing alcohol from expensive wine, and leaving just a fraction too much toxin in can result in the death of the diner. So you're given a very well-reasoned view of the DNA mechanism. The book is full of these kinds of examples. What you get here is a fine and worthy companion to Your Inner Fish and Relics of Eden.
A truly fit book February 29, 2008
Amazingly clear explanation of selection's fuel. Accomplished through discussion and real-world examples that also inform about some amazing organisms not normally covered in similar books such as the ice fish and their radical adaptations. No reasonable person can doubt evolution after seeing the significance of genetic text as Prof Carroll presents it. It works in criminal forsensics and serves the same purpose when investigating evolution.
I'll be reading this again...and again.
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