Evolution

The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory

By: Edward J. Larson

Narrated by: John McDonough

This marvelously readable yet sumptuously erudite work traces the development of the scientific theory of evolution. From Darwin's essential trip to the Galápagos, to the most contemporary studies in sociobiology, this audiobook takes listeners both into the field and into the laboratories of the world's greatest evolutionary scientists - and explains how the theory of evolution has itself evolved.

Edward J. Larson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and eminent science historian.

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Excellent

The author has written as complete and thorough a history of the development of evolutionary thought as I have read.

read it for class

educational. dry material though. narrator could have been more upbeat. I will read it again

An Excellent History

This book is an excellent presentation of the twisted and turns that took place during the forging of this theory. Most people have the wrong impression that Darwin alone "created" the idea of evolution. This book is an excellent review of the human history involved in shaping of this theory.

Highly recommended for science or history buffs.

An Excellent History!

This book is an easily accessible history of the idea of evolution. From its pre-Darwinian origin (Darwin did not discover evolution but rather a mechanism that drives evolution), to the modern synthesis, to the modern creationist debates it is all here. Unlike what we would typically find in a history book, this book is a fun read. The author spends enough time with the details of the individuals involved that you feel like you're actually reading about a human being and not just a fact. This is a more complete history than the six evolution textbooks sitting on my shelf (which all dedicate only one chapter to the subject of history). This is a must read for the student of evolution and a highly recommended read for the student of biology. I would also recommend it to the anti-evolutionist after all, it is a succinct history, an easy read and it covers the beginning of the creationist movement and some of the major players.
The book requires no pre-existing knowledge of evolution and thus is accessible to all. The narration is excellent and clear.

good audio but slightly boring

The audio presentation itself was excellent, but the book was not what I hoped. I thought it would have much more about current scientific discoveries. Instead it was more about the history of the conflict between religion and evolution. If you're interested in that topic, the reader is very engaging.

Not terrible, but chapters are not aligned w/ book

Reading this for a class, and it's not bad. There is some questionable stuff (I'm thinking of Larson's interpretation of uniformitarianism and it's role in the history of science), but most is pretty solid. Also, now that I'm reflecting about it, the portrayal of the historical tension between religion and science is another bit that is sketchy. Okay, there are a bunch of little things to nitpick about in this book (poor characterization of materialism, who counts as a materialist, and there being no mention of the resurgence of vitalism are some more things coming to mind). The history of science is hugely complex, however, and there's no getting everything right. Like I said, it's not bad. THE REAL PROBLEM is the "chapters" into which it is divided. They are arbitrary, roughly 40 minute chunks instead of the actual chapters as outlined by the author... you know, in the book. Audiobooks with this problem, even ones that aren't for a class, are the bane of my existence.