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Reflections in Natural History #8
The Lying Stones of Marrakech: Penultimate Reflections in Natural History
In his latest collection of essays, bestselling scientist Stephen Jay Gould once again offers his unmistakable perspective on natural history and the people who have tried to make sense of it. Gould is planning to bring down the curtain on his nearly thirty-year stint as a monthly essayist for Natural History magazine, the longest-running series of scientific essays in history. This, then, is the next-to-last essay collection from one of the most acclaimed and widely read scientists of our time. In this work of twenty-three essays, selected by Booklist as one of the top ten science and technology books of 2000, Gould covers topics as diverse as episodes in the birth of paleontology to lessons from Britain’s four greatest Victorian naturalists. The Lying Stones of Marrakech presents the richness and fascination of the various lives that have fueled the enterprise of science and opened our eyes to a world of unexpected wonders.
371 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
About the author
Stephen Jay Gould
189 books1,295 followersStephen Jay Gould was a prominent American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science. He was also one of the most influential and widely read writers of popular science of his generation. Gould spent most of his career teaching at Harvard University and working at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
Most of Gould's empirical research was on land snails. Gould helped develop the theory of punctuated equilibrium, in which evolutionary stability is marked by instances of rapid change. He contributed to evolutionary developmental biology. In evolutionary theory, he opposed strict selectionism, sociobiology as applied to humans, and evolutionary psychology. He campaigned against creationism and proposed that science and religion should be considered two compatible, complementary fields, or "magisteria," whose authority does not overlap.
Many of Gould's essays were reprinted in collected volumes, such as Ever Since Darwin and The Panda's Thumb, while his popular treatises included books such as The Mismeasure of Man, Wonderful Life and Full House.
-Wikipedia
Most of Gould's empirical research was on land snails. Gould helped develop the theory of punctuated equilibrium, in which evolutionary stability is marked by instances of rapid change. He contributed to evolutionary developmental biology. In evolutionary theory, he opposed strict selectionism, sociobiology as applied to humans, and evolutionary psychology. He campaigned against creationism and proposed that science and religion should be considered two compatible, complementary fields, or "magisteria," whose authority does not overlap.
Many of Gould's essays were reprinted in collected volumes, such as Ever Since Darwin and The Panda's Thumb, while his popular treatises included books such as The Mismeasure of Man, Wonderful Life and Full House.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 11, 2018
In this penultimate volume of Gould’s collection of Natural History essays, I detect a deeper approach to his subjects. Always able to whipsaw between metaphors to illustrate a telling bit of paleontological wisdom, the essays have now become more meditative, voyaging farther afield before delivering the goods. There are far fewer pieces in this collection, yet they are generally longer; and for the first time we get are exposed to writing outside his pop science bailiwick, including an obituary for Joe DiMaggio and his contribution to the liner notes for a pressing of Mozart’s Requiem.
By this point in his career, Gould had marked out specific territory, discussing punctuated equilibrium, as an example; or, the compatibility of science and religion. This is not the Gould of fifteen years earlier, breaking the news of cosmic origin for dinosaur extinction or testifying to congress about intelligent design. These are the meditative essays of a strong voice in the scientific community surveying thirty years of writing to begin laying the capstone of an astonishing career. A great read.
By this point in his career, Gould had marked out specific territory, discussing punctuated equilibrium, as an example; or, the compatibility of science and religion. This is not the Gould of fifteen years earlier, breaking the news of cosmic origin for dinosaur extinction or testifying to congress about intelligent design. These are the meditative essays of a strong voice in the scientific community surveying thirty years of writing to begin laying the capstone of an astonishing career. A great read.
July 12, 2023
Eine spannende Sammlung von Essays aus den 90ern zu Themen der Wissenschaftsgeschichte, Philosophie der Naturwissenschaften und Fragen der Bedingungen, wie Wissenschaft "geschieht". Die Zufälle und Besonderheiten der Wissenschaftsgeschichte wird ebenso beleuchtet, wie die Charakterzüge "erfolgreicher" und "nicht erfolgreicher" WissenschaftlerInnen.
Die einzelnen Essays sind stellenweise ein wenig zu lang und zu ausführlich. Kürzungen hätten hier der Lesefreude sicher gutgetan.
Aber im Ganzen eine sehr, sehr unterhaltsame und interessante Lektüre
Die einzelnen Essays sind stellenweise ein wenig zu lang und zu ausführlich. Kürzungen hätten hier der Lesefreude sicher gutgetan.
Aber im Ganzen eine sehr, sehr unterhaltsame und interessante Lektüre
April 20, 2020
Unabashedly erudite, in a style which some might find pretentious but whose stylistic flourishes I rather enjoy, Steven Jay Gould lays out in a series of essay a humorous and far reaching treatise on the foibles of a simplistic understanding of the scientific method. Replete with allusions to a canon of scientific history drawn from his extensive library and apparently personally translated from their original languages, Gould’s writing demonstrates that far from being content with the quotidian mantle of an ecological journeyman, he has grander aspirations to the realm of natural philosophy which an age of specialization and technological sophistication has increasingly rendered a relic. This archaic tone notwithstanding, The Lying Stones is Marrakech is a genuinely beautiful read, whose philosophical digressions serve to illuminate the wonders of the natural world.
April 26, 2021
This group of essays offers a wide range of ideas to mull over. The first half of the book summarizes the work of historically important scientists, usually focusing on points that are overlooked in other works. The later chapters vary enormously in their topics, from zebra fish to Golgatha, but are unified in their attempt to make us question our assumptions and the way we read science. Gould has an enormous vocabulary that is sometimes challenging to one whose education was not strong in the sciences, but there are moments of levity that balance the heavy-handed science talk. Overall, my life is much richer for reading this book, though it took me several months of reading sections at a time and letting the ideas settle before tackling the next one.
January 18, 2024
Having finished this penultimate collection of Gould's essays, I realised I had inadvertently skipped a volume and should have read 'Dinosaur in a Haystack ' first. This was a slight relief after 'Eight Little Piggies ' which I found tedious as the essays were more readable and on more interesting topics. Most concern the history of science and how various theories on the development of life were abandoned, overtaken by events and new information though sometimes because the last holdouts against adoption of the newer theories died.
A few veer off into short pieces on Mozart and baseball and I admit to skipping the latter and a long essay in the first half which I found totally tedious. One I enjoyed most was about Galileo - I hadn't known that he was one of a group of early scientific pioneers, though I was aware of his persecution by the Inquisition. But it was the death of the wealthy and powerful nobleman, leader of the group, struck down by a fever, that removed Galileo's protection from the Inquisition.
Quite a few essays deal with the distortions of history whereby a 'heroic' version is preferred rather than the more low-key reality. At times, someone or something is popularly known about in a version completely opposite to what really happened. A case in point is the title essay, where a university professor was the victim of a hoax: contrary to the story published in many accounts over the centuries since, the hoax wasn't perpetrated by his students and he didn't die soon afterwards with his reputation in tatters. Gould unearthed the court papers from the professor's case against two of his colleagues who, fed up with his pomposity and his outmoded views, arranged for intricately carved stones to be planted where he would find them. They wanted him to make a fool of himself over the 'lying stones' but the joke went too far and their accomplice turned witness against them. It was they who were ruined, lost their posts and, in one case, died soon afterwards. He carried on at the university and lived for, I think, another fourteen years.
One of Gould's heroes was Lavoisier and he returns again to him, this time Lavoisier's pioneering work in geology, cut short by his execution in revolutionary France.
Altogether a much better read than the volume I read previously, although I did have to dip into it over an extended period and couldn't get on with all of it, so it's a respectable 3 stars from me.
A few veer off into short pieces on Mozart and baseball and I admit to skipping the latter and a long essay in the first half which I found totally tedious. One I enjoyed most was about Galileo - I hadn't known that he was one of a group of early scientific pioneers, though I was aware of his persecution by the Inquisition. But it was the death of the wealthy and powerful nobleman, leader of the group, struck down by a fever, that removed Galileo's protection from the Inquisition.
Quite a few essays deal with the distortions of history whereby a 'heroic' version is preferred rather than the more low-key reality. At times, someone or something is popularly known about in a version completely opposite to what really happened. A case in point is the title essay, where a university professor was the victim of a hoax: contrary to the story published in many accounts over the centuries since, the hoax wasn't perpetrated by his students and he didn't die soon afterwards with his reputation in tatters. Gould unearthed the court papers from the professor's case against two of his colleagues who, fed up with his pomposity and his outmoded views, arranged for intricately carved stones to be planted where he would find them. They wanted him to make a fool of himself over the 'lying stones' but the joke went too far and their accomplice turned witness against them. It was they who were ruined, lost their posts and, in one case, died soon afterwards. He carried on at the university and lived for, I think, another fourteen years.
One of Gould's heroes was Lavoisier and he returns again to him, this time Lavoisier's pioneering work in geology, cut short by his execution in revolutionary France.
Altogether a much better read than the volume I read previously, although I did have to dip into it over an extended period and couldn't get on with all of it, so it's a respectable 3 stars from me.
October 3, 2018
I purchased this book along with Eight Little Piggies at Second Story Books near Dupont Circle.
Due to my own personal bias, I prefer Gould's essays that address more biological rather than biographical topics. He does warn us in his Preface, but I still enjoyed this book and love his sense of humor.
Due to my own personal bias, I prefer Gould's essays that address more biological rather than biographical topics. He does warn us in his Preface, but I still enjoyed this book and love his sense of humor.
June 26, 2023
I tried but couldn’t make progress with this. DNF, in fact I could barely get through the opening essay
July 26, 2019
I loved that the entire novel was really a letter, in a way. There’s a mystery at the center so I can’t say too much more. But this YA book was short and sweet. I really liked it.
July 13, 2022
Wonderful collection. Stephen J Gould is a legend for a reason. The thing that stood out to me the most is the little things. He doesn’t write about the big changes, but instead the minor shifts in thinking thst led to our current scientific thinking. Whether it was the shift to thinking about nature historically or connecting the dots of soil and stone layers, he tells the tails of biology and natural history beautifully. Also enjoyed the smaller chapters which memorialize baseball players. Those were just fun to read.
August 31, 2014
1) ''Altissimum planetam tergeminum observavi.
[I have observed that the farthest planet is threefold.]
I regard the last word of Galileo's anagram as especially revealing. He does not advocate his solution by saying 'I conjecture,' 'I hypothesize,' 'I infer,' or 'It seems to me that the best interpretation...' Instead, he boldly writes observavi---I have observed. No other word could capture, with such terseness and accuracy, the major change in concept and procedure (not to mention ethical valuation) that marked the transition to what we call 'modern' science. An older style (as found, for example, in Gesner's compendium on mammals, cited above) would not have dishonored a claim for direct observation, but would have evaluated such an argument as a corroborative afterthought, surely secondary in weight to such criteria as the testimony of classical authors and logical consistency with a conception of the universe 'known' to be both true and just---in other words, to authority and fixed 'reasonableness.'''
2) ''But Bacon presented a brilliant and original analysis by concentrating instead on psychological barriers to knowledge about the natural world. He had, after all, envisioned the study of nature as a funneling of sensory data through mental processors, and he recognized that internal barriers of the second stage could stand as high as the external impediments of sensory limitations. He also understood that the realm of conceptual hangups extended far beyond the cool and abstract logic of Aristotelian reason into our interior world of fears, hopes, needs, feelings, and the structural limits of mental machinery. Bacon therefore developed an incisive metaphor to classify these psychological barriers. He designated such impediments as 'idols' and recognized four major categories---idola tribus (idols of the tribe), idola specus (the cave), idola fori (the forum, or marketplace), and idola theatri (the theater).''
3) ''As Darwin wrote in my favorite quotation: 'How can anyone not see that all observation must be for or against some view if it is to be of any service.'''
4) ''Second, human cultural change runs by the powerful mechanism of Lamarckian inheritance of acquired characteristics. Anything useful (or alas, destructive) that our generation invents can be passed directly to our offspring by direct education. Change in this rapid Lamarckian mode easily overwhelms the much slower process of Darwinian natural selection, which requires a Mendelian form of inheritance based on small-scale and undirected variation that can then be sifted and sorted through a struggle for existence. Genetic variation is Mendelian, so Darwinism rules biological evolution. But cultural variation is largely Lamarckian, and natural selection cannot determine the recent history of our technological societies.''
5) ''I find a particular intellectual beauty in such fractal [evolutionary] models---for they invoke hierarchies of inclusion (the single cove embedded within Acadia, embedded within Maine) to deny hierarchies of worth, importance, merit, or meaning. You may ignore Maine while studying the sand grain, and be properly oblivious to the grain while perusing the map of Maine on the single page of your atlas. But you can love and learn from both scales at the same time. Evolution does not lie patent in a clear pond on Trinidad any more than the universe (pace Mr. Blake) lies revealed in a grain of sand. But how poor would be our understanding---how bland and restricted our sight---if we could not learn to appreciate the rococo details that fill our immediate field of vision, while forming, at another scale, only some irrelevant and invisible jigglings in the majesty of geological time.''
[I have observed that the farthest planet is threefold.]
I regard the last word of Galileo's anagram as especially revealing. He does not advocate his solution by saying 'I conjecture,' 'I hypothesize,' 'I infer,' or 'It seems to me that the best interpretation...' Instead, he boldly writes observavi---I have observed. No other word could capture, with such terseness and accuracy, the major change in concept and procedure (not to mention ethical valuation) that marked the transition to what we call 'modern' science. An older style (as found, for example, in Gesner's compendium on mammals, cited above) would not have dishonored a claim for direct observation, but would have evaluated such an argument as a corroborative afterthought, surely secondary in weight to such criteria as the testimony of classical authors and logical consistency with a conception of the universe 'known' to be both true and just---in other words, to authority and fixed 'reasonableness.'''
2) ''But Bacon presented a brilliant and original analysis by concentrating instead on psychological barriers to knowledge about the natural world. He had, after all, envisioned the study of nature as a funneling of sensory data through mental processors, and he recognized that internal barriers of the second stage could stand as high as the external impediments of sensory limitations. He also understood that the realm of conceptual hangups extended far beyond the cool and abstract logic of Aristotelian reason into our interior world of fears, hopes, needs, feelings, and the structural limits of mental machinery. Bacon therefore developed an incisive metaphor to classify these psychological barriers. He designated such impediments as 'idols' and recognized four major categories---idola tribus (idols of the tribe), idola specus (the cave), idola fori (the forum, or marketplace), and idola theatri (the theater).''
3) ''As Darwin wrote in my favorite quotation: 'How can anyone not see that all observation must be for or against some view if it is to be of any service.'''
4) ''Second, human cultural change runs by the powerful mechanism of Lamarckian inheritance of acquired characteristics. Anything useful (or alas, destructive) that our generation invents can be passed directly to our offspring by direct education. Change in this rapid Lamarckian mode easily overwhelms the much slower process of Darwinian natural selection, which requires a Mendelian form of inheritance based on small-scale and undirected variation that can then be sifted and sorted through a struggle for existence. Genetic variation is Mendelian, so Darwinism rules biological evolution. But cultural variation is largely Lamarckian, and natural selection cannot determine the recent history of our technological societies.''
5) ''I find a particular intellectual beauty in such fractal [evolutionary] models---for they invoke hierarchies of inclusion (the single cove embedded within Acadia, embedded within Maine) to deny hierarchies of worth, importance, merit, or meaning. You may ignore Maine while studying the sand grain, and be properly oblivious to the grain while perusing the map of Maine on the single page of your atlas. But you can love and learn from both scales at the same time. Evolution does not lie patent in a clear pond on Trinidad any more than the universe (pace Mr. Blake) lies revealed in a grain of sand. But how poor would be our understanding---how bland and restricted our sight---if we could not learn to appreciate the rococo details that fill our immediate field of vision, while forming, at another scale, only some irrelevant and invisible jigglings in the majesty of geological time.''
September 17, 2015
I have been meaning to read Gould for years, and only just now found both time and resolve. I was not really sure where to start amongst his voluminous works, but feel extremely pleased with my choice. ‘The Lying Stones’ is a fantastic collection of essays, each one informative and thought-provoking. The evolutionary biology is perfectly pitched for someone like me with a science background yet lacking detailed knowledge of this field. But it is Gould's learning and culture that really adds life to this work, and elevates them to a higher plane. He beautifully communicates both awe for the natural world and the humbling truth for us humans that science is a historical enterprise adjusting to our shifting concerns.
In the earlier sections, we are treated to biographical essays on luminaries in biology and geology such as Buffon, Lavoisier, Lamarck and Lyell. The author has a deep knowledge of the history and philosophy of science, and is able to explain in convincing style why the work of these figures is important. Although the middle sections express the character of Gould the man, I can understand if the reader is put off by unexpected diversions into music and baseball. Hold on though for the final sections, which is Gould at his most polemical, and includes some of my favorite essays in this collection:
In "A Tale of Two Work Sites", Gould criticizes the extreme positions of "Soapy Sam" Wilberforce and Social Darwinists like Herbert Spencer. He says "The evolution of our species should fill us with notions of glory for our odd mental uniqueness, and of deep humility for our status as a tiny and accidental twig on such a sturdy and luxuriantly branching tree of life".
In "The Internal Brand of Scarlet W", Gould finds several convincing reasons to oppose reductionist explanations of the human condition. "We cannot define discrete, separable, specific traits within the complex continua of human behaviors."
And, in the concluding "Room of One's Own", Gould tells us why extreme scientific realism is misguided. "Facts cannot be denied, but facts might be scale dependent, and the perceptions of one world may have no validity or expression in the domain of another."
In the earlier sections, we are treated to biographical essays on luminaries in biology and geology such as Buffon, Lavoisier, Lamarck and Lyell. The author has a deep knowledge of the history and philosophy of science, and is able to explain in convincing style why the work of these figures is important. Although the middle sections express the character of Gould the man, I can understand if the reader is put off by unexpected diversions into music and baseball. Hold on though for the final sections, which is Gould at his most polemical, and includes some of my favorite essays in this collection:
In "A Tale of Two Work Sites", Gould criticizes the extreme positions of "Soapy Sam" Wilberforce and Social Darwinists like Herbert Spencer. He says "The evolution of our species should fill us with notions of glory for our odd mental uniqueness, and of deep humility for our status as a tiny and accidental twig on such a sturdy and luxuriantly branching tree of life".
In "The Internal Brand of Scarlet W", Gould finds several convincing reasons to oppose reductionist explanations of the human condition. "We cannot define discrete, separable, specific traits within the complex continua of human behaviors."
And, in the concluding "Room of One's Own", Gould tells us why extreme scientific realism is misguided. "Facts cannot be denied, but facts might be scale dependent, and the perceptions of one world may have no validity or expression in the domain of another."
September 14, 2009
I finished reading this book today (a good thing, as I have two other books that must be read before next Tuesday night), and very much enjoyed this not-quite-penultimate collection of essays that the author wrote for Natural History magazine on issues revolving around Evolution and Charles Darwin. Alas, Gould is no longer with us, but I treasure the essay collections, and enjoyed reading this one, as I have enjoyed reading the others in the series.
Gould writes with wry humor, but he is quite the scientist (there are times when reading this that I felt that my head was trying to expand, to fit in the advanced concepts; although the essays are written for the popular press, the author assumed a quite educated popular press reader). This can be seen from the chapter subheadings. Section 1 contains three essays, and is titled “Episodes in the Birth of Palenontology: The Nature of Fossils and the History of the Earth”. Before one dismisses out of hand this section, I must note (at some risk of tripping naughty-word software all over the Internet) that one of the essays is titled “How The Vulva Stone Became a Brachiopod”. We continue onward with Section 2: Present at the Creation: How France’s Three Finest Scientists Established Natural History in an Age of Revolution”, and Section 3 gives us “Darwin’s Century – And Ours: Lessons from Britain’s Four Greatest Victorian Naturalists”. The final three sections, oddly enough, have very short headings. Section 4 is “Six Little Pieces on the Meaning and Location of Excellence”, Section 5 covers “Science in Society”, and the final Section 6 covers “Evolution at All Scales”.
I have been reading (and collecting) the books of essays, ever since I discovered Stephen Jay Gould’s essays while reading Natural History magazine. By my count, I have one more to read, and then I am done, a fact that saddens me, for while I could always go back and read the books again, it’s more fun (and, perhaps, a better use of my time, as I am not yet immortal) to read new collections of essays.
Gould writes with wry humor, but he is quite the scientist (there are times when reading this that I felt that my head was trying to expand, to fit in the advanced concepts; although the essays are written for the popular press, the author assumed a quite educated popular press reader). This can be seen from the chapter subheadings. Section 1 contains three essays, and is titled “Episodes in the Birth of Palenontology: The Nature of Fossils and the History of the Earth”. Before one dismisses out of hand this section, I must note (at some risk of tripping naughty-word software all over the Internet) that one of the essays is titled “How The Vulva Stone Became a Brachiopod”. We continue onward with Section 2: Present at the Creation: How France’s Three Finest Scientists Established Natural History in an Age of Revolution”, and Section 3 gives us “Darwin’s Century – And Ours: Lessons from Britain’s Four Greatest Victorian Naturalists”. The final three sections, oddly enough, have very short headings. Section 4 is “Six Little Pieces on the Meaning and Location of Excellence”, Section 5 covers “Science in Society”, and the final Section 6 covers “Evolution at All Scales”.
I have been reading (and collecting) the books of essays, ever since I discovered Stephen Jay Gould’s essays while reading Natural History magazine. By my count, I have one more to read, and then I am done, a fact that saddens me, for while I could always go back and read the books again, it’s more fun (and, perhaps, a better use of my time, as I am not yet immortal) to read new collections of essays.
August 26, 2016
Siempre es un placer leer las recopilaciones de ensayos sobre historia natural de Stephen Jay Gould. Aquí descubrimos cómo se llegó a saber que los fósiles son restos de animales que vivieron en otra época, que Charles Babbage y Antoine Lavoisier también se dedicaron a la geología (el químico francés, adelantándose un siglo a su tiempo describiendo lo que ahora denominamos como "facies"), que Lamarck creó un "árbol de la vida" separando poco a poco el grupo de los gusanos o "vermes" en moluscos, anélidos, crustáceos, etc. Vemos que Lyell utilizó sucesos catastróficos como las erupciones del vesubio para reforzar su uniformismo, que Richard Owen inventó el término "Dinosaurio" para dar una impresión de que estos animales eran activos y complejos de acuerdo con su creacionismo y contra el evolucionismo progresionista de la época. También habla sobre la repercusión mediática que tuvo la oveja Dolly. Lo menos interesante son los ensayos sobre béisbol, aunque eso me da la oportunidad de sonreír al leer una de mis palabras favoritas del castellano: jonrón.
March 31, 2015
piu' che "appunti" sono microstorie, con correlazioni inusuali tra storia naturale (paleontologia in primo piano, ovviamente) e storia della scienza, con sortite in altri campi dello scibile. Pomposo, come sempre, ma perloppiu' interessante (per chi ama la biologia evoluzionista). La sua "scoperta" di un'annotazione ignota di Lamarck viene presentata come un "breakthrough" epocale, quando invece e` poco piu' di una curiosita'. Tipico di Gould...(mai scontri tra intellettuali sono stati meno significativi e fruttuosi di quelli che lo hanno opposto a Dawkins - che peraltro aveva secondo me perfettamente ragione - sullo "equilibrio punteggiato", che Gould aveva presentato come una grande scoperta: in realta' era anche in quel caso la scoperta dell'acqua calda, che peraltro poteva indurre - soprattutto nei profani - false idee di inesistenti "grandi balzi in avanti" nell'evoluzione)
September 8, 2008
This is the third book of Stephen Jay Gould essays I have read, and I am in awe of the depth and breadth of his knowledge. His subject is science, but he can write intellegently about history, philosophy, baseball, Broadway musicals and tons of other subjects. The perfect man is, of course, my husband, but I have revised my description of the second perfect man to have: the romanticism and manners of Niles Crane from Fraisier, the intellect and respect for personal honor of Stephen Jay Gould, and the voice of Antonio Banderas. Evolution should be able to come up with that, right?
August 28, 2010
I haven't read much Gould, and have recently been trying to rectify this. I read bits and pieces of this, and I downloaded some other essays. I liked the downloaded stuff better.
Gould is so brilliant writing about hard sciences. His essay "The Age of Bacteria" (not in this collection) was one of the most interesting things I've read in the past year. But when he moves into softer stuff, like, I dunno, culture and human knowledge - and a lot of this tends in that direction - he loses me a little. He's a genius, but I honestly couldn't tell you what the title essay was about.
Gould is so brilliant writing about hard sciences. His essay "The Age of Bacteria" (not in this collection) was one of the most interesting things I've read in the past year. But when he moves into softer stuff, like, I dunno, culture and human knowledge - and a lot of this tends in that direction - he loses me a little. He's a genius, but I honestly couldn't tell you what the title essay was about.
March 29, 2015
Nomhay duda que algunos de los ensayos de esta compilación son un poco aburridos, y pasé totalmente de largo de los de baseball, inexplicablemente incorporados en esta edición. Pero a pesar de esos detalles y de una prosa que tiene atascos, las ideas que hay en al menos seis de estos ensayos (el hallazgo de Lyell, la explicación de las ideas evolucionistas erróneas pero igualmente útiles de Lamarck, los agregados al final sobre las manifestaciones de la selección natural en las distintas escalas geográficas y temporales) justifican totalmente la lectura cuidadosa de esta compilación.
December 8, 2012
I was a little disappointed at this book at first. It had been so long since I read the last in the series. I'd always found his essays inspirational. They are as always very informative and insightful, but these seemed more tedious than previous ones. Perhaps my tastes have changed over the decades I've been reading Gould's essays. It took me half the book to get into it. The last three essays were the Stephen Jay Gould I remembered and saved the collection for me.
May 20, 2015
Loved the title essay; skipped three of the more esoteric chapters; was a bit miffed over the Darwin chapters as I'm a Wallace supporter; and ended by thinking essays and columns are perfect for someone like me who thinks they're not interested in science (but can actually find it quite fascinating at times). Gould, a well-known paleontologist and scientist, and prolific writer, was a great find (on my son-in-law's bookshelf). Will definitely look for his other collected writings.
Read
August 13, 2016I gave this a try, and found the title essay just dull. and or reminded me that I've tried Gould essays in the past, with the same reaction. Maybe I'll still try one of the non-collection books, some time. But I've got the impression I'm less impressed or interested by his popular writing, than many reviewers.
August 15, 2008
Essentially a collection of essays written for a scientific magaazine. Very well-written, especially for a scientist! However, try as hard as he can, this book is still a struggle for those of us laymen.
July 7, 2015
This is another collection of interesting essays by Gould. Most of the topics are on history of science and evolution with his usual wit and knack for making connections and turning stories inside out to great advantage.
He manages to get a few baseball stories in as well. Recommended.
He manages to get a few baseball stories in as well. Recommended.
February 6, 2015
I generally enjoyed all of these essays, but I found some of them to be exceptional--especially "Above All, Do No Harm". Mr Gould's humane rationalism and wide-ranging tastes (and erudition in classical culture) made these books a treat to read.
April 8, 2008
I feel like a dumbass for only giving it 3 stars. It was interesting. But that's it.
July 5, 2014
Stephen Jay Gould is an excellent writer. Filled with information as well as exciting to read. Really keeps the momentum going.
Read
March 12, 2010Good in places, but surprisingly hard work for Gould.
March 7, 2011
5th read - the best set of essays out of all Gould's collections.
April 23, 2011
Paperback
August 11, 2011
As with his other books. So good. Wish they'd collect his essays in smaller chunks though. I've normally had enough of him by the end of each book.
December 29, 2012
Some great little articles in this book, particularly the title piece.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews