Books for Prep | |
 - Looking to explain the fundamentals of evolution as well as the arguments of creationismHow did life come to be on this planet? This question is discussed at length by "Science, Evolution, and Creationism". Looking to explain the fundamentals of evolution as well as the arguments of creationism, "Science, Evolution and Creationism" is a wide reaching look at all perspectives on the subject. Highly recommended for community library religion and science collections. Rating:  - Pope JP II Advocates Evolution in SchoolThis book took almost all of the headache out of trying to teach evolution to an ultra-Christian audience. I simply let parents and students read quotes from religious leaders and scientists alike who found no contradiction between religion and science, and the tension eased immediately. They all learned how relgion and science can coexist peacefully in their hearts and minds. Downside: The binding busted the first time I opened the book. I had our librarian spiral-bind it for me. Rating: - A Brief, But Richly, Illustrated Guide Explaining Why Evolution Is Science and Creationism Isn't"Science, Evolution and Creationism", published jointly by the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine, does an admirable job in explaining succinctly why evolution is science and creationism isn't. In less than 70 pages, it summarizes the key evidence on behalf of biological evolution, and dismisses the claims of creationists, including Intelligent Design advocates, noting correctly that their dissent is religiously, not scientifically, based. It does not assume scientific knowledge of the reader, especially of biology, since important concepts like speciation are defined briefly outside of the main text. Those responsible for this well-illustrated book were part of a joint National Academy of Sciences - Institute of Medicine committee consisting of fifteen biologists, geologists, secondary school science teachers, a philosopher of science and an astrophysicist. Notable members of this committee included its chairman, University of California, Irvine evolutionary geneticist Francisco Ayala, University of Arizona ecologist Nancy Moran, evolutionary geneticist Michael Clegg (Ayala's colleague at the University of California, Irvine), Michigan State University philosopher of science Robert Pennock, University of Michigan professor of internal medicine and public health Gilbert S. Omenn, Washington University plant geneticist Barbara Schaal, Missouri Botanical Garden director and Washington University botanist Peter H. Raven, University of San Francisco biochemist - and former National Academy of Sciences president - Bruce Alberts, and Hayden Planetarium (American Museum of Natural History) director Neil deGrasse Tyson. Comprised of four succinct chapters, "Science, Evolution and Creationism" wastes no time in defending the scientific validity of evolution, while also emphasizing that both science and religion are mutually compatible, still important, means of viewing our world. Chapter One "Evolution and the Nature of Science" summarizes the major evidence supporting biological evolution and the nature of science itself. It also includes a well-reasoned explanation why science doesn't need to be incompatible with religious belief, quoting statements from major American religious leaders and religiously devout scientists like Brown University cell biologist Kenneth R. Miller. Chapter Two "The Evidence for Biological Evolution" opens with a brief discussion on the origin of the universe and the age of the Earth. Then it summarizes the extensive evidence that exists in support of evolution, including not just biogeography, homology and paleontology, but also recent molecular data from research in molecular systematics and evolutionary developmental biology (Hox genes). Chapter Three "Creationist Prospectives" discusses the major varieties of creationism, giving special emphasis to Intelligent Design creationism and its key concepts like "Irreducible Complexity", while also offering terse, but well-reasoned, explanations as to why they are not scientific and why they should not be taught in science classrooms alongside valid science like biological evolution. Chapter Four "Conclusion" is a terse, one page explanation why we need to be taught valid science like evolutionary biology, and it is followed immediately by a Frequently Asked Questions section devoted to questions on evolution and whether "alternatives" to evolution like Intelligent Design creationism should be taught in science classrooms. A short, but excellent, bibliography is also provided as suggested additional reading, featuring books written by the likes of noted evolutionary biologists such as Ernst Mayr and Stephen Jay Gould, and religiously devout scientists such as biologists Francis Collins and Kenneth R. Miller. Rating: - Science, Creationsm and EvolutionExcellent, a beautiful and teaching issue from Nat.Acad.of Sci. (USA)to stop myths and crazy attitudes from anti-evolutionists and fundamentalists. Amazon should be proud of offering this book. Make it cheaper and world-wide distributed. Dr. George Swaneck, M.D. from Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrolo, Santiago, CHILE. Rating:  - Extremely disappointedI have looked through this book and I am extremely disappointed that this came from our National Academy of Science and the Medical Institute. This book was written for people who are not particularly educated on the topic, and as a person who does not fall into this category, this book was a prime example to me of why U.S. citizens have the worst scientific-literacy in the developed world. Many of their arguments were not up-to-date with current studies and discoveries, and some of their "facts" were just plain incorrect. Their language was tragically misleading, using too many scientific metaphors that the general population does not know are *metaphors* and not entirely representative of what's really going on. What was worse, many of their arguments were not actually conclusive, and they would claim to "prove" an argument on weak and, once again, inconclusive evidence. In the end, what truly disappoints me is that this book was written for people who are going to take it for what it says, and these are exactly the people who won't see the extremely numerous flaws in this book. My suggestion is: do not read this book, and for the love of science, do NOT use it as an authority. In association with Amazon.com | |