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The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution |  | Author: Richard Dawkins
Publisher: Free Press
Category: Book
List Price: $30.00
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Rating:  232 reviews
Sales Rank: 2038
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1St Edition
Pages: 480
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.6
ISBN: 1416594787
Dewey Decimal Number: 576.8
EAN: 9781416594789
ASIN: 1416594787
Publication Date: September 22, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In 2008, a Gallup poll showed that 44 percent of Americans believed God had created man in his present form within the last 10,000 years. In a Pew Forum poll in the same year, 42 percent believed that all life on earth has existed in its present form since the beginning of time. In 1859 Charles Darwin's masterpiece, On the Origin of Species, shook society to its core. Darwin was only too aware of the storm his theory of evolution would provoke. But he surely would have raised an incredulous eyebrow at the controversy still raging a century and a half later. Evolution is accepted as scientific fact by all reputable scientists and indeed theologians, yet millions of people continue to question its veracity. Now the author of the iconic work The God Delusion takes them to task. The Greatest Show on Earth is a stunning counterattack on advocates of "Intelligent Design," explaining the evidence for evolution while exposing the absurdities of the creationist "argument." Dawkins sifts through rich layers of scientific evidence: from living examples of natural selection to clues in the fossil record; from natural clocks that mark the vast epochs wherein evolution ran its course to the intricacies of developing embryos; from plate tectonics to molecular genetics. Combining these elements and many more, he makes the airtight case that "we find ourselves perched on one tiny twig in the midst of a blossoming and flourishing tree of life and it is no accident, but the direct consequence of evolution by non-random selection." The Greatest Show on Earth comes at a critical time: systematic opposition to the fact of evolution is menacing as never before. In American schools, and in schools around the world, insidious attempts are made to undermine the status of science in the classroom. Dawkins wields a devastating argument against this ignorance, but his unjaded passion for the natural world turns what might have been a negative argument into a positive offering to the reader: nothing less than a master's vision of life, in all its splendor.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 232
 A well documented and easy-to-read review of the evidence in favour of neo-Darwinism July 28, 2010
Θηρίον
Coming from a country where the theory of evolution is hardly put in question and is taught in school without any kind of opposition, I was quite surprised by the importance given to the rebuttal of creationist views. I wish the author had also tackled Lamarquist views that are still hanging around--in the Old Continent at least. Despite of this, I strongly recommend this work, as it is clear, pedagogical, and illustrated with appealing examples. Educated readers might find the argumentation a bit slow, as the book is meant for the general public, but the prose is sufficiently well written for the pleasure to remain intact.
Evidence of Evolution July 28, 2010
Randolph Eck (Pennsylvannia)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is the first book I have read by Richard Dawkins, and I found it to be very interesting. I certainly plan on reading more of his books in the future. In this book Dawkins attempts to present the reader with evidence that supports evolution. I think he did an admirable job at this. There are many things to recommend this book.
In chapter four, Dawkins discusses the various dating methods such as Carbon-14, Potassium-40, and Dendrochronology. He continues with a discussion of how the sedimentary record and isotopes support the reputed age of the earth.
In chapter five, he delves into how evolution has actually taken place before our very eyes. Here he discusses such topics as the Lizards of Pod Mrcaru, elephants in Uganda, an interesting E-coli experiment and a guppy experiment.
In a subsequent chapter, Dawkins explains the development of life from embryo to adult elaborating on such things such as Epigenesis, chemo-affinity, enzyme and protein formation, asymmetric cell division, and local rules.
I found the chapter on how DNA and the molecular clock can be used to ascertain the closeness of species to be quite interesting.
Overall, I believe that one can learn much about the evolutionary processes that are described in this book. Of course, if you want a better view of the whole picture, you need to read many books on the subject. No one book will give you everything you need to know on the subject.
Wonderful read for the layman July 27, 2010
George Estrada
Unlike past books where Dawkins spends most of his time beating on religion, this book concentrates on explaining the workings of evolution. The book is an excellent piece that clearly demonstrates with the support of observation based evidence, that evolution is not "just" a theory, it is a fact. (By the way, if you are one of the folks that thinks that theory is little more than a guess, you might want to read the first chapter. You are a serious need of a dictionary). The middle chapters dragged a bit because the explanation of geological processes can be a bit boring. But hang in there, understanding such processes is critical in grasping how evidence is collected.
Evolution is the greatest show on earth and we, along with the rest of nature, are wonderful examples of this phenomenon.
 Proves the point, but a little tiring July 20, 2010
Ben Nicholson (Landrake, Saltash, Cornwall, UK)
It was a very intresting book and is full of information. The book is very complete and well researched. It give's you all the evidence of evolution that you will need, not that I think it is needed, but it is shown in this book. I did find this a bit drawn out and dull in places, which neally put me off in places. It would be better if there was more science and less have a go at the church, religion or creationists (weather it is deserved or not). It was a bit tiring, but it still a good book.
An entire evolutionary sciencs course in one volume. July 19, 2010
Derek Marpole (Montreal)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book provides wide ranging science at it applies to evolutionary biology touching on paleantology,archeology, molecular biology, all wrapped in a very readable package replete with humourous asides, anecdotes and analogies. Yet again, the I.D. and creationists have been blown high out of the water.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 232
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