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

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

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An Explanatory Masterpiece        Rating:

Ernst Mayr is widely recognized as the biologist most responsible for shaping the modern synthesis of genetics and evolutionary theory. "What Evolution Is" provides an invaluable primer for anyone who is interested in understanding the modern theory of biological evolution.

In the preface, Mayr says he wrote this book for three kinds of readers: those who want to know more about evolution, those who accept evolution, but are not sure whether the Darwinian explanation is the correct one, and those "creationists who want to know more about the current paradigm of evolutionary science, if for no other reason than to be able to better argue against it" (p. xiii).

Throughout the book, the reader is presented with clear descriptions of the basic principles of biological evolution, backed up with a solid collection of facts that should fascinate even the most hardened veteran of the evolution/creation controversy. The writing is clear, elegant, and comprehensive. The book even includes a glossary that defines some of the most commonly used terms relating to evolution!

The best thing I can say about Ernst Mayr's "What Evolution Is" is that it does not waste the reader's time by attempting to provide an exhaustive list of proofs of evolution. That evolution happens is already so well established that such a detailed presentation of the evidence is not necessary. Besides, as Mayr correctly points out, such a list would likely not convince those who do not wish to be persuaded.

Enjoyable and thought provoking        Rating:

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        Rating:

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.

Want to learn about evolution, but don't know where to start?        Rating:

Ernst Mayr was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge about biology. And what he noticed was that there had existed no single detailed and comprehensive publication that he or others could point to when asked by a layperson, "What is Evolution?"

This book is it. Mayr did an exception job at condensing the knowledge of roughly every subdiscipline of biology regarding evolution into one text. I would argue that it's relatively easy for a layperson to understand, but read slowly to let it sink in. (Stephen Jay Gould took 1400+ pages to describe evolution in "Structure of Evolutionary Theory," while Mayr only takes 336 pages, making this book far more concise)

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