Best Book on Evolution?

[Dean_Grobler]

Hey guys,

I'm looking for a good book to read on Charles Darwin and the theory of evolution. Does anyone have some suggestions? It would be cool if the book goes on to look further into the future to try and explain what the human race would be like in the next couple of millennia...

Anyways, I'm all ears....

[Salem]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blind_Watchmaker
Plus other books by Richard Dawkins are good reading for explaining evolution.

[jwenting]

Darwin himself wrote the book on it, why not read that?

As to human evolution, it's impossible to predict and there are many contradictory ideas.
I myself believe it's either stagnant or reversing, as there's no longer any competition based on genetics going on to select the best traits for the next generation and in modern countries it's those who're least productive and least important for the survival of the species who breed the fastest, the mentally and physically deficient, the lazy, the incompetent who can't or won't hold a job and actually make something of their lives.

[WaltP]

As to human evolution, it's impossible to predict and there are many contradictory ideas.
I myself believe it's either stagnant or reversing,...

So we're becoming apes again? In some cases that's certainly looks true :icon_razz:

... as there's no longer any competition based on genetics going on to select the best traits for the next generation and in modern countries it's those who're least productive and least important for the survival of the species who breed the fastest, the mentally and physically deficient, the lazy, the incompetent who can't or won't hold a job and actually make something of their lives.

Check out the movie Idiocracy -- it shows a possible result... :icon_twisted:

[Agilemind]

Darwin's book is "On the Origin of Species" there are many additions and annotated versions as well as illustrated versions if your more of a visual learner. It is quite interesting although keep in mind some of the science is outdated and has been abandoned.

A more modern perspective can be found in Richard Dawkins books, I'd recommend the "Selfish Gene" which explore evolution from a gene's perspective. However, there are many who disagree with this view of evolution pointing out the inter-connectedness of genes. However, I haven't seen a good book about their position so far.

As for the future of human evolution, there are 3 options:
1) civilization collapses and natural selection takes over again (aka people start dying in huge numbers)
2) humans start genetically engineering themselves (I believe this is available already in some places)
3) we remain stagnant and eventually genetic drift will make us more and more prone to genetic diseases.

In the case of 1 it is impossible to predict what will happen (humans might even go extinct) since there is a very fundamental randomness involved in evolution.

In the case of 2 it is very difficult to predict what will happen but research so far indicates people would genetically engineer their children to be like them but healthier and a little bit prettier (with the changing standards of beauty who know what that may be).

In the case of 3 it will eventually lead to either case 1 or case 2 again.

[ddanbe]

The best books on evolution are already mentioned.
A side note: Don't believe that we are stagnant as some of you say we can be.
We are continuously evolving! You must use a larger timescale than one human life to grasp that idea. Take the medical world for instance: it is believed that doctors make us better, in reality(on an evolutionary scale that is) they are making the human species weaker.

[Dean_Grobler]

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I'll deffinitely go have a look at Richard Dawkins books...

[guest star]

There's a pretty good book/easy read called "The Beak of the Finch" - part of it is about observed & recorded accounts of evolution in living populations over a few decades. (As opposed to evidence from the fossil record)

It won a Pulitzer, so...not too shabby.