Review of Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea

I recently finished reading Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea, by Carl Zimmer and want to share a few of my thoughts about it. It is the companion book to a PBS series. (The PBS website is worth browsing as well.)

I think Evolution is a great book for anyone wanting a broad introduction to evolution. It is well written and has many beautiful color pictures, illustrations, and figures. I was suprised at the quality of my paperback version--the paper is not the cheap kind usually used in novels. The book has a textbook feel and look, but with clear, mostly non-technical writing. It gives a broad overview of evolutionary theory using many fascinating examples, along with some discussion of its history and implications. Although a biology background is certainly helpful, I think the writing is clear enough that anyone with rudimentary science education would easily understand the concepts presented. I thought it was also written in a balanced way. For example, I knew ahead of time evolutionary psychology is a controversial area. To its credit, the book presents the views of both proponents and critics.

Here is a basic outline of the content:

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• Biography of Charles Darwin and how he was influenced in developing his theory.


• The basic principles of natural selection.


• Discussion of the history of life on earth including its beginning, and major steps forward in complexity.


• The role extinctions have played in natural history and their future implications.


• Coevolution--how evolution of one species affects the evolution of others.


• The role of evolution in infectious diseases.


• The purpose of sex and how sexual selection shapes life.


• The evolution of humans


• The history of the conflict between science and religion in America, and current issues.

Throughout the book there are many illustrative examples of how evolution has shaped life and they represent a challenge to think of a more reasonable explanation. This is especially true in the strange world of sexual selection. Why do certain male insects allow the female to eat them after mating? Why do peakcocks have such big tails? Why do male lions kill lion cubs that are not their own? Why do some animals display signs of altruism? Why do chimpanzees display such violence but bonobos (another type of chimpanzee) make love, not war? These and other questions, it seems, can only be answered in the context of evolution.

The final chapter deals with religious controversies. It provides multiple perspectives and is done respectfully, I think. At the end is a brief discussion of Darwin's view of religion. He was not a raging atheist--he was rather private in his views and shunned the spotlight. He did move to agnosticism, but this cannot be attributed to his theories alone--personal tragedy, combined with uninspired (in my view) theology played an understandable role. I came away quite sympathetic to him--I do not believe he deserves the personal hostility often shown toward him by critics.

I do have a couple of brief criticisms of the book. First, instead of a footnote or endnote format, the book has a bibliography. This makes looking up references for specific claims or examples a little more difficult. Also, when discussing extinctions and the evolution of resistance in microbes and other pests, the writing seemed a little alarmist to me. They are important issues, but my impression was that these discussions had a little too much doom and gloom to them.

My criticisms are minor. At around twenty dollars, this book is a good buy for the money. I certainly recommend it.