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arvis's review against another edition
3.0
A well rounded book, that goes into some of the details of evolution, without loosing sight of the big picture. The vocabulary was simple enough to understand (so no overly complicated technical terms, which makes it readable for everyone even if they lack the scientific background).
It started where evolution began (well... where the theory 'began'), by Darwin. We started off with his theories regarding evolution (and geology). From there on we moved from the origin of cells, to the different periods in evolution, to extinctions, and watched the world evolve.
Zimmer used many good examples of where evolution can be observed, ranging from bacteria and antibiotic resistance, to whales and their mammalian features.
All in all, I enjoyed reading it, however in my opinion I would have liked something more detailed (which I can understand is nearly impossible to achieve due to the vastness of this subject)
It started where evolution began (well... where the theory 'began'), by Darwin. We started off with his theories regarding evolution (and geology). From there on we moved from the origin of cells, to the different periods in evolution, to extinctions, and watched the world evolve.
Zimmer used many good examples of where evolution can be observed, ranging from bacteria and antibiotic resistance, to whales and their mammalian features.
All in all, I enjoyed reading it, however in my opinion I would have liked something more detailed (which I can understand is nearly impossible to achieve due to the vastness of this subject)
selkis's review against another edition
4.0
Evolution: The triumph of an Idea by Carl Zimmer serves as a wonderful introduction to Darwins's Theory of Evolution. It's a well-written book that really shows the full impact of the idea.
What I liked:
- It's very accessible: Carl Zimmer manages to explain complex scientific concepts in a way that's easy to understand. His writing style is entertaining and never dry
- It contains a very readable biography of Darwin, how he came up with his theory of evolution and how the public reacted to his idea.
- The sheer amount of information and different topics is amazing: evolution, genes, mutations, how these things were discovered, Social Darwinism, and even geology
- I highly enjoyed the final chapters in Creationism and Intelligent Design, although Carl Zimmer wrote in a way that was maybe a bit too politically correct
What I didn't like:
My only criticism is not even the author’s fault: In places it’s a bit outdated. This is not surprising as it was first published in 2001. I read Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin earlier this year and couldn’t stop thinking about Tiktaalik, which wasn’t mentioned in Carl Zimmer’s Evolution.
Overall I would highly recommend this book. It’s informative, accessible and a very enjoyable read. If you’re interested in the Theory of Evolution, Darwin and scientific progress after his death, Carl Zimmer’s Evolution might be the right book for you
You can find all my reviews on my blog: https://bookandlanguageaddict.com/
What I liked:
- It's very accessible: Carl Zimmer manages to explain complex scientific concepts in a way that's easy to understand. His writing style is entertaining and never dry
- It contains a very readable biography of Darwin, how he came up with his theory of evolution and how the public reacted to his idea.
- The sheer amount of information and different topics is amazing: evolution, genes, mutations, how these things were discovered, Social Darwinism, and even geology
- I highly enjoyed the final chapters in Creationism and Intelligent Design, although Carl Zimmer wrote in a way that was maybe a bit too politically correct
What I didn't like:
My only criticism is not even the author’s fault: In places it’s a bit outdated. This is not surprising as it was first published in 2001. I read Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin earlier this year and couldn’t stop thinking about Tiktaalik, which wasn’t mentioned in Carl Zimmer’s Evolution.
Overall I would highly recommend this book. It’s informative, accessible and a very enjoyable read. If you’re interested in the Theory of Evolution, Darwin and scientific progress after his death, Carl Zimmer’s Evolution might be the right book for you
You can find all my reviews on my blog: https://bookandlanguageaddict.com/
megawhoppingcosmicbookwyrm's review
5.0
The absolute best book on explaining evolution to a layman audience. As visually stunning as the best coffee table books, yet full to the brim with information. A wonderful introduction to the subject if you’ve no idea where to start, and a beautifully done review for those that know their stuff. If I could hand copies out to people on every street corner, I would.
carter4ca13's review
3.0
A well rounded book, that goes into some of the details of evolution, without loosing sight of the big picture. The vocabulary was simple enough to understand (so no overly complicated technical terms, which makes it readable for everyone even if they lack the scientific background).
It started where evolution began (well... where the theory 'began'), by Darwin. We started off with his theories regarding evolution (and geology). From there on we moved from the origin of cells, to the different periods in evolution, to extinctions, and watched the world evolve.
Zimmer used many good examples of where evolution can be observed, ranging from bacteria and antibiotic resistance, to whales and their mammalian features.
All in all, I enjoyed reading it, however in my opinion I would have liked something more detailed (which I can understand is nearly impossible to achieve due to the vastness of this subject)
It started where evolution began (well... where the theory 'began'), by Darwin. We started off with his theories regarding evolution (and geology). From there on we moved from the origin of cells, to the different periods in evolution, to extinctions, and watched the world evolve.
Zimmer used many good examples of where evolution can be observed, ranging from bacteria and antibiotic resistance, to whales and their mammalian features.
All in all, I enjoyed reading it, however in my opinion I would have liked something more detailed (which I can understand is nearly impossible to achieve due to the vastness of this subject)
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