Zoology

Rating:
Summary: When Science Textbooks Aren't Boring
Review: O.K., *Zoology* is a textbook. Most of us have had to plow through a honker monster science textbook at one time or another, and usually the sight of us doing so is pretty ugly. Not so with *Zoology*. I picked up this book because of the catchy cover, and I started reading. And I kept reading. Not cover-to-cover, as with a novel, but with increasing interest. First of all, because this is a book that is beautifully written; the authors care about prose and about making material accessible. Secondly, I was hooked by the evolution section: this book does not mess around and go all tippy-toes with Darwin in order to placate Creationists. Despite the fact that publishers, to avoid controversy, have cut back on textbooks with evolution sections, this book addresses evolution squarely and is (thankfully) devoid of the grossly wimpy position that everyone-gets-an-equal-viewpoint-no-matter-how-ignorant-they-are-about-evolution. *Zoology* gives it to you straight. Not only that, it's the only textbook I know of that has glimmers of the writers' personalities shining through. Even if you aren't taking a science course, the book is well worth dipping into for clear information on a wealth of Zoological topics. The illustrations are magnificent and helpful at the same time. If you want a great science text to have around the house, this is probably the one for you. Browse, look at pictures, admire the writing, and if you have this book assigned for a class, consider yourself lucky.