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)

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👍

Outstanding book focused more on evidence

This is an excellent book. The author does some of the typical creationist bashing, but mostly the book stays true to it's purpose, focusing on plainly and concisely laying out the evidence for evolution.

Great book!!!

I truly think this is a must read. I have recommended this book to all my friends. It is thought proving and very informative. I enjoyed the book as well as the narrator.

Provides a great overview

This book has been instrumental in guiding me out of young earth creationism. It provides an overview of some of the most compelling evidence for evolution. While reading this, I realized how my framework for understanding the diversity of life and of understanding evolution was simply based on what creationists had to say about both. Evolution will always sound ridiculous when everything you know about it is from a fanatic opposition. Thank you, Jerry Coyne, for everything.

Very Good

This book lays out information in a sensible order. As one who has been in many debates regarding origins, I find the author`s approach to be sensible and easy to understand. It is not that evidence for evolution is scarce, it is a matter of understanding it where the challenge comes sometimes: this book makes it easy.

I highly recommend this book

Excellent to say the least!

This is one of the best books to pass along to your friends who do not understand evolution enough to believe it, or those who doubt it's validity and evidence.

Marcellous!

What a primer o this amazing topic. Loved it. Evolution is a simple mechanism yet with such complex ramifications. Totally recommend.

I believe it now!!!

It's a scary book if you are a religious person. If you keep an open mind and listen to all the reasons Why Evolution Is True, you may see life in a different light. It's just facts that evolution is real. We believe that whales are mammals and have evolved. Heck we believe everything has evolved except human beings.
The world, the universe, the time and space had to come from somewhere. I wonder from where, hmmmmm.

Informative Book

Good but slow spoken and unnecessarily attacks religious beliefs with logic that is not necessary.

The case for Evolution

This book presents a representative selection from the wealth of evidence that life on earth came to be the way it is, through evolution. This is a entertaining and informative read.