# Recommend me a comprehensive book on evolution **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2009, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-comprehensive-book-on-evolution/486075 "2009-02-16T11:28:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-comprehensive-book-on-evolution/486075/1 "2009-02-16T11:28:19Z")
Long is okay. Actually, given what I want to know, long is unavoidable. I have read here and there in evolution–Dawkins’ _Climbing Mount Improbable_, Kitcher’s _Abusing Science_, etc. But I’ve never read very extensively in evolutionary theory. I would like to read a comprehensive book on evolutionary theory–something that tells not just about the evidence for evolution (fossil, DNA, etc.), but about the mechanisms of evolution and speciation and, you know, other evolution-y stuff. Seems appropriate in honor of Chuck’s birthday. Is there such a comprehensive book for the lay person? (Notice I keep emphasizing comprehensive.) ---
**Author:** ![footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/footballisplayedwithyourfeet)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-comprehensive-book-on-evolution/486075/2 "2009-02-16T12:07:25Z")
ehh, would it be obvious to refer to _Origin of Species_? ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-comprehensive-book-on-evolution/486075/3 "2009-02-16T12:18:25Z")
> [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](#): > > ehh, would it be obvious to refer to _Origin of Species_? Actually, I have read that (or much of it, at any rate). But of course it represents evolutionary theory at a very primitive stage. I want to learn about the theory in it’s more [del]evolved state[/del]…uh, sorry, that joke is too lame to make. ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-comprehensive-book-on-evolution/486075/4 "2009-02-16T12:40:54Z")
> **[The Structure of Evolutionary Theory: Gould, Stephen Jay: 9780674006133:...](https://www.amazon.com/Structure-Evolutionary-Theory-Stephen-Gould/dp/0674006135)** > > Buy The Structure of Evolutionary Theory on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders I haven’t read it but it sure seems like it would be comprehensive… ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-comprehensive-book-on-evolution/486075/5 "2009-02-16T14:31:03Z")
> [@infinitii](#): > > [The Structure of Evolutionary Theory: Gould, Stephen Jay: 9780674006133: Amazon.com: Books](http://www.amazon.com/Structure-Evolutionary-Theory-Stephen-Gould/dp/0674006135/ref=cm_syf_dtl_txt_9_rlrsrs0) > > I haven’t read it but it sure seems like it would be comprehensive… That’s the one. Just be careful carrying it around; you do not want it landing on your foot. ---
**Author:** ![Peanut\_Gallery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/838e76/32.png) [@Peanut\_Gallery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanut_Gallery)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-comprehensive-book-on-evolution/486075/6 "2009-02-16T14:53:45Z")
> [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](#): > > the mechanisms of evolution and speciation and, you know, other evolution-y stuff. I thought Dawkins’ _The Selfish Gene_ did this part well. But I don’t think I’d call the book “comprehensive”. I mean, it almost fits in your pocket… ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-comprehensive-book-on-evolution/486075/7 "2009-02-16T17:17:22Z")
Can’t offhand think of anything that is both comprehensive and accessible to the layman. But I would recommend Dawkin’s _[The Ancestor’s Tale](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ancestor%27s_Tale)_, which does go into some of the genetic stuff (the usual - like Hox genes etc) as well as being, in its way, a nice intro to cladistics. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-comprehensive-book-on-evolution/486075/8 "2009-02-16T17:54:28Z")
I would recommend first Dawkin’s “The Blind Watchmaker” for more general evolution theory. Then I’d recommend Dawkin’s “The Ancestor’s Tale” for sort of a history of speciation. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-comprehensive-book-on-evolution/486075/9 "2009-02-16T18:25:33Z")
I too recommend The Ancestor’s Tale. The approach Dawkins takes helps make the relationships easier (and fascinating) to understand. While it’s not really comprehensive I also recommend [Your Inner Fish](http://www.amazon.com/Your-Inner-Fish-Journey-3-5-Billion-Year/dp/0375424474) by Neil Shubin. It explains some of the evolutionary reasons for why our bodies are built the way they are and talks about the convergence of different areas of research. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-comprehensive-book-on-evolution/486075/10 "2009-02-17T00:57:42Z")
[_The Triumph of Evolution . . . and the Failure of CReationism,_](http://www.amazon.com/Triumph-Evolution-Failure-Creationism/dp/0716736381) by Niles Eldredge, explains everything from the ground up and concisely.