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A review by natashamontgomery
The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution by Richard Dawkins
4.0
Always meaning to further delve into the biological world I decided to read Dawkins' The Greatest Show on Earth and it is exactly as Dawkins has labelled: it is a book filled with 'Evidence for Evolution'. Some chapters are more interesting than others but I guess this is rather subjective with the most interesting chapters having me in an almost-trance where every sentence was followed by a deep sigh and a 'THAT'S JUST AMAZING'. Some of the less interesting chapters probably consisted of the topics that I haven't met in class so I found myself reading paragraphs again to decipher meaning and most of the time failing. For someone who has studied science at a 'basic' level (high school senior biology/chemistry/physics) would find this an easy read for Dawkins relies on well-known science to provide evidence for evolution. Without this fundamental knowledge however, The Greatest Show on Earth could be a bit of a stretch so I wouldn't say that this is accessible to every reader or anyone on the street.
This is a fabulously structured book that has not only grounded my understanding of evolution but has answered many questions that have been buried in the depths of my brain that I have never bothered answering. Dawkins' piece is also filled with evidence from many studies and adaptations of animals that really allow the reader to appreciate Mother Nature for all its callousness and beauty. A disclaimer: Dawkins looks down on creationists (people who do not 'believe in' evolution) with much disdain and treats them as uneducated, belligerent members of the population and this can seem rather contemptuous at times but I do understand Dawkins' frustration but he may have crossed the line one or two times but this did not affect my view of The Greatest Show on Earth as a whole.
This is a fabulously structured book that has not only grounded my understanding of evolution but has answered many questions that have been buried in the depths of my brain that I have never bothered answering. Dawkins' piece is also filled with evidence from many studies and adaptations of animals that really allow the reader to appreciate Mother Nature for all its callousness and beauty. A disclaimer: Dawkins looks down on creationists (people who do not 'believe in' evolution) with much disdain and treats them as uneducated, belligerent members of the population and this can seem rather contemptuous at times but I do understand Dawkins' frustration but he may have crossed the line one or two times but this did not affect my view of The Greatest Show on Earth as a whole.