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Description
The Edge of Evolution: The Search for the Limits of DarwinismWhen Michael J. Behe's first book, Darwin's Black Box, was published in 1996, it launched the intelligent design movement. Critics howled, yet hundreds of thousands of readers and a growing number of scientists were intrigued by Behe's claim that Darwinism could not explain the complex machinery of the cell. Now, in his long awaited follow up, Behe presents far more than a challenge to Darwinism: He presents the evidence of the genetics revolution the
When Michael J. Behe's first book, Darwin's Black Box, was published in 1996, it launched the intelligent design movement. Critics howled, yet hundreds of thousands of readers -- and a growing number of scientists -- were intrigued by Behe's claim that Darwinism could not explain the complex machinery of the cell. Now, in his long-awaited follow-up, Behe presents far more than a challenge to Darwinism: He presents the evidence of the genetics revolution -- the first direct evidence of nature's mutational pathways -- to radically redefine the debate about Darwinism. How much of life does Darwin's theory explain? Most scientists believe it accounts for everything from the machinery of the cell to the history of life on earth. Darwin's ideas have been applied to law, culture, and politics. But Darwin's theory has been proven only in one sense: There is little question that all species on earth descended from a common ancestor. Overwhelming anatomical, genetic, and fossil evidence exists for that claim. But the crucial question remains: How did it happen? Darwin's proposed mechanism -- random mutation and natural selection -- has been accepted largely as a matter of faith and deduction or, at best, circumstantial evidence. Only now, thanks to genetics, does science allow us to seek direct evidence. The genomes of many organisms have been sequenced, and the machinery of the cell has been analyzed in great detail. The evolutionary responses of microorganisms to antibiotics and humans to parasitic infections have been traced over tens of thousands of generations. As a result, for the first time in history Darwin's theory can be rigorously evaluated. The results are shocking. Although it can explain marginal changes in evolutionary history, random mutation and natural selection explain very little of the basic machinery of life. The edge of evolution, a line that defines the border between random and nonrandom mutation, lies very far from where Darwin pointed. Behe argues convincingly that most of the mutations that have defined the history of life on earth have been nonrandom. Although it will be controversial and stunning, this finding actually fits a general pattern discovered by other branches of science in recent decades: The universe as a whole was fine-tuned for life. From physics to cosmology to chemistry to biology, life on earth stands revealed as depending upon an endless series of unlikely events. The clear conclusion: The universe was designed for life.Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Free Press
Published: 06/17/2008
ISBN: 9780743296229
Pages: 320
Weight: 0.69lbs
Size: 8.41h x 5.60w x 0.79d
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4.1 ★★★★★
Based on 972 reviews
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
Has me feeling prepared
Format: Paperback
Gearing up to hike the first section of the PCT. I got this book, my hiking buddy got a different book that covers the entire trail. While talking about our hiking plans he often says “my book didn’t mention that.” It’s clear this book is more detailed and up to date. I’m feeling very prepared and in the know about what to expect on the PCT.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2021
★★★★★ 4
The Best of the Modern Guides to the PCT.
Format: Paperback
This book is not an update of the Wilderness Press classics on which the trail was discovered and hiked by a couple generations from the 1970s to around 2010. It does however owe those books a heavy and unacknowledged debt. This is most notable in lettering sections which the author of this guide, Shawnte Salabert, attributes to the PCTA but in fact come from scarified, Schaffer, et all who wrote the original guides to California, Oregon, and Washington. Even the definition of sweat constitutes the Southern California trail, comes from those guides. (It starts at the Mexican Border near Campo California and ends in Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite.). But alas, those books are long out of print, in part because today’s hikers prefer light weight apps with minimal trail information as opposed to detailed descriptions of the physical geography and varied ecosystems of the trail. I’m not sure the lost knowledge has equaled the reduced weight but I’m a bit old school.
And this book is as much a throwback to that kind of writing as it is a nod to recent demands of the hiking community. It does cover every mile of the route, suggest campsites along the way, and as much as possible provide an option for day and section hikes along the trail for just about anyone. The author provides good car descriptions to major trailheads for each section hike he recommends as well as available entry and exit options along the way. The writing is entertaining and the author has his own sense of humor that will become readily apparent as you read the text. Based on my experiences (and I’ve hiked 95% of the trail he describes at least once; sometimes multiple times) his mileage descriptions are accurate and you will easily be able to recognize the places he describes along the way. The book also features nice color photos and it’s availability in digital form will certainly please the gram counting hiker set. On the other hand, I miss seeing elevations along with miles at each major trail intersection, pass etc. Salabert does give total elevation gain and loss for each section of trail he describes but sometimes it’s nice to know just how much of a climb to expect.
Ultimately, this book fulfills it’s purpose. You should want to hike the PCT after reading a few pages if you hadn’t already when you purchased the book. And if you are like many people with only a weekend or a few days to spare hiking the trail, this book will make planning short sections easier. It offers a lot. But it reminds me of an era when guidebooks offered even more.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2020
★★★★★ 5
Superb Guide in All Respects
Format: Paperback
An invaluable reference for anybody interested in section hiking the trail. I especially appreciate the coverage of water and campsites. It’s also a fun and beautiful read for any armchair adventurer. Salabert did an amazing job bringing together well-written text, data, maps, and beautiful photos to create a comprehensive guidebook. Deserves to do very well.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2018
★★★★★ 5
Very good comprehensive collection of Section Hikes of the PCT
Format: Paperback
Great Maps. Accurate descriptions of everything (verified on previous hikes and hikes using the book).Well organized and beautifully laid out.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2021
★★★★★ 5
Truly embracing life along the Camino de Santiago
Format: Paperback, Format: Paperback
The Way of the Wind: Embracing Life While Walking the Camino do Santiago, by John W. Pearson, 2021, recounts one man’s experiences while walking the Camino de Santiago, a thirty-five day, five hundred mile walking journey from St. Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The journey follows a path tread by literally millions of pilgrims, or “pelegrinos”, as they seek to find something very person in the experience. The book is a travelogue recounting the miles of the daily trek, the people, stories, dining, lodging, and local services encountered along the way. There are a series of black and white photographs accenting the dialogue which give the reader a sense of involvement in the story. A nice touch was a simple map at the beginning to orient the reader along each day’s travel.
I absolutely loved this book. It was enjoyable to read and I found myself slowing down near the end of the book to better savor the details. It warrants a double read to go back and let those early experiences soak in a bit more.
I found the book to be educational, as I learned a lot about the historical significance of the route of the Camino, as well as specific landmarks along the way, such as a 10th century Roman bridge dwarfed by a new modern bridge overhead. I imagined myself walking along that ancient roadway, imagining what a pilgrim in 1300 must have thought.
The dialogue is playful, recount with hours of walking, lively dinners, and crowded “albergues” (think camp dorm rooms with bunk beds).
All was not rosy along the Camino. The narrative relates the aches of sore feet, legs, backs; the challenges of securing lodging and laundry; meanings lost in translation; inclement weather and treacherous roadways. Often mentioned are markers to honor the fallen dead along the Camino.
About 2/3rds through the book, John recants his very personal reason for going on the pilgrimage, which he describes as “The Whale in the Room”, referring to the motivation of Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. His honesty and vulnerability bring the entire journey into focus. He brings the reader to the Cruz de Ferro, where pilgrims have stopped for millennium with their deepest meanings.
I have known John Pearson since 1975, when we met in High School in El Paso, Texas. However, through the years, I moved and we lost close touch. There were many parts of this book of which I did not know the details. John’s story is very powerful, and will impact the reader deeply.
Once you have read the book, you will have a clear idea of the experience, and can judge for yourself if the Camino de Santiago is calling you. For me, I found the book asking me not “WILL you go?”, but “WHEN will you go?”
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Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2021