Richard Dawkins’s new book is a strange animal. Marketed as a textbook to illuminate, it turns out to be a polemic of sorts and as a result, is bound to infuriate what should have been his core audience – deniers of evolution.
Being an avowed nontheist myself, I find it a little bothersome that Dawkins refers to creationists as ‘history deniers’ and often places them on the same allegorical boat as holocaust deniers. This is especially funny because Ben Stein and his ilk constantly draw parallels between evolutionists and the Nazis. Tangled web, this.
I’ve been a little wary of the ‘New Atheist’ movement spearheaded by Dawkins, Dennett, Harris and Hitchens (with the occasional cracker-defilement by a certain tentacled professor) mostly because they tend to come across as a tad intimidating. Make no mistake; I greatly admire their writings and have spent hours in front of my computer listening to them bemoan the stupidity of our species. However, I’m of the opinion that if one can’t be convinced by reason and logic, he/she ought to be ignored. There is only so much that can be done for people who insist on finding meaning in silly stories. If you believe that virgins give birth or that you’ll be a ‘well-hung billionaire with wings‘ in your next life, you mostly likely spend a lot of your free time away from what we call, the real world. Let evolution take its course, I say.
(See what I did there?)
The book, however, does a lot of things right. Dawkins explains in painstaking detail how evolution and dating techniques really work and dispels myths about the absence of transitional fossils and other such media fuelled fallacies. Personally, I feel very strongly about this; what is at stake here is the grandest theory in history that provides an all encompassing view of life. Despite the abundance of information out there in the public domain, I was asked why a worm still exists (sic) if we evolved from it . Nevermind that I threw a fit at the mere insinuation, it is imperative that one possesses a rudimentary understanding of what one wants to argue against. And for that, this book is a brilliant start. It is informative and dare I say, entertaining.
Dawkins’s book is a clear and lucid case against anti-evolutionists though he does resort to name-calling once every ten pages. If you can overlook that, the book will provide hours of great science reading. Despite being such an elegant theory, Dawkins reiterates what makes evolution truly remarkable. It can be disproved. But it hasn’t. Not by anyone credible, anyway.
Finally. I admit I was worried you were on the verge of a… Joey.
Remind me to hand you a cookie, alright?
I shall try to be more regular milady. More cookies!
will definitely borrow this off you. i’ve probably told you that i’d written a paper on transitional fossils back when I was doing my degree. very interesting area.
you know, your bookshelf is a little weird (in a good way).i’ll elaborate when i see you next.
hope you guys had a good time.
Had a great month, yes.
Your nerdiness never fails to amaze me.
I can't wait to get my hands on this book. I don't subscribe to the view that creationists and other evolution-deniers should be simply ignored. And I strongly feel that talking louder to deaf ears actually works – not in enlightening the deaf eared ones, but in getting the attention of those standing nearby who otherwise isn't interested.
Great to see you back blogging. And that too in great form.
Targeting the fence-sitters, you say? I've given up really. Most of my religious friends think I'm a di*k anyway. I've been called a 'pretentious bastard' after a rather intense conversation on the topic. Can't blame the woman though.
You need to get back to blogging too, bro.
Don't be so hard on yourself. There is nothing wrong with being an erudite gentleman (or 'dick' to the opiated masses). As for the 'pretentious bastard' – isn't it a compliment? Similar to 'well endowed like a horse'? At least that's what I'd like to believe when I am called one.
True. I need to get back to blogging. Thanks for the nudge. Let me finish Arkham Asylum.