Evolution - by Bryson Brown (Hardcover)

About the Book

What is evolution? Few ideas are more controversial - and more misunderstood - than the biological theory of evolution. But it's also the case that, as a great scientist once said, Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution. So, if students want to truly understand biology in all of its forms, they will need to understand what evolution - the scientific idea - is. This volume in the Greenwood Guides to Great Ideas in Science series enables the reader to learn what evolution is by charting the course of the ideas of biological change from the ancient time to the present. Accessible and comprehensive, Evolution: A Historical Perspective shows how the great thinkers of the past and present mean when they say something evolved.

Evolution: A Historical Perspective discusses the main components that make evolution such a singularly powerful scientific theory: Early attempts at explaining biological change, and scientific attempts to explain discoveries about life on earth; Charles Darwin's introduction of natural selection in The Origin of Species; Gregor Mendel's gene, and the merging of modern genetics and evolution in the Modern Synthesis; James Watson and Francis Crick's discovery of the structure of DNA, and the biochemical explanation for biological change

The volume includes a glossary, a timeline of events, and a bibliography of works that will be useful in further research.

Book Synopsis

What is evolution? Few ideas are more controversial - and more misunderstood - than the biological theory of evolution. But it's also the case that, as a great scientist once said, Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution. So, if students want to truly understand biology in all of its forms, they will need to understand what evolution - the scientific idea - is. This volume in the Greenwood Guides to Great Ideas in Science series enables the reader to learn what evolution is by charting the course of the ideas of biological change from the ancient time to the present. Accessible and comprehensive, Evolution: A Historical Perspective shows how the great thinkers of the past and present mean when they say something evolved.

Evolution: A Historical Perspective discusses the main components that make evolution such a singularly powerful scientific theory: Early attempts at explaining biological change, and scientific attempts to explain discoveries about life on earth; Charles Darwin's introduction of natural selection in The Origin of Species; Gregor Mendel's gene, and the merging of modern genetics and evolution in the Modern Synthesis; James Watson and Francis Crick's discovery of the structure of DNA, and the biochemical explanation for biological change

The volume includes a glossary, a timeline of events, and a bibliography of works that will be useful in further research.

Review Quotes

"This text enables readers to form their own ideas of evolution by plotting the course of biological change from the ancient time to the present. It explains the contributions of the great thinkers of the past and present, ranging from Darwin and Mendel, to Watson and Crick. There is good coverage of modern-day principles and biochemical explanations for evolution. Greenwood Guides are especially appropriate for use as reference materials. Because it has been 150 years since the publication of Origin of Species and recently was Darwin's 200th birthday, every school should ensure that they have up-to-date and comprehensive references like this." --NSTA Recommends

"Brown describes the history of the field from ancient times to today and explains how the argument for evolution has developed over time. A stimulating introduction addresses related skepticism....[U]seful additions for libraries building their science collections in anticipation of the 2009 bicentennial of Darwin's birth. (Reviewed with All Things Darwin)." --School Library Journal

"We are at a critical point in the struggle for a scientific understanding of life. This book moves us exactly in the right direction. I recommend it for anyone interested in the contemporary discussions about evolution and the opposition to it." --Catholic Library World

"This work provides an in-depth study of evolution from both an historical and scientific perspective....The author explains complex concepts in accessible language, making this a good source for high school science students." --Library Media Connection

"This book is recommended for students of science history, and for high school, college, and public libraries." --American Reference Books Annual

"I recommend this last chapter to biologists, teachers, and concerned parents of school-age children. Also helpful in the back matter, are a chronology of biological developments, glossary, and bibliography." --Reports of the National Center for Science Education

About the Author