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deagaric's review
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
4.5 out of 5. I received this book as a gift, probably because I talk about evolutionary development and epigenetics at social events a bit more than I should. I'm personally very interested in the behavioral aspects of evo devo rather then the evolution of form, but this book did not disappoint nevertheless.
My favorite chapters in this book were chapter 8 (he discusses his team's cardinal discoveries about the genetics involved in butterfly wing patterns, and includes really neat high res photos of the main findings) and chapters 8-9, which give a fascinating overview on the development of coat colors in mammals and how the human brain came to be. He does an excellent job at explaining things, and I really enjoyed learning about the formula for determining the length of time it takes for a mutation to spread through a species population. Many examples provided are things I'm sure many have heard about in bio classes before, but Carroll describes things in a way that not only teach or remind you, but also puts the information into a broader, more comprehensive context.
He does all of this in a very engaging writing style that almost feels conversational. I even laughed out loud when he inserted a photo copy of hand-written hate mail he's received after some of his publications. Even as a scientist publishing in top tier journals like Science and Nature , he still had to face a lot of backlash, or worse, disinterest from the general public. He does an excellent job at translating scientific concepts to the layman, and this has been a missing piece in making scientific discoveries approachable and applicable throughout history.
I was tempted to give this five stars, but chapters 4-6 droned on about embryonic limb development in so much detail, I was bored (and at times confused) to tears. I see other reviewers got a little tripped up about these sections as well, so I feel less alone now. But if you reach this point and want to give up on Carroll's writing altogether; hang in there! I thought the second half of the book was mesmerizing, very informative, and entertaining. Definitely worth the three difficult chapters.
Fantastic and very approachable intro to evo devo. Regardless of your background, Carroll makes this topic fun and thought-provoking. Pick it up, even if it's only to look at all of the amazing pictures.
My favorite chapters in this book were chapter 8 (he discusses his team's cardinal discoveries about the genetics involved in butterfly wing patterns, and includes really neat high res photos of the main findings) and chapters 8-9, which give a fascinating overview on the development of coat colors in mammals and how the human brain came to be. He does an excellent job at explaining things, and I really enjoyed learning about the formula for determining the length of time it takes for a mutation to spread through a species population. Many examples provided are things I'm sure many have heard about in bio classes before, but Carroll describes things in a way that not only teach or remind you, but also puts the information into a broader, more comprehensive context.
He does all of this in a very engaging writing style that almost feels conversational. I even laughed out loud when he inserted a photo copy of hand-written hate mail he's received after some of his publications. Even as a scientist publishing in top tier journals like Science and Nature , he still had to face a lot of backlash, or worse, disinterest from the general public. He does an excellent job at translating scientific concepts to the layman, and this has been a missing piece in making scientific discoveries approachable and applicable throughout history.
I was tempted to give this five stars, but chapters 4-6 droned on about embryonic limb development in so much detail, I was bored (and at times confused) to tears. I see other reviewers got a little tripped up about these sections as well, so I feel less alone now. But if you reach this point and want to give up on Carroll's writing altogether; hang in there! I thought the second half of the book was mesmerizing, very informative, and entertaining. Definitely worth the three difficult chapters.
Fantastic and very approachable intro to evo devo. Regardless of your background, Carroll makes this topic fun and thought-provoking. Pick it up, even if it's only to look at all of the amazing pictures.
agedmordorblue's review against another edition
5.0
This book beautifully and fully captures my passion in science! Carroll clearly tells the history of Evolutionary Development and its implication for evolutionary biology. Furthermore, this book is an inspiring tool to show the wonders of animal evolution. I would definitely recommend to anyone with a small interest in evolution (and/or development), science in general or life in general!
davidr's review
5.0
This is a fascinating book about developments in genetics and evolution in the past twenty years. Sean Carroll is a leading researcher in the field; his lucid writing style and lively approach make this book a "must-read" for anybody interested in the subject. Plenty of illustrations and drawings help to bring the subject to life.
There are several big mysteries in genetics; humans and primates share 99% of their genes, so why is their development so different? The answer lies in "genetic switches" that are encoded in DNA. But these switches have not yet been decoded; they are like the "dark matter" in galaxies--we know that it exists, but its nature is not yet been unraveled.
The first half of the book focuses on how animals develop body parts. Every cell in one's body contains the identical DNA, so how does an embryo "know" which jcells are to develop into a heart, an arm, a finger, a brain, and on and on. Earlier books on evolution that I have read, simply left this as a mystery; hypotheses were described, but none articulated as a real answer. But, this book presents a very persuasive theory, and makes it quite understandable to the layman.
In the second half of the book, Carroll conveys his sense of excitement, as molecular biologists began recently to talk with paleontologists. Remarkable progress in the past decade has shown fossils in a brand new light. Basically, evolution for the most part is not the development of new, mutated genes; evolution is the way in which old genes learn "new tricks". Embryology is shown to play a key role in understanding evolutionary development.
For anyone interested in evolution or genetics, this is the book to read.
There are several big mysteries in genetics; humans and primates share 99% of their genes, so why is their development so different? The answer lies in "genetic switches" that are encoded in DNA. But these switches have not yet been decoded; they are like the "dark matter" in galaxies--we know that it exists, but its nature is not yet been unraveled.
The first half of the book focuses on how animals develop body parts. Every cell in one's body contains the identical DNA, so how does an embryo "know" which jcells are to develop into a heart, an arm, a finger, a brain, and on and on. Earlier books on evolution that I have read, simply left this as a mystery; hypotheses were described, but none articulated as a real answer. But, this book presents a very persuasive theory, and makes it quite understandable to the layman.
In the second half of the book, Carroll conveys his sense of excitement, as molecular biologists began recently to talk with paleontologists. Remarkable progress in the past decade has shown fossils in a brand new light. Basically, evolution for the most part is not the development of new, mutated genes; evolution is the way in which old genes learn "new tricks". Embryology is shown to play a key role in understanding evolutionary development.
For anyone interested in evolution or genetics, this is the book to read.
croote7's review
5.0
My students are required to read this book as an assignment for my developmental biology class. Enough said.
macroscopicentric's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book, but I don't think it's all that beginner-friendly. I was a biology major with a less-than-thorough understanding of molecular biology, and I was a little lost in some of the earlier, fundamental chapters. But the payoff (the last chapter) was superb. I already had an idea of the central tenets of the book, so he was preaching to the choir. But his end summary, and musings on the repercussions of his book and the philosophy of science as a whole, were concise, elegant, and easy to read and understand.
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