The Evolutionists The Struggle for Darwin's Soul

Introduced in 1859, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution generated hot debate and controversy. Today nearly all reputable scientists agree: evolution did happen and natural selection was its main driving force. Yet a century and a half after Darwin, the theory of evolution is still being fought over with a ferocity that has rarely been equaled in the annals of science. What are scientists arguing about? And why are their exchanges sometimes so bitter? InThe Evolutionists, Richard Morris vividly portrays the controversies that rage today in the field of evolutionary biology. With a clear and unbiased eye, he explores the fundamental questions about the evolutionary process that have provoked such vehement disagreement among some of the world's most prominent scientists, including Stephen Jay Gould, fellow paleontologist Niles Eldredge, geneticist John Maynard Smith, and zoologist Richard Dawkins. A vibrant account of contemporary evolutionary biology,The Evolutionistsis a fascinating look at how controversy and debate shape the scientific process.

Richard Morris, Ph.D., is the author of more than a dozen books explaining the wonders and intricacies of the scientific world, among them The Big Questions, Achilles in the Quantum Universe, Time's Arrows, and The Edge of Science. He lives in San Francisco, California.