Review: The Science of Evolution and the Myth of Creationism
Published by Greg September 8th, 2007 in Creationism in the Classroom, Education, Books, Creationism, Science EducationREPOST
”Everyone needs to understand the basic facts of evolution as well as the essentials of the scientific method… When people are deprived of a scientific approach to reality as a whole, they are robbed of both a full appreciation of the beauty and richness of the natural world and the means to understand the dynamics of change not only in nature but in human society as well.”
-Ardea Skybreak, “The Science of Evolution and the Myth of Creationism”
Ardea Skybreak’s new book, “The Science of Evolution and the Myth of Creationism: Knowing what’s real and why it matters” is a comprehensive treatment of creationism, in all of its forms, in relation to the practice and teaching of evolution and science in general. This book provides a point by point description of creationist arguments and refutation of those arguments, and a very usable summary of the related evolutionary concepts.
Skybreak describes and summarizes evolutionary theory focusing on the areas usually brought up by creationists (such as speciation, micro- vs. macro evolution, transitional fossils, etc.). She clearly positions anti-evolution arguments in a broader context as an “assault on science in the name of god” and she positions the “science of evolution” as fundamental to science itself. In her treatment of the most recent forms of creationism such as Intelligent Design Creationism, she makes the argument that IDC is largely just more of the same thing, but does not dismiss the specifics of the argument … rather she address them. Then, of course, they are dismissed as the drivel that they are. You can expect this volume to serve as a reference tool in that it describes and carefully treats all the creationist “schools of thought” providing both convincing arguments (for fence sitters) and the tools an educator should have in addressing these issues. At present, this may be the most comprehensive discussion available, and it is certainly up to date.
The book is loaded with dozens of “supplemental” inserts, which you can think of as side-bars, on a variety of topics. For example, “Were We Bound to Evolve? — The Role of Random and Non-Random Factors in Evolution;” “Humans and Dinosaurs?! Another Creationist Absurdity;” and “Rare Variants of the Almost Entirely Universal Genetic Code Are Evidence of Evolution, Not Design.”
The author could possibly be characterized as a nontheist or atheist with Marxist or progressive leanings. Her treatment of the religious aspects of creationism’s attack on evolution is crisp and dismissive. At the same time, her approach is not idealistic, but rather, appropriately materialistic and straight forward. Her philosophical comments are limited to the obvious condensate from the interaction between incredibly stupid ideas and basic science. I don’t think Skybreak’s book requires rejection of religion to accept evolution, but if you are looking for a way to reconcile religious belief with scientific reality, you won’t (thank god) find it here.
I think you could use this book in a college biology class, because it covers the basics of evolution, along with well chosen examples. If you are interested in teaching students evolutionary biology and at the same time giving them the tools to address creationism as it rears it’s ugly head in social, educational, and political contexts, then add this inexpensive and well written volume to your reading list. The book is organized in such a way that various chapters and side-bars (supplementals) can be linked to the usual reading material in any introductory or intermediate course on evolution. One could argue that setting up any straw man is good pedagogy if done correctly. This volume does a good job at teaching evolution by using creationism in its various forms as a kind of Swiss Army Knife of Straw Men.
(Click on the Amazon link to see a table of contents.)
This is the only book I have read that has encomia from both leading experts in the field as well from guys in prison… oh, and from one high school student.
7 Responses to “Review: The Science of Evolution and the Myth of Creationism”
- 1 Pingback on Apr 30th, 2007 at 7:29 am
- 2 Pingback on Sep 9th, 2007 at 10:21 am
Greg, you quote approvingly:
”Everyone needs to understand the basic facts of evolution as well as the essentials of the scientific method…”
Does everyone?
You do not need those things to get a good, well-paying job. I’ve known some very good engineers/computer scientists who were creationists. And quite a few engineers are rather clueless about the scientific method.
And those are technical fields – what about bankers, stock traders, truck drivers, etc.?
I even knew an MD (admittedly, not a top-notch one) who was a creationist!
Now, of course, if you do not know this stuff, you are indeed a pitiable ignoramus. But I get the strong impression that most of our fellow citizens are quite happy being pitiable ignoramuses. Indeed, on various occasions when I have tried to point out simple facts about evolution, the Bible, etc. I have been told quite explicitly that the person I am speaking to does not care what’s actually true – they are happy believing what they believe and intend to keep believing it.
Perhaps, they need the knowledge of science in order to be “good” citizens, but I’m pretty sure most Americans do not care much about that either. (Let’s face it: a lot of Americans supported the two Iraq wars simply because they made exciting “reality TV.”)
Personally, I rather enjoy verbally bludgeoning people with the truth about evolution etc. even when they do not want to hear it – they bludgeon us with their “under God” nonsense and so on, so why shouldn’t we get in a few whacks of our own?
But, for the life of me, I can’t figure out how to penetrate their “I-don’t-care-about-the-truth” attitude. Is there any sense in which they really do “need” to know the truth that we can possibly make clear to them?
I suspect our only real audience is the children: “Pssst! Kid! Your parents have been lying to you! Want the straight dope?” Since most kids rightly suspect that there are a few things Mom and Dad have been holding back on, maybe they can be reached. But any adult of normal intelligence in this society should already know that scientists are not creationists. If he or she does not want to hear the truth, I doubt he or she can be reached.
I’ll be happy to be proven wrong.
Dave
Well, I could agree with the idea that people who do not love and enjoy the science I love and enjoy are pitiful ignorami. But actually, some of the people closest to me in this world don’t give a rat’s ass about evolution. (although most of my loved ones are of course steeped in it, or at least, pretend to be very interested at the appropriate moments.)
I find it interesting that you think of my formatting as “quote approvingly.” I like the book and recommend it. But sometimes a quote is just a quote! This particular phrase is taken right from the frontispiece, and I chose it because the author chose it to highlight her book. Or more likely, the publisher.
You should read the book, it’s good.
This book should be banned!
Why?
Just like you can take a mule to water but you can’t make him drink, neither can you take a Creationist to the scientific truth and make him amazed with wonder. They, the cloned followers of faith,find it much less difficult (learning science) to listen to the charlatan’s with the fancy suits and Peter The Hermit or Hitler like oratorical skills tell them how it is with Jesus, Mohammed, God, etc. It fits their basic psyche and emotional needs and there is a bevy of like kind to muster up with in case they need reinforcement of what they just heard. Including the fact that finally, after 180 years of subverting seperation of church and state, they have raised their own boy wonders with all the bounty they have snookered from their ‘deaf, dumb, and blind-belief followers’, as well as the tax man, and placed them in positions of power. Oh, just fine and dandy for many folk; they could care less; they just don’t know the truth, they don’t want to know the truth. Yet, what bemoans me more than anything about their sheepish ways once they enter the doors of a tabernacle and leave what ever good sense they had outside, is the women. They have been seeded third class citizens right from the get-go of middle east religions and now that they have the right to examine why they have been subjected to ridicule, scorn, rape, tortures, burning, and dressed as recluses in the name of god, they melt like hot butter and get down on their knees when ordered by the scoundrel minister of the word.
Since they also believe in the literal truth of the Bible, Koran or whatever, do they believe in Lev. 20.27. Ex. 22.18 or the right to burn women accused of witchcraft? How about buring a criminals wife and children alive as in Num. 16-27, 33.? Or this juicy one, buying a wife with 200 male foreskins from I Sam. 18-25. And grisly as we see so often in the news lately, eating human flesh and drinking human blood from John 6:53. And come on now, eating the flesh of your children as found in Lev. 26.29, Isaiah 9.2, Jeremiah 19.9 and Deut. 28.53. Just fricking grand. And for the well-dressed women who goes to Church to meet other women with their Sunday Best so they can besmirk each other or make rude comments about one maybe dressed too sexy, how about being forbidden to learn, adorn themselves, speak in church or visit friends? It’s right there in I Cor, 14.34-35, I tim. 2-11-12, and I Tim 5.13 and 2.9. Lest I be negligent, can it be okay for a man to have sex with his wife and her mother? See Lev. 20.14. Predators will like this one: kidnapping virgins for sex partners, Judges 21.7 -14. And just like some lions in the jungle, this one is scary too: Killing a mans children and replacing them with your own, Book of Job. Is it okay to inflict childbirth as punishment? Sure, so says Gen. 3-16. This one too: Offering your virgin daughters to perverts, Gen. 19, 4-8. And for monarchs, oh baby, you have it made: one thousand women belonging to one man, I Kings 11.13.
Babies keeping you awake at night: put them to the sword: Matt: 2.16. And if we return to the Dark Ages as it seems very possible quite soon, how about the New Inquisistion? You have the okay to putting your feet on Captive’s necks, Joshua 10.24, to rip up pregnant women, II KIngs 15.16., sexually abusing women to death, Judges 19.25., and as seen recently in the middle east, stone women to death for being a victim of rape. I could go on and on but the thing here as anyone can tell, is to pick your favorite (b)ible phrases and bend them to fit the situation at hand. Women always lose though. Okay, you don’t get it, here is one more: “Stoning and burning women for not being virgins” Deut. 22.21. Who in blazes were the experts on virginity in those wicked days?
Okay. I just really fancy the way Ardea attacks the ridiculous notion of Creationism and how she portrays the facts of evolution in such an easy reading fashion that even a hard-core Creationist can appreciate. So, throw the stones, creationists, mayhem and murder have been your answer to the facts because you don’t have one credible fact to back up your beliefs in over 2000 years. What a shame that most science, so young and yet so good and hearty, is not the feast for all good men and women of earth. No, a great sermon with a communion wine and bread is just an hour away and usually only one day a week. Okay, did you celebrate the heathens holiday that you stole? You know, December 25. Don’t tell me you don’t understand.
Oh pity. Buy the book…or are you still afraid of critical thinking and review? My answer is YES, you are afraid to get out of the innoculation presented to you at your baptism. Buy the book anyway, maybe you can burn it and ban it. Good practice for your next crusade and appointed Inquisitors.
Yikes!!!