A controversy without books would be appallingly dull.

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• Reviewed Books
• Textbooks on Evolutionary Biology
• Popular Books on Evolutionary Biology
• The Evolution/Creation Controversy
• Criticism of "intelligent design"
• Advocacy of "intelligent design"
• Criticism of Antievolution
• Advocacy of Antievolution

Reviewed Books

Tower of Babel: The Evidence against the New Creationism by Rob Pennock Reviews

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Textbooks on Evolutionary Biology

Evolutionary Biology by Douglas Futuyma Futuyma's text is readable and gives an excellent introduction to the breadth, if not the depth, of evolutionary research.

Evolution by Mark Ridley Another standard text on evolutionary biology.

Popular Books on Evolutionary Biology

The Growth of Biological Thought by Ernst Mayr This is a solid but readable tome written by one of the giants of the field. Sometimes Mayr is a little too close to the action, but it is difficult to imagine someone else doing a better job of it.

What Evolution Is by Ernst W. Mayr and Jared Diamond

The Origin of Species: By Means of Natural Selection or The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life by Charles R. Darwin The book that changed natural history into biology. There is some argument over which edition the reader should tackle, with most arguing for either the first or the sixth edition. To me, the first edition is preferable. By the time of the sixth edition, Darwin had made too many allowances for various criticisms, which in the future would often prove less valid than Darwin's original insights. Note that the etext of the first edition is available online as well. [View etext of first edition]

Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal by Jared Diamond

The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time by Jonathan Weiner Can a multiyear research project be turned into gripping reading? This book shows that the answer is an unqualified, "Yes!"

Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation: The Definitive Guide to the Evolutionary Biology of Sex by Olivia Judson A humorous approach to telling the world about the varied means of reproduction.

Vital Dust: Life as a Cosmic Imperative by Christian De Duve A hot book on the topic of abiogenesis.

The Evolution/Creation Controversy

Creation Controversy: Science or Scripture in the Schools by Dorothy Nelkin

Trial and Error: The American Controversy over Creation and Evolution by Edward J. Larson A good review of the legal skirmishes over creationism in the schools.

Criticism of "intelligent design"

Why Intelligent Design Fails: A Scientific Critique of the New Creationism by Matt Young and Taner Edis (eds.) Intelligent design advocates have long complained that their arguments have not been carefully examined on their scientific merits. This book puts paid to that complaint. The ID arguments are carefully examined and dissected, laying bare its empty paradigm. (I'm a contributor to one of the chapters.)

Creationism's Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design by Barbara C. Forrest and Paul R. Gross The definitive critical look at the "intelligent design" movement's history and links to earlier forms of creationism.

Unintelligent Design by Mark Perakh. Perakh dissects the credulous "science and religion" literature in this volume.

God, the Devil, and Darwin: A Critique of Intelligent Design Theory by Niall Shanks. An accessible criticism of the "intelligent design" movement.

Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground between God and Evolution by Kenneth Miller Anti-evolutionists call evolution "atheistic." Ken Miller, a man of faith and a distinguished professor of biology at Brown University, elucidates how religion and science can peaceably coexist.

Advocacy of "intelligent design"

Darwin on Trial by Phillip E. Johnson Johnson plays agent provocateur with this book. Johnson poses as a skeptic, but lets the cat out of the bag on p.165: "My primary goal in writing Darwin on Trial was to legitimate the assertion of a theistic worldview in the secular universities."

Mere Creation: Science, Faith and Intelligent Design by William A. Dembski (Editor) This book contains essays by the big-name "Intelligent Design" proponents based upon their presentations at the 1996 Biola conference.

Of Pandas and People: The Central Question of Biological Origins by Percival Davis, Dean H. Kenyon, Charles B. Thaxton (Editors) A supplemental "two-model" style textbook hawked by anti-evolutionists as a way to get their agenda into your high school biology classroom.

Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge To Evolution by Michael Behe The book that presented "irreducible complexity" as a problem for natural selection.

Criticism of Antievolution

Scientists Confront Creationism by Laurie R. Godfrey (Editor) This was the first critical book on antievolution I bought, and is still a useful reference. Watch for the second edition in 2004 or 2005.

Advocacy of Antievolution

What Is Creation Science? by Henry M. Morris and Gary E. Parker An interesting little book that never seems to get around to answering the title question.

Biotic Message: Evolution Versus Message Theory by Walter ReMine Walter says that evolutionists don't want you to know about his book. I wonder what that makes me...

Constructing "the Beginning": DisCourses of Creation Science by Simon Locke

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