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Title: Dinosaur in a Haystack: Reflections in Natural History by Stephen Jay Gould, Meredith Macrae, Efrem, Jr Zimbalist, Jr., Efrem Zimbalist ISBN: 1-57453-342-8 Publisher: Audio Literature Pub. Date: January, 2000 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 4 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.36 (11 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: dinosaur in a haystack: postcolonial reading
Comment: Dinosaur in a Haystack Stephen Jay Gould
Penguin. RRP $24.95
Reviewed by Simon Gibson
I have to admit to not normally reading books of scientific essays, its not something that I usually consider doing, so I was necessarily hesitant when I picked up Dinosaur in a Haystack. I think it fair to say that I was pleasantly surprised by its readability - Gould manages to communicate without straying into the obtuse diction so often the stock of technical treatises. This collection of 32 essays is, and this makes them interesting to read, diverse in subject. It reminded me of the emporium at the end of Peter Carey's Illywhacker -there is that perfect sense of baroque eclecticism. The subjects it touches on are too many to be discussed here. Probably my favourite piece was his discussion "A special fondness for beetles" where Gould writes about "the most widely quoted one-liner in evolutionary biology" - the quip by "the distinguished British biologist J.B.S. Haldane, who found himself in the company of a group of theologians. On being asked as to what one could conclude as to the nature of the Creator from a study of his creation, Haldane is said to have answered, "An inordinate fondness for beetles." " There is much ammunition here if one enjoys arguing with christians; that is if they have not evolved, as we speak, into more coherently intelligent beings. Also of interest was Gould's discussion of Edgar Allan Poe's The Conchologist's First Book, which was, during his lifetime, his most successful published work. There are also pieces on Greek road signs, the year 2000/2001 millennial discussion, evolving whales, the misconceptions of Jurassic Park (and now I am even less inclined to see the film) and even pandas. If you want to liven up your café conversations then this book should provide an interesting starting point.
Rating: 5
Summary: Dinosaur in a Haystack: Reflections in Natural History
Comment: Stephen Jay Gould has a way of bringing out our minds and making us think... Dinosaur in a Haystack is just such a work. These thirty-four essays are what exemplifies Gould's infectiously brilliant and playful intelligence. This book is about evolution and other natural phenomena, but with Gould's trademark twist.
Some of the essays are short stories in their own right with a mystery central to the theme, others are alluring with detail only a professor might want to instill. Thought provoking, unpredictable trajectories, theoretical arguments all fit into the realm of Gould, who can be described as a cunning polemicist, self-indulgent or one of America's Living Legends, but never boring... maybe verbose, but I'll give him that for the detail he brings to his writing.
Dinosaur in a Haystack gives us a book written for the layperson, but a person with a proclivity toward a scientific bent would be of help. There are rigorous and numerous historical details, but Gould has a propensity to contextualize thoroughly, thus imparting the receptive reader, an intrinsic but intuitive knowledge.
If you want to be educated about natural history or phenomena, Gould's musing are right up your alley. Gould is one of todays leading evolutionary thinkers. This book is the product of one of the most fertile minds of our time.
I highly recommend reading this book... not that it is just accessible or stimulating... it is enlightening.
Rating: 4
Summary: Storytelling Dinosaurs
Comment: Evolution is probably the most exciting natural
truth that science has ever discovered.
And Stephen Jay Goulds essays tells about it
with an infectious enthusiasm. On the way everything
from flat earth myths to ancient Greece and
men like Diogenes the Cynic gets their say.
Rigorous and numerous historical details makes it
a serious, but fun read.
All in all, it is all about the nature and essence
of humanity.
How sad that Stephen Jay Gould is no more.
But at least we have his books!
-Simon
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Title: Bully for Brontosaurus: Reflections in Natural History by Stephen Jay Gould ISBN: 039330857X Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: April, 1992 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes by Stephen Jay Gould ISBN: 0393311031 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: April, 1994 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History (Norton Paperback) by Stephen Jay Gould ISBN: 0393311392 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: April, 1994 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Leonardo's Mountain of Clams and the Diet of Worms : Essays on Natural History by Stephen Jay Gould ISBN: 0609804758 Publisher: Three Rivers Press Pub. Date: 02 November, 1999 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: The Lying Stones of Marrakech : Penultimate Reflections in Natural History by Stephen Jay Gould ISBN: 0609807552 Publisher: Three Rivers Press Pub. Date: 17 April, 2001 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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