cobrakai Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 I want to dive into the study of evolution. It is sad to me that it was really never taught in my school and that I was always given books against evolution growing up as a kid. If you all wouldn't mind I would love some suggestions on what to read. I guess to start I am looking for something that is somewhat easy to grasp. I'm not insulting my own intelligence but I just want to be realistic with such a complex subject matter. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
par4dcourse Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 Start with the source: Darwin. There are many annotated versions of his "Origin of Species" in print. See first hand what all the fuss is about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 The Talk Origins Archive: Exploring the Creation/Evolution Controversy is a great online resource. I read Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species on their website. To access it, go into the "Search the Archive" link and type in the title. This will bring up the table of contents for that book, plus links to more of Darwin's writings. I found his Origins of the Species very helpful in learning the basics of evolution. If you're like me, you'll also enjoy Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial (this is an online video also available as DVD from PBS and Amazon). Youtube on . For more links I've found, and my commentary, see the Science section of my forums. NOTE: Some youtubes may not be viewable as posted because the server changed the software. I changed the ones I found but it's quite a chore combing through a thousand posts, so you may have to cut and paste some addresses into your address bar to view them. To cut and paste, copy all but the "youtube" part. Ken Miller of Brown University posted some excellent YouTubes explaining evolution. I watched and posted them when they were first up. But now the key ones are no longer viewable from my location due to copyright complications. I assume they are still viewable from the US. Okay, now I found it: , 1-9. It is presented as a lecture to high school students at Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 2006. I think you can also buy the DVD and the book from his website. Kenneth R. Miller Webpages: Brown University Bio-Med Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rectenwald Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 PBS's show NOVA has some great episodes. Just recently, they had the following: Becoming Human: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/beta/evolution/becoming-human-part-1.html -this is a multi-part series on Human Origins, and contains most of what you need to know. What Darwin Never Knew: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/beta/evolution/darwin-never-knew.html - a discussion of the advancements in the theory of evolution since Darwin's time. (And, all of them confirm the theory) Also, maybe the best resource I've ever come across is from Don Johannsen's work with the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State. He's the guy who discovered "Lucy" (australopithecus afarensis), and at the time, I believe she was the oldest hominid ancestor to humans. Check out www.becominghuman.org and especially go to this page and view the Documentary and Interactive Timeline: http://www.becominghuman.org/node/features It's excellent. They also have 3-D models of hominid skulls that you can manipulate and compare, to give you a hands-on feel while you learn about the obvious relationships between species. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Non-Redneck Posted April 1, 2010 Share Posted April 1, 2010 There's also an audio book of the "Origins of Species" if you want to listen to it on the go. Tip : Do not listen to it when you're tired, you may end up missing a few chapters... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts