Product Description

Mayr provides as convincing a testament to Darwin's genius as you are likely to find." --New York Times Book Review.

At once a spirited defense of Darwinian explanations of biology and an elegant primer on evolution for the general reader, What Evolution Is poses the questions at the heart of evolutionary theory and considers how our improved understanding of evolution has affected the viewpoints and values of modern man.

Science Masters Series

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44824 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10
• Released on: 2002-10-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Amazon.com Review
Gathering insights from his seven-decade career, the renowned biologist Ernst Mayr argues that evolution is now to be considered not a theory but a fact--and that "there is not a single Why? question in biology that can be answered adequately without a consideration of evolution."

Mayr, emeritus professor of zoology at Harvard University, has long been one of the world's foremost researchers in genetic and evolutionary theory. In this overview of past and current scientific thought, he discusses key concepts and terms, among them the origin of species, the (somewhat metaphorical) "struggle for existence," and agents of micro- and macroevolution. Somewhat against the grain, he argues against reduction and for the study of evolution at the phenotypic, not genetic, level. In his concluding pages, Mayr offers a careful overview of human evolution, adding his view that humankind is indeed unique--though "it has not yet completed the transition from quadrupedal to bipedal life in all of its structures."

Advanced students of the life sciences, as well as readers looking for a survey of current evolutionary theory, will find Mayr's book a useful companion. --Gregory McNamee

From Publishers Weekly
At age 97, Ernst Mayr is one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century, and here he delivers yet another valuable addition to the field of evolutionary theory. Mayr, who was also a curator at the American Museum of Natural History for two decades, guides lay readers through evolutionary thought from the book of Genesis and creationist theory through Darwin's theories and "soft" evolution and on to more contemporary, inclusive concepts. He takes readers on a whirlwind voyage from the scala naturae (the Great Chain of Being, in which everything in the world was accorded a position in a developmental hierarchy) to Mayr's own work, which builds on Darwinian theory and environmental factors. No one but Mayr could explain evolution so well, and though the text is peppered with many scientific terms, overall the author is triumphant in his goal to teach "first and foremost... biologist or not, [anyone] who simply wants to know more about evolution." While many authors suggest their tomes are the authoritative source, Mayr remains humble, reminding readers that "many details remain controversial." And the combination of his expertise, his elegant prose and the sheer pleasure of so many enthralling facts (the 145-million-year-old Archaeopteryx is a near perfect link between reptiles and birds, for example) means that studying the fossil record has rarely been so absorbing. Appendixes answer FAQs and respond to various objections to evolutionary theory, while a glossary offers entries from acoelomate to zygote.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Mayr (emeritus, Harvard Univ.; This Is Biology) has written a clear, comprehensive, and very informative introduction to the theory of evolution. He offers major insights into taxonomy, adaptation, common descent, biodiversity, and those mechanisms of organic evolution that result in the process of speciation. His analysis points out important contributions that molecular biology and population thinking have made to both understanding and appreciating modern Darwinism. Mayr stresses that an individual organism is the unit of natural selection, while a population is the unit of biological evolution. He rejects essentialism (typology), creationism, and teleology (orthogenesis) and gives much attention to the various aspects of macroevolution. Other topics discussed include extinction, mosaic evolution, exobiology, and the roles that both chance and necessity play in organic evolution. Of special interest is a chapter on human evolution. Mayr presents the empirical evidence substantiating hominid evolution, as well as the most recent scientific interpretation for the emergence of our species over the past five million years from an apelike ancestral group in Africa. This significant contribution to science will be of enormous value to anyone interested in evolution. Strongly recommended for all academic and public library science collections. H. James Birx, Canisius Coll., Buffalo, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

A mile wide and an inch deep
I was a little disappointed in this book. Though directed toward the educated layman, Mayr here writes in a manner that only biologists would find easy to understand. At the same time, he covers so much material that many interesting topics only get a page or so of attention. There isn't much detail that a reader capable of getting much from his writing style would not already be familiar with.

There are many problems with this book that a good editor should have brought to Mayr's attention. Mayr often mentions a specific case in passing, saying that X property of evolution is displayed by Y animal, but fails to cite clearly his reasons and source. So what's the point of mentioning the example if it's not explained how it relates to the topic being discussed? Where can I find more information? I found this book frustrating and tedious, and I learned little from it that I didn't already know.

Enjoyable and thought provoking
This book is something I imagine I will have to read again, not because it is poorly written, but because it is so thought provoking and accessible. Having read most of Dawkins works, this book is better. Mayr takes a strong stance against reductionism and the confirmation bias in evolutionary theories. Throughout the book he eloquently explains population and stochasic thinking in evolutionary theory. I plan to go back to some other works(that seemed convincing before) with a new skepticism. Don't skip the appendices. Mayr's wisdom rings through in his assertion that "Sweeping generalizations are rarely correct in evolutionary biology"(Appendix A, pg 271). This book is an excellent overview and window into the way Mayr thinks about Evolution.

I did have one criticism and it was the response he gave to the question Why is Evolution unpredictable? His answer was changes in environment are unpredictable, and also that a way a population may respond is also unpredictable, but then he says "Nevertheless, a knowledge of the potential of genotype and of the nature of constraints permits in most cases a reasonably accurate prediction"(appendix b). This seems in contrast to the earlier quote. Having recently read Nassim Taleb's "The Black Swan", I am uncertain if our predictions about about the future will in anyway be accurate. Still, this criticism aside, this is a great book.

A Good Detailed Text, but Not For The Layman
This book is a high level discussion of the process of evolution. It is written almost as a point/counter-point debate of the different theories of evolution (and there have been many) which have developed since Darwin's "Origin Of Species".

Even though I have read several other books on evolution prior to this one, the text seems to be aimed at a higher level reader than someone who is curious about evolution. This would be a good text to go to once you have the basic knowledge gained elsewhere under your belt.

Despite the above, I find this to be a good book since it does detail all of the theories that have emerged and is able to compare them and contradict ones that have not stood up to testing or the evidence revealed since their original proposing.

If you are a student of evolution and/or life sciences, I would recommend this book be on your bookshelf as it is on mine. If you are just starting out, trying some more introductory texts before trying this one.