The Wandering Skeptic
Sunday, October 27, 2002
My review for Stephen Gould's Wonderful Life on amazon.com:
Science Enlivened
At its heart, Wonderful Life doesn’t read like the significant evolutionary tract that it is. In place of droll scientific methodologies, an air of intense fantasy surrounds the descriptions of Cambrian creatures – a suspense and awe worthy of the strangest Lovecraftian invention. And yet the down-to-earth nuances of the text ground it in the fact that these creatures are no strangers to reality, but indeed the bases on which modern life had to stand.
In this modern tale, Gould makes his most eloquent argument for punctuated equilibrium, the hypothesis that evolution takes place mainly in big explosions with tiny steps only filling in the gaps. In taking us through the process of scientific discovery – rather than merely describing the results – Gould allows us to experience the cavalcade of emotions that must have accompanied everything from the most confusing to the most enlightening of events.
Though the first and final quarters of the book are much more pedantic, they’re necessary to appreciate the drama in between. Inevitably, Gould’s notorious arrogance shows through in some spots, and some of his scientific conclusions remain suspect. But persuasive or not, the book as a whole is perhaps one of the most enjoyable and thought-provoking scientific texts ever written. It truly is science enlivened.
¶ 1:24 AM
Science Enlivened
At its heart, Wonderful Life doesn’t read like the significant evolutionary tract that it is. In place of droll scientific methodologies, an air of intense fantasy surrounds the descriptions of Cambrian creatures – a suspense and awe worthy of the strangest Lovecraftian invention. And yet the down-to-earth nuances of the text ground it in the fact that these creatures are no strangers to reality, but indeed the bases on which modern life had to stand.
In this modern tale, Gould makes his most eloquent argument for punctuated equilibrium, the hypothesis that evolution takes place mainly in big explosions with tiny steps only filling in the gaps. In taking us through the process of scientific discovery – rather than merely describing the results – Gould allows us to experience the cavalcade of emotions that must have accompanied everything from the most confusing to the most enlightening of events.
Though the first and final quarters of the book are much more pedantic, they’re necessary to appreciate the drama in between. Inevitably, Gould’s notorious arrogance shows through in some spots, and some of his scientific conclusions remain suspect. But persuasive or not, the book as a whole is perhaps one of the most enjoyable and thought-provoking scientific texts ever written. It truly is science enlivened.
¶ 1:24 AM
