Can anyone recommend an educational book on the topic of evolution, that only seeks to teach a layperson about the ideas (and also very importantly the evidence), like a textbook would? Something that addresses criticism (religious and scientific) as a matter of course, but does not directly address other schools of thought (not looking for an anti-religious book or a book that even mentions religion, but something that would provide answers to religious claims about flaws in evolution in the course of explaining it). Something relatively recent that incorporates the most recent findings in the field and the lab would also be useful.
The ideal book would explain the introductory basics of evolutionary theory to someone from scratch, but would also contain a wealth of specific and detailed proof/evidence. In other words, not just theory and speculation that demonstrate that evolution is possible or plausible, but plenty of data demonstrating the theory in practice.
I had hoped that Dawkins' introductory "The Greatest Show on Earth" would fill this role, but as one might note in Amazon's comments, it fails in several regards:
1. Spends too much time directly addressing creationists instead of presenting evidence. And to make matters worse, does it in a frequently condescending way that will turn off most religious people.
2. Does not explain and show evidence of the embryologic and DNA evidence for skeletal homologies (e.g. branchial arch homologies in fish and higher vertebrates and jaw and earbone homologies).
3. How retroviruses demonstrate evolutionary theory
4. Spends too much time in general speculating and reasoning when he should just be piling on mountains and mountains of evidence (in easy-to-understand terms).
5. Presents several convincing conclusions as proof of evolution (which they are), but doesn't explain to the reader how these conclusions were reached (which renders the argument null).
The ideal book would explain the introductory basics of evolutionary theory to someone from scratch, but would also contain a wealth of specific and detailed proof/evidence. In other words, not just theory and speculation that demonstrate that evolution is possible or plausible, but plenty of data demonstrating the theory in practice.
I had hoped that Dawkins' introductory "The Greatest Show on Earth" would fill this role, but as one might note in Amazon's comments, it fails in several regards:
1. Spends too much time directly addressing creationists instead of presenting evidence. And to make matters worse, does it in a frequently condescending way that will turn off most religious people.
2. Does not explain and show evidence of the embryologic and DNA evidence for skeletal homologies (e.g. branchial arch homologies in fish and higher vertebrates and jaw and earbone homologies).
3. How retroviruses demonstrate evolutionary theory
4. Spends too much time in general speculating and reasoning when he should just be piling on mountains and mountains of evidence (in easy-to-understand terms).
5. Presents several convincing conclusions as proof of evolution (which they are), but doesn't explain to the reader how these conclusions were reached (which renders the argument null).
