PRESS RELEASE
Revamped edition examines the media, polls, new legal challenges, intelligent design in the courts, and more.
The evolution wars are over, right? Scopes was finally vindicated, creationism was booted out of the classroom, and a new president in his inaugural speech issued a clarion call to "restore science to its rightful place."
Wrong. Evolution education is being battered every day in school districts across the U.S. by creationists, whether they're pushing young-earth creationism, intelligent design, or antievolutionism in the guise of "academic freedom."
What's going on here? Why is the United States the only country where teaching evolution is so controversial? Why are scientists so sure that evolution is good science? Are people of faith truly unable to accept the central principle of modern biology? Is it really "fair" for creationism to be taught alongside evolution? What have the courts said? And will attacks on evolution ultimately undermine not only American education but American competitiveness?
These and many other questions are answered in the 2nd edition of Evolution vs. Creationism, Dr. Eugenie Scott's lucid and comprehensive look at this ongoing debate. Dr. Scott, one of the leading promoters and defenders of teaching evolution in the schools, dissects these ever-changing efforts to undermine science education. Praised for its balance and comprehensiveness, the book places the issues in today's headlines into historical, cultural, religious, educational, and scientific perspective as no other book does.
Updated, revamped, and expanded, the 2nd edition adds another 70 pages of brand new and revised material, including:
- A new foreword by U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III, who ruled in the landmark Kitzmiller v. Dover case.
- A new chapter on testing intelligent design and evidence against evolution in the courts.
- A new chapter on evolution and creationism in the media and public opinion.
- An up-to-date analysis of the most recent creationist challenges across the country.
The second edition also expands and updates the collection of primary source documents that address cosmology, law, education, popular culture, and religious issues from all sides of the debate, and details new resources for further information. Evolution vs. Creationism is the perfect resource for teachers, professors, libraries, and anybody who wants to learn about the perennial creationism/evolution controversy.
Praise for Evolution vs. Creationism, 2nd edition
"The original version of this book was excellent, but this updated version is essential. If you are a school administrator, teacher, or parent with a child in a public school you need this book as a basic reference."
—Dr. Greg Laden, independent scholar and associate adviser, Program for Individualized Learning, University of Minnesota
Praise for Evolution vs. Creationism, 1st edition
"Scott...is really doing God's work as she patiently rebuts people who make most other scientists spit gaskets like short-circuiting robots. [The book's] main virtue is to explain the scientific method, which many invoke but few describe vividly...[and] lay out the astronomical, chemical, geological and biological bases of evolutionary theory in unusually plain English. Anyone who wants to defend evolution at his next church picnic should arm himself with this book.
—Judith Shulevitz, The New York Times Book Review
"An extraordinary book...destined to become a classic."
—Kefyn M. Catley, Science Education
"Highly recommended...a 2005 Outstanding Academic Title"
—Choice
"Five stars. A credible, easy to read and understand discussion. This book belongs in the hands of every K-12 and university educator, minister, school board and the general public."
—Scott Kruse, Amazon reviewer and Fresno high school teacher
"Eugenie Scott...provides, in a single, concise volume, an introduction to the basics of evolutionary theory, a summary of creationist critiques and straightforward refutations of those claims."
—David Sepkoski, Journal of the History of Biology
"A valuable contribution to the literature in evolution and creationism. It will surely raise the dander of some and bring delight to others a quality possessed by many a good book."
—Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith
"Five stars. Dr. Scott is eminently fair...[she] covers the field from all perspectives...at a level friendly to the newcomer to the issue as well as to high-school and college students. She has succeeded in this admirably, and has also created a resource for the "old hand" who can use it as a refresher, a summary, and a source of references to many more specialized works."
—Lawrence S. Lerner, Professor Emeritus, College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics, California State University, Long Beach
"She has conscientiously tried to be objective in discussing this inflammatory subject. The book is well written and creationists can read it with interest and appreciation, even though its arguments for evolution are — to us, at least — speculative and even defensive."
—Henry M. Morris, in the Institute for Creation Research's Back to Genesis
Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction, 2nd edition
Hardcover, Greenwood Press, 2008
ISBN 978-0313344275
$49.95
Table of Contents:
FOREWORD: The Unmetabolized Darwin by Niles Eldredge
FOREWORD TO THE SECOND EDITION by Judge John E. Jones III
INTRODUCTION: The Pillars of Creationism
PART I: Science, Evolution, Religion, and Creationism
CHAPTER 1. Science: Truth Without Certainty
CHAPTER 2. Evolution
CHAPTER 3. Beliefs: Religion, Creationism, and Naturalism
PART II: A History of the Creationism/Evolution Controversy
CHAPTER 4. Before Darwin to the Twentieth Century
CHAPTER 5. Eliminating Evolution, Inventing Creation Science
CHAPTER 6. Neocreationism
CHAPTER 7. Testing Intelligent Design and Evidence Against Evolution in the Courts
PART III: Selections from the Literature
CHAPTER 8. Cosmology, Astronomy, Geology
CHAPTER 9. Patterns and Processes of Biological Evolution
CHAPTER 10. Legal Issues
CHAPTER 11. Educational Issues
CHAPTER 12. Issues Concerning Religion
CHAPTER 13. The Nature of Science
CHAPTER 14. Evolution and Creationism in the Media and Public Opinion
REFERENCES
INDICES
CONTACT: Robert Luhn, Director of Communications, NCSE
510-601-7203, luhn@ncseweb.org
Website: www.ncseweb.org
For more information, visit: http://ncseweb.org/evc.