Books are a wonderful way for coworkers and friends to share experiences, even when we’re miles, states, and countries apart. Hearing about what someone is reading is like taking a 5-minute vacation. Each week, one Piper team member will answer the question, “What are you reading?” and take you on a well-deserved, 5-minute vacation.
This week Alan is reading The Ancestor’s Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution by Richard Dawkins and Yan Wong.
“…Dawkins crafts stories of our many and varied ancestors…”
ALAN SAYS…
Let’s do a little math: 614 pages to cover some 500 million years equals about 814,000 years per page, all in the service of discovering where we — and everything else — came from. Spoiler alert: The answer is “bacteria.” Taking his lead from The Canterbury Tales, Dawkins crafts stories of our many and varied ancestors who converge, depart, and influence one another over the long course of evolution. With well-honed wit and an economy of expression, Dawkins introduces complex concepts from genetics, anthropology, biology, mathematics, and several other disciplines in an inviting and nonthreatening way. And that’s important…because many of our distant ancestors were surely quite threatening! Detailing the vast interconnectedness of organisms developing over the imperceptibly slow march of time produces a rewarding product for the reader.
AMAZON DESCRIPTION
With unparalleled wit, clarity, and intelligence, Richard Dawkins, one of the world’s most renowned evolutionary biologists, has introduced countless readers to the wonders of science in works such as The Selfish Gene. Now, in The Ancestor’s Tale, Dawkins offers a masterwork: an exhilarating reverse tour through evolution, from present-day humans back to the microbial beginnings of life four billion years ago. Throughout the journey Dawkins spins entertaining, insightful stories and sheds light on topics such as speciation, sexual selection, and extinction. The Ancestor’s Tale is at once an essential education in evolutionary theory and a riveting read.
HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK?
Tell Alan what you thought in the blog comments below!
