Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters | 
| Author: Donald R. Prothero
Creator: Carl Buell
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Category: Book
List Price: $29.50
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Avg. Customer Rating:  38 reviews
Sales Rank: 13809
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 408
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.1
Dimensions (in): 9.9 x 7.2 x 1
ISBN: 0231139624
Dewey Decimal Number: 576.8
EAN: 9780231139625
ASIN: 0231139624
Publication Date: October 11, 2007
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Product Description
Over the past twenty years, paleontologists have made tremendous fossil discoveries, including fossils that mark the growth of whales, manatees, and seals from land mammals and the origins of elephants, horses, and rhinos. Today there exists an amazing diversity of fossil humans, suggesting we walked upright long before we acquired large brains, and new evidence from molecules that enable scientists to decipher the tree of life as never before. The fossil record is now one of the strongest lines of evidence for evolution. In this engaging and richly illustrated book, Donald R. Prothero weaves an entertaining though intellectually rigorous history out of the transitional forms and series that dot the fossil record. Beginning with a brief discussion of the nature of science and the "monkey business of creationism," Prothero tackles subjects ranging from flood geology and rock dating to neo-Darwinism and macroevolution. He covers the ingredients of the primordial soup, the effects of communal living, invertebrate transitions, the development of the backbone, the reign of the dinosaurs, the mammalian explosion, and the leap from chimpanzee to human. Prothero pays particular attention to the recent discovery of "missing links" that complete the fossil timeline and details the debate between biologists over the mechanisms driving the evolutionary process. Evolution is an absorbing combination of firsthand observation, scientific discovery, and trenchant analysis. With the teaching of evolution still an issue, there couldn't be a better moment for a book clarifying the nature and value of fossil evidence. Widely recognized as a leading expert in his field, Prothero demonstrates that the transformation of life on this planet is far more awe inspiring than the narrow view of extremists.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 33 more reviews...
 One of my biology books October 4, 2008
Evolution: What the Fossils Say...is a thorough examination of science and religion. The first chapter of the book I felt a bias coming off of the author (which made me want to stop reading), but about half way through the second chapter he discusses the in's and out's of religion and science. The author also discusses his background, which gives me insight as to why he can speak on such topics so confidently. I am very pleased w/ this book, and I recommend it.
This Book Serves Many Purposes and Does So Exceptionally September 20, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters, by Mr. Prothero is one of the best books I've read on the subject of evolution. It is also one of the most complete.
The way I see it this book serves three purposes:
1. It provides excellent information about the fossil record.
2. It debunks many common creationist/intelligent design claims.
3. It gives an excellent overview of evolution in general, including some information on the findings regarding origin of life studies.
As for the first purpose, the latter half of the book is devoted to explaining the fossil evidence for the earliest forms of life found to be fossilized to detailing many of the fish/amphibian transitional fossils, all the way to humans. In regards to the section on human fossils I was a little disappointed that he did not go into as much detail as with the other fossils. He did not include as many pictures or diagrams of the fossils of the human ancestors as he did with the other groups, but the information is very good either way.
As for the second purpose, I think the author successfully debunks many common claims made by creationists, such as their confusion about the scientific method, Cambrian "slow fuse," to use Prothero's phrase, and "flood geology."
I also wanted to add one thing about the author's discussions of the creationists. Several of the reviewers seemed to look down on Prothero for his "venom" and "rage" as one reviewer put it. I had read some of the reviews and once I began reading the book I was expecting Prothero to throw insult after insult out at the creationists and simply verbally attack them. I found that this wasn't the case. Prothero was clearly agitated at these con-men continuously taking his fellow scientists out of context and resorting to bold faced lies to achieve their goals, but with the author calling these people liars, deluded, or dumb isn't that bad in my opinion. That's about as bad as his insults get. Yes, in beginning each chapter there were cartoons ridiculing the creationists, but with targets so easy, I see no harm in interspersing your work with a little humor. I didn't feel these things took from the rest of the book at all. Besides, the truth is that these people are liars, deceivers and are deluded. I see no problem with stating the obvious.
Overall, the author responds throughly and intelligently to many claims of the creationists, and throws a few low blows at the same time, but again I didn't think it subtracted anything from the author's message or his arguments.
Finally, the first half of the book covers some creationist arguments but then delves into the history of evolution; how Darwin came to develop his theories, to the difference between real science and pseudoscience, and gives some background on the creationist/intelligent design movement.
Overall, the book is very well written with fantastic explanations about the findings of evolutionary biology with very informative pictures, drawings and charts to illustrate what is said in the text. With the book covering such a wide range of topics as well as the author does, it would be an excellent addition to anyone's library.
Solid science counters creationist mumbo-jumbo September 8, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The author, Donald R. Prothero is a professor of geology at Occidental College and lecturer in geobiology at the California Institute of Technology. He is the author, or co-author, of more than 20 books and about 200 research papers.
Published in October, 2007, by Columbia University Press, Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters is Prothero's latest work and has two objectives. The first is to illustrate the abundance of fossil evidence for evolution, much of it discovered in the last 20 years. The second is to debunk the claims of creationists and their latest iteration, intelligent design. He accomplishes both with this book.
However, this is not a jeremiad against religions and god-belief. In fact, Prothero goes out of his way to make the case that neither the facts nor the theories of evolution are necessarily a threat to anyone's religious beliefs.
In a note to the reader, he invokes Stephen Jay Gould's nonoverlapping magisteria or NOMA and states, "When science tries to proscribe morals or ethics, it falters; when religion tries to interfere with our understanding of the natural world, it overreaches. For example, when Copernicus and Galileo showed that the Earth is not the center of the Universe, the Church eventually had to recant its error and regret its persecutions."
On this point I do take issue with the author. There's no question there are scientists who are devoutly religious. However, the neat line of demarcation suggested by Gould's NOMA does not exist in reality. And it is disingenuous to speak of the Catholic Church correcting itself about the heliocentric solar system without acknowledging that it took the church the better part of four centuries to make that concession and express any regrets.
But if Prothero is on shaky ground here, his footing is rock solid once he moves into the body of his work.
In the prologue, "Fossils and Evolution," Prothero writes, "The fossil record is now one of the strongest lines of evidence for evolution, completely reversing its subordinate status only 150 years ago. Instead of the embarrassingly poor record that Darwin faced in 1859, we now have an embarrassment of riches."
The rest of the book documents that "embarrassment of riches" and demonstrates why it is so important. Along the way, the author thoroughly dismantles creationist claims about the inadequacy of the fossil record and shows why they are false.
In the first of two major divisions, "Part I: Evolution and the Fossil Record" (chapters 1 through 5), Prothero begins with a general discussion of the nature of science. He follows this with a comparison of science and creationism, deals with some of the misconceptions about the fossil record put out by creationists, talks about the evolution of the idea of evolution, and concludes with a discussion of "Systematics and Evolution," in which he sets the stage for the second part of his book.
Part II of the book (chapters 6 through 16) is called "Evolution? The Fossils Say Yes!" and lays out the evidence from "Life's Origins"--the title of Chapter 6--through to the penultimate chapter "The Ape's Reflection" about human evolution. He concludes a chapter called "Why Does It Matter?"
Anyone interested in the science of evolution or in countering the arguments of creationists and advocates of intelligent design will find this book worthwhile. It is written clearly and with a minimum of scientific jargon.
If you are only going to read one book on the science of evolution, then I would recommend The Ancestor's Tale by Richard Dawkins. It is still, in my opinion, the best and most complete narrative of the story. But if you are going to read two, then I would definitely recommend Prothero's Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters as the second.
I LOVE IT: In-Your-Face Paleontology, Biology, & Rationalism September 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm not even finished with this book yet, but I just could not wait to comment on how GREAT this book is. If you appreciate books involving the beauty of true science and candid rationalism [like The God Delusion, no less] you HAVE to get this book. Prothero breaks everything down in a straightforward fashion: Evolution and its history, Geology and its history, and a detailed explanation of the fossil record [of course]. But along with this he includes the obsurd assertions of creationists as it relates to these topics. His writings are professional and reflect his decades of experience and knowledge, but he doesn't mince words: if its a stupid claim #i.e. Flood Geology) he calls it what it is...garbage "science"...and then tells you specifically WHY.
Dr. Prothero, thank you for this wonderful book!
A logical book on the reality and truth of evolution. A 'must read'! August 23, 2008
This is a SUPERB and utterly FASCINATING book on the logic and proof of evolution, presented in more or less easy to grasp 'laymans terms'. It is a perfect marriage of undisputed science and fact coupled with superb charts and photos that bolster the beauty and truth of evolution. Most of the latest discoveries and science are discussed as well, in regards to further cementing the proof of evolution. Sadly, the extreme, fanatical, 'out of touch' elements of Christianity have desperately used religion/God as a 'power-play' to attempt to discredit evolution, using nothing but outright lies and 'knee jerk' distortions to try and further their own misguided agendas. Little do they realize that legions of Christians or others who believe in a God, also believe in the truth and logic of evolution. Which of course, makes them appear all the more foolish and delusionary. Prothero literally annihilates their infantile thinking and assertions, and makes them look like the fools that they are! This is one of the best books I have read on the subject, and should be required reading for every high school student in the United States (before more of them become brainwashed by the Creationists and Intelligent Design buffoons and whackos).
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