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Title: God, the Devil, and Darwin: A Critique of Intelligent Design Theory by Niall Shanks, Richard Dawkins ISBN: 0-19-516199-8 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: January, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: It is time to stop posting anonimous reviews
Comment: I fully agree with Professor Levitt - it is a bad idea to post anonimous reviews. If the reader from Ann Arbor is indeed an expert in cell biology and is so well familiar with the ongoing dispute between ID advocates and their opponnents, why is he afraid to sign his review wherein he attempts to denigrate Niall Shanks's excellent book? His defense of the ID advocates who, as he seems to hint, are allegedly deprived of the freedom to express their views, is preposterous. There is not a single argument in that unseemly attack on Shanks which has any substance. Shanks succeeded very well in revealing the lack of scientific contents in the so called ID theory and its real roots in religious zealotry. Since the reader from Ann Arbor chose to remain anonimous, there is no way to ascertain that he is indeed a cell bilogist with 20 years of experience, and his underhanded attack does nothing to disprove the allegedly wild statements by Shanks. Shanks's book contains a well substantiated analysis of Intelligent Design showing its futility and its anti-scientific goals. It also contains a very eloquent and making a lot of sense foreword by Richard Dawkins. It is highly recommended to everybody interested in understanding the real nature of the ID activities and the emptiness of their arguments.
Rating: 5
Summary: Anonymous ID crew at it again
Comment: Mr. Reader-from-Ann-Arbor offers himself as an expert on cell biology as well as ID and its supposed insights. He ought presumably to know that public critiques by serious scientists do not appear anonymously or over pseudonyms. Let him identify himself so that we may scrutinize his contributions, if any, to the literature, and to peer-reviewed literature especially. Otherwise his assertions of expert knowledge are worthless dissembling.
For the rest, his indignant denial that the ID movement is a product of a Fundamentalist strategy is hokum. Check this against the record of godfather PE Johnson.
I also urge, in general, that Amazon simply stop tolerating anonymous reviews, whatever the book or topic. Put your name where your mouth is or shut the hell up.
Rating: 1
Summary: A Primer for Atheism
Comment: My colleagues often ask me how I can continue to hold to an Intelligent Design world view when I carefully read the professional literature in cell biology (my field). They are especially intrigued when they realize that I have read most every book published against ID. I explain that reading in my academic field (and especially reading books against ID) is exactly why I hold to the general ID position. This book is an excellent example. I am only on page 7 and could easily do a 10 page response. Shanks is an outsider who relies on other outsiders, most who quote each other's inaccuracies. For example, Richard Dawkins states in the introduction that "There may be good reasons for believing in a supranational being (admittedly, I can't think of any) but the argument from design is emphatically not one of them." (page viii). He knows that the argument from design is by far the most common reason people give for their belief in God. Yet Shanks tries to argue that only religious extremists (such as Islamic Fundamentalists) hold to the argument from design. I have been a Methodist, a Lutheran and many of my relatives are Catholic. In my experience, from my 20 year involvement in all of these denominations, of those that I became acquainted with as an active lay minister, all hold to the argument from design and none of these groups are extremists in any way. Shanks knows full well that if you destroy the argument from design you will demolish the basis for theism for most people. Both he and Dawkins are open atheists, which is the only logical stand when you no longer hold to the design argument. Why not admit that their goal is to demolish the basis of theism? Shanks states that moderate Christians have rejected the argument from design without problems. If so, what basis do they have to believe in God? To be consistent, they should become atheist like Dawkins and Shanks. He makes many slanderous, often wild, statements, such the goal of ID is "a fundamentalist Christian theocracy" (page xii). Anyone who has studied their literature knows that they only want to be part of the discussion on origins (and have the academic freedom to research their ideas). Most ID advocates that I know (and I know many of them) are, in general, well educated and liberal on many issues. All would be opposed to any type of theocracy. This is the same line of arguments leveled against Jews for generations (they want to take over the world thus must be stopped). This is also the same line of reasoning that Hitler used to suppress the Jews. History is repeating itself again. To be honest, Shanks does include some accurate statements, such as he notes that the central proponents of ID are "often academics with credentials from, and positions at reputable universities" (page xi). There are more than Shanks thinks because many are in the closet (which, in view of the accusations in this book is a good idea).
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Title: Unintelligent Design by Mark Perakh ISBN: 1591020840 Publisher: Prometheus Books Pub. Date: December, 2003 List Price(USD): $32.00 |
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Title: Creationism's Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design by Barbara Carroll Forrest, Paul R. Gross ISBN: 0195157427 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: December, 2003 List Price(USD): $40.00 |
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Title: The Impossibility of God by Michael Martin, Ricki Monnier ISBN: 1591021200 Publisher: Prometheus Books Pub. Date: December, 2003 List Price(USD): $32.00 |
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Title: A Devil's Chaplain : Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science, and Love by Richard Dawkins ISBN: 0618335404 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co Pub. Date: 29 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
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Title: God and Design: The Teleological Argument and Modern Science by Neil A. Manson ISBN: 0415263441 Publisher: Routledge Pub. Date: 01 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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