Why Evolution Is True

By: Jerry A. Coyne

Narrated by: Victor Bevine

Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Why evolution is more than just a theory: it is a fact.

In all the current highly publicized debates about creationism and its descendant "intelligent design", there is an element of the controversy that is rarely mentioned: the evidence, the empirical truth of evolution by natural selection. Even Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould, while extolling the beauty of evolution and examining case studies, have not focused on the evidence itself. Yet the proof is vast, varied, and magnificent, drawn from many different fields of science. Scientists are observing species splitting into two and are finding more and more fossils capturing change in the past - dinosaurs that have sprouted feathers, fish that have grown limbs.

Why Evolution Is True weaves together the many threads of modern work in genetics, paleontology, geology, molecular biology, and anatomy that demonstrate the "indelible stamp" of the processes first proposed by Darwin. In crisp, lucid prose accessible to a wide audience, Why Evolution Is True dispels common misunderstandings and fears about evolution and clearly confirms that this amazing process of change has been firmly established as a scientific truth.

NOTE: Some changes to the original text have been made with the author's approval.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2009 Jerry A. Coyne (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"I once wrote that anybody who didn't believe in evolution must be stupid, insane or ignorant, and I was then careful to add that ignorance is no crime. I should now update my statement. Anybody who doesn't believe in evolution is stupid, insane, or hasn't read Jerry Coyne. I defy any reasonable person to read this marvellous book and still take seriously the 'breathtaking inanity' that is intelligent design 'theory' or its country cousin, young earth creationism." (Richard Dawkins)
"Coyne wonders what it would take to convince the apparently reasonable people who still deny evolution. A new Milton, perhaps, to justify evolution's ways in great poetry? Meanwhile, at a time...when good evolution books are rife, Coyne has given general readers one of the best." ( Booklist)

A Good Book

This book lives up to its title. It is a very compelling presentation explaining clearly why evolution is true. I grew up believing in intelligent design and have read stacks of books of their attempts at scientific reasoning. I can tell you for certain that Coyne represents the ideas preposed by ID very fairly. And when Coyne brings up a topic that he says ID has no explanation for, it's true; they don't. I also felt that Coyne did a good job of addressing the topic of why people don't want to believe in evolution. This is more than a crash course; its a good book.

Very informative

This book in such a clear and precise way adds a lot of clarity to many devisive issues, with much sensitivity. I highly would recommend this book.

Great read! I highly recommend it!

Suitable for every human being on this planet. Should be obligatory reading in every school.

An Intelligently Designed argument for evolution.

The other reviews say it very well - this is a winner all the way through.
I was brought up in a very religiously conservative home, but from an early age (say, mid teens) I believed very strongly in evolution. My Sunday school teachers and my peers both gave me a hard time about it. But it was just so obvious! Coyne makes all the arguments I wish I could have made then. ID is just creationism in see-through clothes. If one wishes to believe in ID (e.g. creationism) because of religious upbringing that is fine, I'll never argue that point. But if one claims it is science they must argue scientifically, and this book shows that to be an impossibility.
The only nit I'll pick is when Victor Bevine does an english accent. It spoils his otherwise excellent narration. Highly recommended.
Rick

Compelling

This is as cogent and accessible a treatise on evolution as you are likely to find. A perfect book for those who want to know more about this fascinating subject.

Exciting and well-read!

Absolutely loved this book. it was easy to understand and listen to, filled with fantastic evidence and stories, and well-read by the narrator. A great book of you're looking to expand your knowledge of biology and, specifically, evolution by natural selection.

The true

A very easy book to understand from a layman’s perspective.
Beautifully articulated for even the most religious individuals to truly understand
10👍

Standing in Awe of Evolution

Whether you are already well-versed in Darwinism or still unclear how humans evolved from ape-like primates, this book will educate you. If you have any doubts about the falsehood of Creationism/Intelligent Design, this book will clearly, thoroughly, and entertainingly dispel them. This book is filled with the solace of facts.

It would be nice to see the diagrams

Although I m not a scientist, I enjoyed this immensely. It made the theory of evolution clear, and was interesting enough that I didn't need to switch to something lighter halfway through my hour long commute. The performance was engaging in spite of some rather complex terms. I particularly enjoyed the first and last chapters. My only quibble was that references were made to diagrams -- 22 of them, I believe, which are not available for download on the audible site. (Sometimes an accompanying pdf is available.) This really impeded the understanding of some points.

Devestating to the young earth creationist myth.

While I already understood evolution to the degree that I could correct creationists in academic settings, I having once been a young earth creationist/anti-evolutionist knew it was near impossible to get creationists to shed their mythology if they were unwilling to read a simple science book. However, Jerry Coyne, while somewhat heavy for the first 20 minutes or so, soon gives devastating example after example after example of easy to recall layered facts of evolution that you can simply draw out on a napkin if need be to a creationist who will either have to say you are lying, or be in complete denial and/or intense adherence to their myth to explain away what you just told them.

If a well known creationist claims she or he read this book and claims it didn't at least nearly prove evolution is true, it is clear evidence that they are lying about reading it or lying to protect the income of the patrons of their own books. If you get the chance, have them dispute just the one example of the Ostriches, Emus, and Rheas. They won't, because they can't.