Rating: 
Summary: Anonimous reviewers should not be allowed
Review: The recent episode when the Canadian version of Amazon inadvertently revealed the real names of the reviewers who hid behind pseudonims seems to be indicating that the practice allowing anonimous reviews on this site better be abolished. One example of the underhanded way some adherents of intelligent design misuse the anonimity allowed by Amazon, is the highly negative review of Forrest-Gross's book by somebody from Ontario, Canada, hiding behind the moniker consisting of a set of symbols m93k2y8. The reviewer in question has good reasons to conceal his name - his review is a diatribe of a poorly informed partisan of intelligent design which is so well exposed by Forrest and Gross for what it really is - an enterprize having little to do with science but using a pseudo-scientific mantle to hide its real goals of replacing genuine science with a theistic pseudo-science. Especially funny is m93k2y8's advice to read Dembski's book No Free Lunch as an allegedly good source of information on the dispute between intelligent design proponents and their opponents. In fact, No Free Lunch by Dembski is nothing but piffle decisively shown to be such by a number of experts. In particular, David Wolpert, who is a co-author of the No Free Lunch theorems, titled his review of Dembski's book "William Dembski's treatment of No Free Lunch theorems is written in jello." Unfortunately, the numerous opuses of Dembski lead astray many unprepared readers. Fortunately, books like that by Forrest and Gross do a good job of showing the utter futility of intelligent design and other pseudo-scientific enterprises.
Rating:
Summary: Backhanded tribute
Review: The sincerest form of flattery isn't always imitation. Sometimes, it's slander. We find a very good case in point in some of the previously posted reviews of Gross and Forrest, disingenuous bits of character assassination penned by highly interested parties chiefly motivated by their own religious and ideological fanaticism. The fan club of W. Dembski and the Discovery Institute know full well that Gross and Forrest have told a damning truth: ID "theory" is not in any serious sense a scientific enterprise, not even a highly speculative one. It has no support in the serious scientific literature and has been thoroughly demolished by many competent scientists. Rather, ID is a pretext for getting some elements of fundamentalist Creationism back into the science classrooms of the nation. It dresses up as science, but its disguise is only good enough to fool the highly gullible, which category unfortunately includes a host of politicians. ID is merely the first wave of a long-term program for replacing science in the schools by fundamentalist, biblical-literalist doctrine, pure and simple. (If you doubt this, check some of the less prudent statements of ID godfather P.E. Johnson.)Naturally, accurate books like "Creationism's Trojan Horse" scare the hell out of the proponents of this theocratic campaign. Gross and Forrest have already impelled the ID movement to try to screen its inner workings from pubic view. Websites that once boasted of the "wedge strategy" have been erased. Dembski's fellow travelers desperately wish this book would just go away, which is why they will festoon this site with disparaging and slanderous "reviews". But of course, these actually constitute the highest of praise. These guys really don't want you to read the book, which is the strongest reason for you to read it.
Rating: 
Summary: If you like conspiracy theories...
Review: Then definitely get this book. Actually, the book is quite well researched and documented, and if you enjoy the titillating thrill of conspiracy theories (ala the daVinci Code) and don't mind an academic version of one-sided journalism, its worth the read. So in one sense, I enjoyed the book. On the other hand, you've got to wonder how this book got published by Oxford University press. I think it goes to show how politicized modern Academia has become: this book truly is not a bit of positive academic research, nor is it the comprehensive critique of an idea. Rather, it amounts to the weaving of a conspiracy theory through carefully selected facts, by critics of an intellectual movement. As I said, what worries me most about this book is not that it came out (because I actually enjoyed it), but that it came out with Oxford University Press. When one-sided, selective journalism in the form of a conspiracy theory lands in the hands of the world's most respected academic publisher, we've got the symptom of Academia gone horribly wrong.
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Summary: A Wakeup Call to "Christian" Creationists
Review: There are some topics that I've learned, through painful experience, to stay as far away from as possible in conversation. Samuel Johnson is reported to have said, "It is impossible to reason a man out of something he was not reasoned in to." I've wasted many an hour trying to reason with people about a subject to which they have not applied, and are apparently incapable of applying, one iota of reason. Once upon a time I enjoyed getting into those kinds of arguments, until I realized that they were utterly pointless, as the other party or parties had no intention of changing their minds, regardless of facts and reason. I now avoid those particular topics like the plague, unless I'm dragged unwillingly into the discussion. Like the time one of my wife's relatives dragged me into a conversation on the King James Only debate. That's one of those topics that's guaranteed to generate more heat than light, result in hurt feelings, and invariably end with someone saying, "I'll pray for you." I still fell a bit of a cold shoulder when I visit that house.
The Creation/Evolution debate is another one of those topics. Like the KJV Only issue, it seems that the people least qualified to say anything on the subject are the ones that do the most talking. I try to make myself scarce when the topic comes up, and will only share my opinion when absolutely forced to. (Don't bother e-mailing me about it. I'll plead the fifth. :-) ) But it is a subject that I've been interested in for a long time and have spent many hours studying. I try to keep up on the current literature, so I was pleased when I received a copy of Creationism's Trojan Horse.
Creationism's Trojan Horse deals with the Intelligent Design movement, its proponents, and how they've tried to spread their message to the masses. The subtitle of the book refers to the "Wedge Strategy" proposed for getting Intelligent Design (ID) ideas into the public consciousness and ultimately in the public school science curricula. Forrest and Gross are unbelievably thorough in their coverage of the "wedge" strategy and the ID movement. From conferences, papers, proposed legislation, books, and activity on boards of education around the country, they've comprehensively documented the attempts to push the "wedge" into popular culture, government, and education. They provide extensive coverage of the words and works of ID's leading lights, such as Philip Johnson, William Dembski, and Michael Behe.
To a Christian, some of what they've documented is disturbing, at least to this Christian. I believe that as Christians we're called to honesty and integrity, and some "Christian" proponents of the "wedge" seem to value neither. There seems to be an "the end justifies the means" philosophy at work for some proponents of the "wedge" and ID. This dishonesty and inconsistency with the Christian message does not go unnoticed by the critics of ID and Christianity.
Many Christians get so wrapped up in their own world that they have no idea how they're perceived by the outside world. Many talk about "those evolutionists" or "atheists," but many Christians have never had any personal dealings with either, so they don't know how their words and actions come across to someone who does not live in their world. The most important function this book may serve is as a wake-up call to Christians involved in promoting the "wedge" and ID to let them know that the world is watching them and taking notes.
Rating: 
Summary: You God-Haters Never Give Up!
Review: There isn't any proof that evolution has ever happened, but there's PLENTY of proof that Creationism is real. I went rafting down the Grand Canyon with a Creationist tour guide and he proved that Creationism is the ONLY explination. If you believe in evolution, you are falling for a left-wing lie, and you WON'T get into Heaven, no matter how much you beg.
Rating: 
Summary: the deception of intelligent design creationism exposed
Review: This book is an examination of the "Wedge" strategy of the Intelligent Design Creationists of the Discovery Institute, and how these creationists have substituted political maneuvering and propaganda for science. While the Wedge strategy originally put forth specifically called for Phase I to produce "scientific research, writing, and publicity," and the Fellows of the Discovery Institute claimed publicly that the scientific work was a prerequisite for the other phases of the plan, it is the scientific work that has still not even been begun, despite the passage of over a decade of time. The other parts of the plan, however, have proceeded without the scientific prerequisites, and the creationists of intelligent design have taken their case (despite lack of any scientific ground) directly to the general public, to school boards, and to state legislatures.
The book's chapters cover the history of the Wedge strategy, the content of the leaked Wedge document which set out that strategy, the results of scouring the scientific literature for any publications by Wedge advocates supporting "intelligent design" (none found), an examination of the intelligent design work of Paul Chien and Michael Behe, an examination of the work of Jonathan Wells and William Dembski, documentation of what the Discovery Institute has actually been up to (two chapters, and "doing scientific research" is conspicuously absent from the list), a look at the political efforts of the Wedge, and finally, documentation of the religious grounds and goals of the Wedge.
This book shows the dishonesty and hypocrisy of the intelligent design theorists, using their own words to convict them. This book should be read by anyone who advocates intelligent design creationism, or who thinks that it may belong in the school science curriculum (as opposed to university-level philosophy or social studies of science curricula).
Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: This book was a disappointment. Name calling is found on almost every page. It emphasizes whatever could defame the character of ID proponents wherever possible and "expose" their religious beliefs and motives, and it never does justice to any of the arguments that ID proponents make. In my book it is wrong to attack a person's work based on their religion. The authors spend a great deal of time on the putative religious base of ID, ignoring the fact that many people became Christians (and, to be honest, Jews, and Muslims) as a result of accepting ID first. Secondly, an area that I am researching now is the major importance of anti-religious motivations in the work of many leading Darwinists, including Darwin himself, but also Ernst Haeckel, Thomas Henry Huxley, and Joseph McCabe, among others. Furthermore, religion has been a major source of motivation for many scientists throughout history. Examples include Newton, Agassiz, Pasteur, Boyle and many others. Religion was also a great source of motivation for many other great men who changed our world. Dr. Martin Luther King's civil rights movement was openly rooted in the Bible, and his main message was the bible's teaching of the love and brotherhood of mankind. He said that he fought for integration because it is rooted in the gospel. Religious motivations have also caused the many terrorist killings we see today in Iraq and many other parts of the world. Religion can be a great force for good or evil, a fact that no one denies, but the authors imply or assume that it is only a force for evil. The motivation is only part of the story, and, in science, the motivation is often for selfish reasons(money, fame, to prove a rival wrong, for example) but in the end the focus in science should be "does an idea stand up to proper scientific evaluation?"
Rating:
Summary: A badly needed book
Review: This long awaited book does an excellent job dealing with the Intelligent Design movement's political and religious activities. Forrest and Gross make it crystal clear that this movement is not about science; it's about culture wars and Religious Right politics. The book is engaging and thoroughly covers the movements activities. Something I would have like to see more of is how organizations opposed creationism are handling the political challenge - such as Ken Miller's presentation to the Ohio school board. The part of the book I found least satisfying (although still good) was the section dealing with the specific "scientific" arguments made by people like Wells, Dembski and Behe. "Creationism's Trojan Horse" is purposely not a thorough refutation of ID creationist arguments (see Pennock's Tower of Babel or Miller's Finding Darwin's God for detailed arguments). Of course, in a book about ID, they had to deal with the inane 'scientific' debate at least partially, but this part of the book did not flow as smoothly as the rest. The writing suffered somewhat in the attempt to briefly touch on some complex arguments. The book is very effective in it's main goal - showing the ID movement for what it is and serving as a wakeup call for people who care about the integrity of science education and support in this country. Don't miss this book!
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Summary: A Must-read Book for Teachers & Parents of School Children
Review: This well-researched and documented book lays bare the plot by modern-day scientific creationists posing as qualified scientists to subvert biological education in the public schools and colleges by means of "the wedge of intelligent design." The absence of any scientific evidence for the concept of "intelligent design" is firmly established by the authors who then go on to document the strategy being used by its advocates to persuade parents, educators and politicians that the concept is not only scientifically valid, but that it calls into question, or even refutes, the theory of organic evolution-a theory actually as firmly established as the theory of gravity and the theory of atomic structure. The authors contend, and support their contention with fact, that the absence of scientific evidence to support the concept of intelligent design is not all that important to its advocates, for the goal of these individuals is simply to use this concept as a wedge to convince the general public and its political leaders that intelligent design is a scientific theory sufficiently plausible to warrant inclusion in the scientific curriculum as a logical alternative to the theory of evolution. This goal achieved, pseudo-science will have a firm place in biological instruction, students will receive a wrongful education, and science itself will be maimed. This book should be studied carefully by all who would preserve the integrity of science education in our schools. It will serve as an excellent manual for those called upon to defend the integrity of state courses of study in science against expected assaults by intelligent design advocates in the upcoming, cyclic reviews by state departments of education.
Rating:
Summary: Alarmists at their most befuddled
Review: Whatever happened to uncensored and open exchange of all sides of issues in the free marketplace of ideas? What do evolutionist-rationalist-atheist-materialist-darwinianists have to fear except fear itself?
Let the facts of history (Bible) and nature (scientific inquiry) speak freely for themselves without alarmist suppression telling students what to think/believe in the classrooms.
Try J. Wells' 'Icons of Evolution' and Johnson's 'Darwin on Trial' to get the full perspective on the debate. Creationism has a right to be heard in the public forum of any free society.
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