Play Book Tag discussion

This book was incredibly educational. For those who are super interested in science or biology, it probably will be a five star read. It is very detailed.

Weiner basically follows the work of evolutionary biologists, primarily focusing on the finches in the Galapagos, but also referencing the work of other biologists with other species. What struck me was the speed with which evolution can actually take place and that biologists have figured out experimental methods to track it. What ASTONISHED me was the infinite patience these scientists have for the minutia and tedium of the work it takes to make breakthroughs in this field. Honestly, it is mindblowing. After year one of catching finches, banding finches, measuring each finch body part, watching them mate, recording the results, - all in near isolation - I'd need mental health treatment. And these folks did this for twenty years straight.

My favorite part of the book is about an experiment run with these spotted guppies. The results were so fascinating.

Weiner makes all this material very accessible though some parts were certainly more interesting than others. There's various kinds of selection - natural and sexual - and when he discusses hybridization, he kinda lost me. Probably more out of boredom than him not explaining it well.

But overall, a really excellent read for anyone who wants to have a better understanding of evolution and how it works in the real world.

This is my husband's favorite nonfiction book. But he's a scientist and does genetics all day. He also loves Time Love and Memory by the same author, which is a biography of a scientist at Caltech.

I failed miserably at reading this in November. :(

Jennifer P. wrote: "This is my husband's favorite nonfiction book. But he's a scientist and does genetics all day. He also loves Time Love and Memory by the same author, which is a biography of a scientist at Caltech."

I can see how a scientist would truly love this book. The author writes really well on a fascinating topic.

Nicole R wrote: "I failed miserably at reading this in November. :("

That's too bad, Nicole, because I definitely think you would like it. But it's not going anywhere.

Anita wrote: "This book was incredibly educational. For those who are super interested in science or biology, it probably will be a five star read. It is very detailed.

Weiner basically follows the work of evo..."

I found the guppy experiment fascinating as well. I actually thought it made a stronger case that the finches.