Evolution

Rating:
Summary: Excellent review of modern evolutionary thought
Review: I saw the 2 star review and decided I could not let it sit without challenge. I have just received my Phd in psychology and masters in statistics, and have decided to attempt to make a career out of behavioral genetics and evolutionary genetics. Mark Ridley's book was an absolute inspiration to me when I first read it, and it continues to be a must-have reference. The book is noteworthy because it explains the major debates in evolutionary thought in a balanced yet readable way. For example, Ridley gives an excellent introduction into the fundamental question about what maintains genetic variation in the face of selection, an issue that is given only cursory attention in other books of this kind.

I first read this as an undergraduate, yet it continues to serve as my fundamental reference to evolutionary biology. This is truly a wonderful introduction to evolution.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent review of modern evolutionary thought
Review: Ridley does a great job of summarizing the evidence for evolution, highlighting key concepts, and discussing recent research findings. The references cited throughout the book (and nicely listed all together at the end) are a great starting point for a beginning student of evolution. I'm impressed with how many of the cited works were published in 2000 or later. Although written primarily as a textbook for undergraduates in the biological sciences, his clear writing style and insistence on defining all key terms should make it accessible to a much broader audience. For those lecturing on evolution, the Web resources that accompany the text are quite handy, too. If I had one knock against the book (it's the reason for 4, rather than 5, stars), it would be the price: ~ $140 CDN seems a bit steep, and will likely deter many prospective readers.

Rating:
Summary: Technical evolutionary biology
Review: The neo-darwinian evolutionary synthesis has been called a genetic takeover. This book testifies to the truth of this dictum. Genes are of the utmost importance. EVOLUTION is not so much about evolution as teaching theoretical evolutionary biology without much feeling for practical evolutionary research or the natural world. As an introductory textbook, Ridley's book will succeed in making students avoid evolutionary biology, as a subject full of theoretical debates with little biological sense