Novo livro de Ayala: Eu sou um macaco?

terça-feira, junho 28, 2011

Am I a Monkey? Six Big Questions about Evolution
Francisco J. Ayala

Despite the ongoing cultural controversy in America, evolution remains a cornerstone of science. In this book, Francisco J. Ayala—an evolutionary biologist, member of the National Academy of Sciences, and winner of the National Medal of Science and the Templeton Prize—cuts to the chase in a daring attempt to address, in nontechnical language, six perennial questions about evolution:


• Am I a Monkey?
• Why Is Evolution a Theory?
• What Is DNA?
• Do All Scientists Accept Evolution?
• How Did Life Begin?
• Can One Believe in Evolution and God?

This to-the-point book answers each of these questions with force. Ayala's occasionally biting essays refuse to lend credence to disingenuous ideas and arguments. He lays out the basic science that underlies evolutionary theory, explains how the process works, and soundly makes the case for why evolution is not a threat to religion.

Brief, incisive, topical, authoritative, Am I a Monkey? will take you a day to read and a lifetime to ponder.

"Am I a Monkey? is a strongly recommended read for science collections with plenty of food for thought."—Bookwatch

"Ayala presents an accessible introduction to Darwin's theory."—Book News, Inc.

"Professor Ayala has written an important book—a lucid account of evolutionary theory and related topics, which reviews the overwhelming evidence that establishes evolution as an incontrovertible fact, and which then goes on to offer some convincing reasons why people of faith need not regard the theory of evolution as an enemy or an obstacle to their religious beliefs."—Harry Frankfurt, author of On Bullshit and On Truth

"Clear, concise, and written in an engaging style."—Choice

"The book is well-written, accurate, and concise. It is accessible and easy to digest. I suspect that it will, in the long run, play a larger role in promoting the acceptance of evolution."—Joel W. Martin, Reports of the National Center for Science Education

An eminent scientist, Francisco J. Ayala is the University Professor and Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences, Ecology, and Evolutionary Biology and a professor of logic and the philosophy of science at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of more than 30 technical books and hundreds of scientific papers and a recipient of numerous awards, including the National Medal of Science and the 2010 Templeton Prize.

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