Book: "Evolution: A View from the 21st Century"

[Niles Voit]

Evolution: A View from the 21st Century: http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-View...5935954&sr=8-1

Has anybody read this yet? What did you think?

[ubs]

I have not read it but the one review on library thing is pretty scathing.

At best I can only think this is a case of a scientist who wants to extend what Dennett once called the “white picket fence” around human specialness to the natural world. If so, it is either a case of clubfooted Aristotelianism or a kind of panpsychism, or both. Either way, this is no more a matter of a new approach than a return to animism might be.

I spend a lot of money on Amazon, but tend to disregard their ratings and reviews. They are, of course, in the business of selling books and their rating algorithm skews the overall number in favor of positives. Also, they've also been known to delete negative comments.

[Stargazer]

Niles Voit wrote

Evolution: A View from the 21st Century: http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-View...5935954&sr=8-1

Has anybody read this yet? What did you think?

I just downloaded the free sample to my Kindle and will take a look at it sometime today.

[Kinich Ahau]

Whats wrong with animism?

[Stargazer]

Stargazer wrote

I just downloaded the free sample to my Kindle and will take a look at it sometime today.

Even the introduction spiked my annoyance meter!

For example:

"However, for the nonprofessional reader, fulfilling this obligation (scientific documentation) means that the book goes into a great deal of technological detail that may sometimes seem opaque and confusing."

Well, gee whiz, I might have to look something up. The author has even provided some websites and publications where I can do that, provided I am not so confused that my unprofessional mind explodes.

"If you just want to get the gist of the argument without simultaneously taking a self-directed course in modern biology, I suggest reading the beginning and concluding sections of each of the four parts of the book. If you're enticed into reading further, it is best to read each subsection until the discussion becomes too technical, and then skip ahead until you land on a paragraph that makes sense. This approach implies accepting that I have accurately reported the science in the skipped material. I assure you that I have done so."

Trust Me. You don't have to bother with pesky things such as research.


OK, I have to take a break.