About the Book
Since the middle of the 19th century, debates over evolution have occurred almost non-stop. From the publication of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species to the recent Kitzmiller v. Dover trial, there has rarely been a time in which scientists, educators, theologians, politicians, and judges have not been involved in these debates. How can anyone keep all of these individuals straight without a scorecard? More than Darwin: An Encyclopedia of the People and Places of the Evolution-Creationism Controversy is that resource, providing accessible and balanced synopses of every major person, organization, and place involved in the long history of the evolution-creationism controversies.
Table of Contents:
Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Appendix 1: A Guide to the Sites of the Scopes Trial
General Bibliography
About the Authors
Index
About the Author :
Randy Moore is H.T. Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor of Biology at the University of Minnesota. He edited The American Biology Teacher for 20 years, teaches courses about evolution and creationism, and has written several books about the evolution-creationism controversy, including Evolution 101 (Greenwood 2006), which he co-wrote with Janice Moore.
Mark D. Decker has a Ph.D. in conservation biology from the University of Minnesota, where he is now Associate Director for Scholarship and Teaching in the Biology Program. Mark is interested in all aspects of science teaching, particularly science literacy among non-science college majors.
Review :
Meet the players, large and small, from Darwin's assistent on the Beagle, Syms Covington, to Michael Behe, the Lehigh University professor who currently champions the cause of Intelligent Design. Extensive, alphabetically arranged, and fair and balanced in reportage, this is a useful reference tool.
Advocates for either side range from scientists and theologians to educators and politicians. Arguments range from clear, fact-based presentations to the passionate defense of the authority of religious dogma. To help sort this out, Moore and Decker (both, Univ. of Minnesota) have compiled hundreds of entries and essays describing the lives, circumstances, contributions, locations, and social conditions for many of the major individuals and places associated with this ongoing controversy….Many of the articles in this interesting reference work provide up-to-date sources of additional information on the subject, and an extensive bibliography on the controversy is included as an appendix. The index is excellent--it brings in many people and contributions that could not be included as seperate entries but are mentioned in the text.
This book provides an accessible and balanced synopsis of every major person, organization, and place involved in the long and controversial history of the evolution-creationism question. It is a major source of information on the subject, covering the entire range of topics in the history of the debate….The 500-plus entries are mostly short (averaging 800 to 1000 words in length), are easy to comprehend, and often include lists of recommended readings for a more in-depth study. This accessible resource is a great tool for anyone looking for short and concise background on the evolution-creationism controversy. Recommended for all public and high school libraries.
This is a book that will appeal to those with a particular unterest in the field and to the general reader, who, like myself, will probably wile away many hours browsing through these sometimes quirky but always intriguing entries.
[A] useful reference for those with a special interest in all things involving the evolution-creationism debate.
Considering the controversy surrounding evolution and creationism over the last century and a half, and its role in the modern-day curriculum, the publication of this volume is timely. The audience is students and adults who need to be more informed about the issues. School-board members who may be voting on a local ordinance come to mind immediately. Entries cover both sides of the controversy and inlcude people, places, and events….A good complement to reference sources on evolution, More than Darwin adds to the growing documentation of the evolution-creationism controversy. Recommended for most libraries.
More than Darwin is an encyclopedic, fresh approach to the evolution-creationism literature because it is not about taking sides. It is intended as a compendium of people, places, events, and famous quotes that are the history of the controversy. Moore and Decker include 500 entries, and 82 illustrations….Additionally the book includes three useful follow-up tools that provide interested readers with next steps….Moore and Decker intended to provide a concise summary and overview about the who's, what's, and where's of the controversy, not to describe or evaluate the controversy, per se. They have achieved that goal, providing a book that will undoubtedly become heavily dog-eared on the bookshelves of evolutionists and creationists.
The vast majority of these nearly 500 entries cover individuals, but they also include organizations, locations, and important court cases. Articles range in length from a few sentences to several pages, and about a quarter of them list further reading (usually one popular literature citation.
As accessible as they are authoritative, each entry in this single-volume encyclopedia offers clear explications of the many people, places, and events that have played a role in the continuing debate over the origins of life on Earth….[S]tudents looking for concise background information on a wide variety of participants in the ongoing, lively debate will not be disappointed.
High school and college-level libraries strong in evolutionary theory will find the encyclopedic approach makes for easy references and information.
This book is a balanced look at the players in this 150-year-old debate, written to be accessible to readers from high school on. Although it is a reference book, it is surprisingly interesting as a general primer on the topic, leading the reader easily from entry to entry. …Highly recommended for public and high school libraries; also useful for undergraduates approaching these topics for the first time.
It is a marvelous trove for the curious browser, who will be constantly tempted to pull the book off the shelf to read a random entry and discover a new fact or two.
Although there are many books that discuss the theories of evolution and creationism, this 415-page encyclopedia is unique in emphasizing the people and places that have played an important role in the evolution-creationism debate over the years. . . . Entries are well written, descriptive, and take an objective tone. . . . Overall, this book meets its stated goals and is recommended for a general audience through first-year college students.
Unusually for a reference book this work is a fascinating historical insight into the personalities and debates of creationism vs evolution in the USA. Anyone with even a passing interest in the subject would gain much from a perusal or more through examination. As a whole the work is readily accessible to those unfamiliar with the aspects and concepts covered. This book would be a suitable purchase for scholarly or public libraries alike seeking to augment their evolution,
theological or sociological collections with an intelligent and well written work.
… not only a valuable reference, but also an engaging source of intellectual entertainment of the sort that can be picked through whenever the compulsion may strike.
