History, Medicine, and Science: Nonfiction and Fiction discussion

Is anyone planning on reading this book or has anyone read it before?

I am planning to read it. Hope more join in.

Obviously, no one else read this book, and I am actually not finished. It is dense and detailed, but clarifies some points about evolution. Turns out most of the diagrams in all the biology textbooks (I'm a retired biology teacher) misrepresented what the fossil records shows about life on earth.

Dr. Gould is always philosophically interesting, if you can keep up with his vocabulary. Makes you think.

I read this book in college, almost 20 years ago. I was a geology/paleontology major, and my advisor at the time was a huge Gould fan. We spent a lot of time talking about the Cambrian Explosion and what the &$^$^ could have been going on to cause that kind of burst in biodiversity. In any case, I remember loving it. I'm still surprised this fascinating episode of the history of life isn't more widely discussed. So cool!

Phylwil wrote: "Obviously, no one else read this book, and I am actually not finished. It is dense and detailed, but clarifies some points about evolution. Turns out most of the diagrams in all the biology textb..."

phylwil,--i'm still reading books on evolution and rereading them --this is a topic that takes time to absorb -maybe that is why some people find it hard to believe--i have read BEAK OF THE FINCH--twice--SONG OF THE DODO-twice and WONDERFUL LIFE--once-- and still have to go back and read again--just to clarify something i definitely believe in evolution -there are just questions that i stillhave.how many people that are not interested in science can answer --WHAT IS EVOLUTION?--even the text books are not always correct--do you think the teachings of certain religions might have anything to do with the ignorance of belief?

Bunnie, I agree that the teachings of certain religions have to do with many people not knowing anything about evolution, and especially misunderstanding a lot of it. Many of the purportedly scientific arguments made against the theory are distortions or just inaccurate.

Are you reading "Wonderful Life," or other evolution books?

Beth, do you remember any of the possible causes of the burst of biodiversity?

phylwil,--i have read it quite awhile ago --but like the other books i have read i will read it again.like i said SONG OF THE DODO and BEAK OF THE FINCH are good books to illustrate the workings of evolution.

It took a few pages for me to begin to enjoy this book, but it got me to really think. Now, I plan to check out the two books you mention--Song of the Dodo and especially Beak of the Finch.

phylwil---goog idea--let me know what you think of them after you have read them---

phylwil,--i should let you know that these book are not new but still relevant.another good read is Diamonds GUNS,GERMS AND STEEL

Finally done, and enjoyed my very slow progress through this book. It's the kind of book where it pays to take your time and tell yourself, "Wait, he's making a point here. Pay attention!" Although I had always heard of Burgess Shale, I never knew that analysis of those fossils changed the view of how living things evolved into the patterns evident today.

I really liked what I could glean of Dr. Gould's personality, as well.

Phylwil,--I have quite a few of Goulds books--the one i enjoyed the most was Full House---Wonderful Life is a book to be read over a couple of times and studied.

I would really like to participate in this one. I'm a slow reader, so haven't been able to keep up with the group. But this book especially intrigued me. I studied Ecology and Biodiversity in New Zealand's Victoria University in Wellington. I remember learning about the Burgess Shale beds and all the fossils they've produced. I really wish my library had this book. I may end up doing an inter-library loan for this one because I'm sure it's worth the read. I haven't read anything else by Gould, but anything by him seems a good choice.

travis---try half.com --you can get books at a very reasonable price-used and in pretty good condition.i find Gould sometimes difficult to understand-that is because of my lack not his-Full House was a book i did underatand so start with that.you have to be a slower reader when reading certain types of books-so good luck finding his works.

This one is on my vast, teetering TBR list. I just have so many others to get to right now before I will allow myself to buy something new...

Panda's Thumb was my first SJG book--essays--and I became an evolution nerd as a result. I also subscribed to Natural History magazine just for his column. Loved them, except the occasional baseball topic.

I don't find the explosion as fascinating as the bottleneck that weeded out all but bi-lateral symmetry as a blueprint for so-called higher organisms.

I cried when I heard SJG died. He was a brilliant and nurturing human being.

Ages since I read this one; I got it while I was studying Marine Biology and read it again a couple of times since. You can always get more out of it.