Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Evolution That Anyone Can Understand

  • Book
  • © 2012

Overview

Authors:
  1. Bernard Marcus

    1. Manlius, USA

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  • Explores resistance to scientific progress that challenges conventional wisdom
  • Examines the response that leads opponents to deny, attack and ridicule
  • Shows the effects of longer term understanding that the science is correct
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Evolutionary Biology (BRIEFSEVOLUTION)

  • 14k Accesses

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

Log in via an institution
eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (14 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xii
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Exactly What Is Evolution?

    • Bernard Marcus
    Pages 1-9

  3. What’s God Got to Do With It?

    • Bernard Marcus
    Pages 11-19

  4. But It is Only a Theory

    • Bernard Marcus
    Pages 21-26

  5. Icefish and Other Genetic Anomalies and an Argument for Vestigiality

    • Bernard Marcus
    Pages 27-32

  6. Islands in the Sky and Elsewhere

    • Bernard Marcus
    Pages 33-40

  7. Superbugs

    • Bernard Marcus
    Pages 41-47

  8. Biogeography

    • Bernard Marcus
    Pages 49-58

  9. Up a Blind Alley

    • Bernard Marcus
    Pages 59-67

  10. What is a Species?

    • Bernard Marcus
    Pages 69-74

  11. How does it Work?

    • Bernard Marcus
    Pages 75-83

  12. What is the Evidence?

    • Bernard Marcus
    Pages 85-92

  13. Convergence

    • Bernard Marcus
    Pages 93-98

  14. Is It Happening Now?

    • Bernard Marcus
    Pages 99-103

  15. What About Us?

    • Bernard Marcus
    Pages 105-113

  16. Back Matter

    Pages 115-116
    Download chapter PDF
Back to top

Keywords

About this book

The function of scientific research is promoting the understanding of the world around us. In theory, anyway, the more we learn, the more potential we have of making our lives better. Thus, we have seen research in electronics provide us with computers, research in chemistry provide us with all manner of synthetics, and research in agriculture provide us with more food. Periodically, scientific research uncovers something that makes some of us uncomfortable. The discovery of the link between smoking and lung cancer and heart disease was not received well by the tobacco industry, and the link between global climate change and fossil fuel use has not been well received by the petroleum industry, to cite just two examples. Usually the response of those whose world has been disrupted by science is denial, often followed by attack on or ridicule of the science that has challenged them. In the long term, however, science usually turns out to be correct.



Reviews

From the reviews:

“This is the first in a new series, ‘SpringerBriefs in Evolutionary Biology,’ aimed to ‘present concise summaries of cutting-edge research and practical applications across a wide spectrum of fields.’ This small book attempts to meet this goal by addressing ‘core concepts that students must understand in order to make independent contributions.’ … This is a good, short read if one wants to learn about some of the nicest examples of the evolutionary process. … Summing Up: … General readers.” (B. K. Hall, Choice, Vol. 49 (10), June, 2012)

“Evolution That Anyone Can Understand by Bernard Marcus is the latest entry into an increasingly crowded niche filled by titles with relatively homogenous content and standardized structure. … Overall, it is clear that the author has read quite broadly, writes with enthusiasm about the topic of evolution, and has brought a remarkable diversity of up-to-date content to bear on the subject.” (Ross H. Nehm, Science & Education, May, 2012)



Authors and Affiliations

  • Manlius, USA

    Bernard Marcus

About the author

Bernard Marcus is the author of other books, including: Tropical Forests, Jones and Bartlett, 2008, 200 pp., SC $30.95 Human Nutrition (Cliffs Quick Review), Cliffs Notes, 1997, 192 pp., SC

Bibliographic Information

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Back to top

Search

Navigation