This approach is quite peculiar, like a book about mathematics that proceeds from calculus through algebra and down to addition facts. It begins with humans and mammals, moves to reptiles, fish, and simpler vertebrates, and finishes with amoeba and bacteria. Instead of progressing from the simplest creatures to the more complex, the storyline regresses. Although lumps of pedantry remain, you know there is no final exam, so they can be skimmed with impunity until the pace quickens once again.ĭawkins’ book differs from texts in other ways, too, but these are less helpful. Fun facts (“More than 40 percent of all mammal species are rodents”). Interesting analogies (“The nucleus of a cell is like the ROM of a Mac”). Well, in The Ancestor’s Tale Dawkins translates that tedious textbook into much more readable, often entertaining prose. Regrettably, despite dealing with the world’s most fascinating topic - life itself - biology texts are pedantic, detailed, dry. Your mind will wander to thoughts of dinner or the evening’s TV shows. If you’re like most people, after reading just a page or two your eyes will glaze over.
To appreciate the magnitude of Oxford University biologist Richard Dawkins’ latest feat, borrow a teenager’s high school biology textbook. This article was first published in The American Spectator v. A Review of Richard Dawkins' The Ancestor's Tale: Behe, Michael The Pilgrim's Regress A Review of The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution by Richard Dawkins
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