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The Not-So-Intelligent Designer: Why Evolution Explains the Human Body and Intelligent Design Does Not
Why do men's testicles hang outside the body? Why does our appendix sometimes explode and kill us? And who does the Designer like better, anyway--us or squid? These and other questions are addressed in The Not-So-Intelligent Why Evolution Explains the Human Body and Intelligent Design Does Not.Dr. Abby Hafer argues that the human body has many faulty design features that would never have been the choice of an intelligent creator.She also points out that there are other animals that got better body parts, which makes the Designer look a bit strange; discusses the history and politics of Intelligent Design and creationism; reveals animals that shouldn't exist according to Intelligent Design; and disposes of the idea of irreducible complexity.Her points are illustrated with pictures, wit, and erudition."Where has this book been all my life? This work by Dr. Hafer systematically overturns the arguments of the intelligent design movement with wit and plain language. As a pastor, I appreciate Hafer's contribution to clarity in our public discourse, both scientific and political. Her intention may be to restore science to its rightful place, but she has also done the faith community a favor, liberating it from a silly and unnecessary controversy."--Julia Tipton Rendon, Crossroads United Church of Christ, Indianola, IA"For an adequate account of the world, we must take a sober look at life as it really is. Hafer shows that things are a whole lot messier and makeshift than what some intelligent design theories would incline us to believe. This book has the potential not only to alter the political terrain in wars over evolution and creationism but also to prompt believers like me to rethink how we should talk about God as Creator."--Thomas Jay Oord, author of Divine Grace and Emerging Creation"I've been dreaming of a politically edgy treatment of intelligent design and here it is at last. Abby Hafer is acutely intelligent and wonderfully witty. Read this book and laugh your way to clarity and wisdom."--Wesley J. Wildman, Boston University, Boston, MA"Three cheers for Abby Hafer! She did it and no one thought it could be done! She wrote a devastating critique of intelligent design that is clear, funny, scientifically accurate, and charming. Her book is a marvel of how popular science should be written. Oh, were there more scientific writers like Abby . . . "--Michael Martin, Boston University, Boston, MA"A delightful exploration of the quirks of our bodies that make biology so much fun, evolution so fascinating, life so explicable, and intelligent design creationism so preposterous."--Steven Pinker, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA"The Not-So-Intelligent Designer is a much-needed work in an America where anti-intellectualism is rampant and, shockingly, even candidates for high office frequently reject evolution. Abby Hafer has that rare ability to communicate complex scientific ideas in understandable terms for non-scientists, and this book is sure to enlighten many."--David Niose, author of Fighting Back the Right"Hafer's book is a valuable contribution to debunking the claims of intelligent design and the notion of one or more gods intervening in the physics and biology of the real world. She writes in an engaging style that entertains as well as informs. I enthusiastically recommend it."--Ellery Schempp, Brown University, Providence, RIDr. Abby Hafer has a doctorate in zoology from Oxford University. She is a Senior Lecturer who teaches human anatomy and physiology at Curry College.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2015
67 people are currently reading
405 people want to read
About the author
Abby Hafer
3 books8 followersHafer has a doctorate in zoology from Oxford University. She teaches human anatomy and physiology at Curry College.
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May 18, 2016
The Not-So-Intelligent Designer: Why Evolution Explains the Human Body and Intelligent Design Does Not by Abby Hafer
“The Not-So-Intelligent Designer” is a delightful contribution that provides compelling information of how the human body is badly “designed”. Dr. Hafer provides the public with an accessible reference on evolution while exposing the Intelligent Design (ID) movement as a political pressure group of science denialism. This enlightening and fun 266-page book includes thirty-five short chapters covering a wide-range of topics on evolution and creationism.
Positives:
1. An engaging well-written book with a touch of humor.
2. The fascinating topic of evolution and exposing the Intelligent Design (ID) as the political science denial movement that it is.
3. Dr. Hafer has a doctorate in zoology who teaches human anatomy and physiology at Curry College. She has mastery of the topic and uses her wit and knowledge to enlighten the public.
4. This book focuses on the many quirks of the human body and convincingly shows how the human body evolved versus being created. “Human bodies are just too badly put together to stand up to even reasonable design specifications, much less infallible ones.”
5. Succeeds in clearly showing how the ID controversy is not a scientific issue, but a political one. “ID is the idea that biological organisms have come about due to the deliberate work of an intelligent Creator. It further argues that new species cannot come about through evolution by natural selection, and must be the work of a Designer.”
6. Goes over the classic debunked examples of the ID movement. “The usual examples given for irreducible complexity are the human blood clotting sequence, the bacterial flagellum, and the human eye.”
7. Clearly shows that the ID movement is a Christian religious lobby. “This case was called Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. In it, Judge John E. Jones III found that ID and creationism are fundamentally the same thing, and that therefore since creationism is religion, then ID is too.”
8. Exposes the Discovery Institute and its infamous Wedge Strategy. “So the Discovery Institute intends to defeat science by doing politics.”
9. My favorite example on how denying evolution can hurt society. “The last major political group to oppose Darwin’s theory of evolution on ideological grounds was the Communist Party of the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin.”
10. Some quotes are truly memorable. “In fact, ID is just a form of ‘political correctness’ for the Christian Right.”
11. Explains what science is versus what it’s not. “ID proponents simply refuse to make testable hypotheses about the material world, and they certainly do not test them. So without predictions, experiments, or quantifiable results, ID cannot realistically claim to be science.” Bonus, “Scientists still haven’t found anything in a controlled experimental setting that supports claims of anything supernatural.”
12. The book is loaded with many examples of bad design: testes, birth canal, the eye, etc… to name a few. “One would think that a benevolent Creator would not make childbirth into such a problem in the first place. In fact there are simple things that could have been done better, if only we had been designed rather than evolved.”
13. In support of the facts and science. “All the evidence in biology supports evolution by natural selection, but questions about specific organisms or questions about the rate of change during evolution always occur.”
14. Examples of unusual animals, like the mudskipper. “Animals that no rational Creator would have come up with exist perfectly well in our evolved world because they work well enough, and survive from generation to generation.”
15. An interesting look at the poorly “designed” human throat. “A better-designed system would keep the tubes for air and food separate, to avoid unnecessary fatalities. If we were designed, why did the Designer do this job so badly?”
16. Challenges the “Almighty”. “More than 90 percent of all the species that have ever lived on earth are extinct. Why did the Designer make so many forms during the Cambrian period, for instance, only to have them go extinct?”
17. A look at irreducible complexity and the human eye. “In fact, it is clear that vision has evolved separately many times in the animal kingdom, and it is clear that some animals have eyes that are actually better put together than ours.”
18. A look at scurvy. “Here’s why our biochemical pathways are a case of bad design: we have the pathway for making vitamin C, but it isn’t finished. Having an incomplete pathway for making a vital nutrient is bad design.”
19. Putting the Cambrian Explosion in perspective. “Mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles are all post-Cambrian. Meanwhile, most Cambrian organisms are extinct. So what was the Designer doing with all those Cambrian animals—rehearsing?”
20. Linked to notes and provides an appendix of supporting material.
Negatives:
1. There are more substantive books out there but fewer as interesting, particularly for the layperson.
2. The book provides some helpful illustrations but lacks tables that would have summarized some of Dr. Hafer’s finding in a more elegant manner.
3. A bit uneven. I don’t mind short chapters but the book’s flow was a little off.
4. No formal bibliography.
In summary, this book succeeds in capturing the interest of the public by providing quirky facts about evolution while simultaneously exposing the Intelligent Design movement as a political movement with dangerous ramifications. This is an excellent book for the layperson but perhaps on the too light side for evolution-minded groupies. Accessible and fun, I recommend it!
Further recommendations: “Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation” by Bill Nye, “Evolution vs Creationism” by Eugenie C. Scott, “Why Evolution Works (and Creationism Fails)” by Matt Young, “The Greatest Shown On Earth” by Richard Dawkins, “Evolving Out of Eden” by Robert M. Price, “Your Inner Fish” by Neil Shubin, “Understanding Evolution and Ourselves” by Dennis Littrell, “Why Evolution Is True” by Jerry A. Coyne, “The Rocks Don’t Lie” by David R. Montgomery, “What Evolution Is” by Ernst Mayr, “Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why it Matters” by Donald R. Prothero, and “The Making of the Fittest” by Sean B. Carroll.
“The Not-So-Intelligent Designer” is a delightful contribution that provides compelling information of how the human body is badly “designed”. Dr. Hafer provides the public with an accessible reference on evolution while exposing the Intelligent Design (ID) movement as a political pressure group of science denialism. This enlightening and fun 266-page book includes thirty-five short chapters covering a wide-range of topics on evolution and creationism.
Positives:
1. An engaging well-written book with a touch of humor.
2. The fascinating topic of evolution and exposing the Intelligent Design (ID) as the political science denial movement that it is.
3. Dr. Hafer has a doctorate in zoology who teaches human anatomy and physiology at Curry College. She has mastery of the topic and uses her wit and knowledge to enlighten the public.
4. This book focuses on the many quirks of the human body and convincingly shows how the human body evolved versus being created. “Human bodies are just too badly put together to stand up to even reasonable design specifications, much less infallible ones.”
5. Succeeds in clearly showing how the ID controversy is not a scientific issue, but a political one. “ID is the idea that biological organisms have come about due to the deliberate work of an intelligent Creator. It further argues that new species cannot come about through evolution by natural selection, and must be the work of a Designer.”
6. Goes over the classic debunked examples of the ID movement. “The usual examples given for irreducible complexity are the human blood clotting sequence, the bacterial flagellum, and the human eye.”
7. Clearly shows that the ID movement is a Christian religious lobby. “This case was called Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. In it, Judge John E. Jones III found that ID and creationism are fundamentally the same thing, and that therefore since creationism is religion, then ID is too.”
8. Exposes the Discovery Institute and its infamous Wedge Strategy. “So the Discovery Institute intends to defeat science by doing politics.”
9. My favorite example on how denying evolution can hurt society. “The last major political group to oppose Darwin’s theory of evolution on ideological grounds was the Communist Party of the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin.”
10. Some quotes are truly memorable. “In fact, ID is just a form of ‘political correctness’ for the Christian Right.”
11. Explains what science is versus what it’s not. “ID proponents simply refuse to make testable hypotheses about the material world, and they certainly do not test them. So without predictions, experiments, or quantifiable results, ID cannot realistically claim to be science.” Bonus, “Scientists still haven’t found anything in a controlled experimental setting that supports claims of anything supernatural.”
12. The book is loaded with many examples of bad design: testes, birth canal, the eye, etc… to name a few. “One would think that a benevolent Creator would not make childbirth into such a problem in the first place. In fact there are simple things that could have been done better, if only we had been designed rather than evolved.”
13. In support of the facts and science. “All the evidence in biology supports evolution by natural selection, but questions about specific organisms or questions about the rate of change during evolution always occur.”
14. Examples of unusual animals, like the mudskipper. “Animals that no rational Creator would have come up with exist perfectly well in our evolved world because they work well enough, and survive from generation to generation.”
15. An interesting look at the poorly “designed” human throat. “A better-designed system would keep the tubes for air and food separate, to avoid unnecessary fatalities. If we were designed, why did the Designer do this job so badly?”
16. Challenges the “Almighty”. “More than 90 percent of all the species that have ever lived on earth are extinct. Why did the Designer make so many forms during the Cambrian period, for instance, only to have them go extinct?”
17. A look at irreducible complexity and the human eye. “In fact, it is clear that vision has evolved separately many times in the animal kingdom, and it is clear that some animals have eyes that are actually better put together than ours.”
18. A look at scurvy. “Here’s why our biochemical pathways are a case of bad design: we have the pathway for making vitamin C, but it isn’t finished. Having an incomplete pathway for making a vital nutrient is bad design.”
19. Putting the Cambrian Explosion in perspective. “Mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles are all post-Cambrian. Meanwhile, most Cambrian organisms are extinct. So what was the Designer doing with all those Cambrian animals—rehearsing?”
20. Linked to notes and provides an appendix of supporting material.
Negatives:
1. There are more substantive books out there but fewer as interesting, particularly for the layperson.
2. The book provides some helpful illustrations but lacks tables that would have summarized some of Dr. Hafer’s finding in a more elegant manner.
3. A bit uneven. I don’t mind short chapters but the book’s flow was a little off.
4. No formal bibliography.
In summary, this book succeeds in capturing the interest of the public by providing quirky facts about evolution while simultaneously exposing the Intelligent Design movement as a political movement with dangerous ramifications. This is an excellent book for the layperson but perhaps on the too light side for evolution-minded groupies. Accessible and fun, I recommend it!
Further recommendations: “Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation” by Bill Nye, “Evolution vs Creationism” by Eugenie C. Scott, “Why Evolution Works (and Creationism Fails)” by Matt Young, “The Greatest Shown On Earth” by Richard Dawkins, “Evolving Out of Eden” by Robert M. Price, “Your Inner Fish” by Neil Shubin, “Understanding Evolution and Ourselves” by Dennis Littrell, “Why Evolution Is True” by Jerry A. Coyne, “The Rocks Don’t Lie” by David R. Montgomery, “What Evolution Is” by Ernst Mayr, “Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why it Matters” by Donald R. Prothero, and “The Making of the Fittest” by Sean B. Carroll.
August 17, 2021
A nice debunking of the political/religious fraud of so-called "Intelligent Design" (ID). The book does what the title says and keeps to a manageable length, outlining what ID is, who is bankrolling it, and how the Discovery Institute keeps trying to bypass the scientific literature and instead shove its pretend science into secondary school textbooks to be taught as "science" to students at taxpayer expense. The book gives a short list of talking points to keep handy should you run into someone who has been suckered by ID.
Hafer admits that most people won't read a book like this, which is why scientific frauds and errors remain popular (for example, about half of Americans believe in a literal Noah's Ark, and that percentage has remained largely stable for decades). It's not clear how effectively a literate person might spoon-feed the book's content to someone who thinks they're smart enough not to need books. Eating dinner for someone else is not the same as when they eat their own dinner, and you might not be able to read books for them either. But I suppose we'll just have to see.
However, the need just keeps growing. The book pre-dates the COVID-19 pandemic, so the chapter on medical science denial (Chapter 23: Why Denying Science is Bad for You, and Bad for Your Neighbors, Too) could use an update. As I write this, in the USA several hundred people are dying each day from COVID-19. Safe and effective vaccines have been abundant here for several months, available for free to anyone 12 and older, so most new infections and deaths are unnecessary. Yet there is a flood of anti-vax disinformation flooding social media and various communities. Not all of the "vaccine hesitant" believe in ID, but as Hafer points out, the various flavors of denialism copy each other's tactics and appeal to many of the same people. We've had a broad-scale assault on science and expertise for several decades, and now we're seeing the lethal consequences with millions of people having been brainwashed into disbelieving vital chunks of what educated people know.
The book has overlap with similar titles such as Why Evolution Is True and The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution. For more detail on the shellacking ID took in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District (2005), see Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. (By no means did that resounding legal smackdown put an end to ID's lobbying campaign - as P.T. Barnum once said, there's a sucker born every minute.) For (many) more details on the medical consequences of evolution, see Principles of Evolutionary Medicine.
For more on denialism's evolving web of lies, see Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming.
Hafer admits that most people won't read a book like this, which is why scientific frauds and errors remain popular (for example, about half of Americans believe in a literal Noah's Ark, and that percentage has remained largely stable for decades). It's not clear how effectively a literate person might spoon-feed the book's content to someone who thinks they're smart enough not to need books. Eating dinner for someone else is not the same as when they eat their own dinner, and you might not be able to read books for them either. But I suppose we'll just have to see.
However, the need just keeps growing. The book pre-dates the COVID-19 pandemic, so the chapter on medical science denial (Chapter 23: Why Denying Science is Bad for You, and Bad for Your Neighbors, Too) could use an update. As I write this, in the USA several hundred people are dying each day from COVID-19. Safe and effective vaccines have been abundant here for several months, available for free to anyone 12 and older, so most new infections and deaths are unnecessary. Yet there is a flood of anti-vax disinformation flooding social media and various communities. Not all of the "vaccine hesitant" believe in ID, but as Hafer points out, the various flavors of denialism copy each other's tactics and appeal to many of the same people. We've had a broad-scale assault on science and expertise for several decades, and now we're seeing the lethal consequences with millions of people having been brainwashed into disbelieving vital chunks of what educated people know.
The book has overlap with similar titles such as Why Evolution Is True and The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution. For more detail on the shellacking ID took in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District (2005), see Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. (By no means did that resounding legal smackdown put an end to ID's lobbying campaign - as P.T. Barnum once said, there's a sucker born every minute.) For (many) more details on the medical consequences of evolution, see Principles of Evolutionary Medicine.
For more on denialism's evolving web of lies, see Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming.
January 17, 2019
The science is irrefutable to an open and rational mind.
May 11, 2020
For those who follow the manufactured controversy about evolution and intelligent design, there are really no new arguments presented in the book. That said, it is a good review of most of the arguments against ID, as well as intelligent design proponents' strategies and tactics. There are a few that were missed, though:
1. If X, then intelligent design. Also, if not X, then intelligent design.
2. Intelligent design does not mean perfect design.
Overall, an enjoyable read.
1. If X, then intelligent design. Also, if not X, then intelligent design.
2. Intelligent design does not mean perfect design.
Overall, an enjoyable read.
Read
February 9, 2017Ever wonder why we have an appendix? Why so much of our genome is superfluous? Or, in my case, ever give birth to a baby with severe physical deformities who could not safely be born without medical intervention, and then have your friends quote the biblical psalm at you about God knitting a baby together in the womb? (Because nothing screams that you’ve been made by an all-knowing architect than needing eight corrective surgeries to make tiny deformed limbs slightly more functional.) Some of these flaws would be easily correctable if there truly was a designer who possesses a mind involved in the process. Instead we see evidence that blind natural forces act as the designer. This is never more obvious than when comparing the human body, the one supposedly made in God’s image, to that of other animals with superior parts.
Abby Hafer, in her book The Not-So-Intelligent Designer: Why Evolution Explains the Human Body and Intelligent Design Does Not, shows ten major design flaws in the human form evident of unconscious natural processes. Beautifully blasphemous, Hafer repeatedly labels the human design as bad, contradicting the biblical encomium of “good.”
The Not-So-Intelligent Designer is organized in pithy informational tidbits with multiple pictures and illustrations. Like a prize fighter, Hafer dives right in with talk about testicles for maximum attention-grabbing effect, bobs and weaves around Intelligent Design claims, jabs out a few facts about the scientific method, then jumps back to the center of the ring with yet another example of a body part in need of a simple design improvement. Some of her chapters work almost like commercial breaks, keeping the reader engaged. Cogent and concise, Hafer had no trouble communicating her ideas without long explanations. Chapter five, for example, is only 95 words long.
I was excited about this book because I want more scientists to step down from the lofty realms of academia and perform the tedious labor of making scientific concepts accessible to the average person. Hafer seems to be the person for the job as she already uses her doctorate in zoology to teach classes and give lectures—experiences that have no doubt prepared her for this book. Her bright, witty, and often downright snarky writing is meant to persuade, educate, and highlight memorable talking points.
Because she relies heavily on the Socratic Method, Hafer’s informational sections often end in a question like, “Does the Creator like sharks better than people?” or “Is the Designer a turkey?”
This book really got me thinking. Why are testicles in a vulnerable position when they aren’t like that for other mammals? Even rats enjoy protected balls. Why do humans walk upright which requires narrow hips when our offspring’s big heads require wide ones? Kangaroos avoid this problem. Why is our optic wiring that takes visual information to the photoreceptors located in front of the photoreceptors, blocking the light? It’s not like that for other animals like cuttlefish. Does God likes rats, kangaroos, and cuttlefish better than people? Or is he also lacking better equipment and simply made humanity in his faulty image?
As a former evangelical Christian, my answer for these flaws was simple: sin. During the Fall in the Garden of Eden, as the passage goes, “sin entered the world… and death came through sin.” We interpreted this to mean that death, entropy, mutation, and even carnivorous behavior all started then. Before this we were supposedly perfect. Of course I was aware original sin theology didn’t quite make sense of the idiosyncrasies of the human body. Sin is easier to blame for cancer, than say, for wisdom teeth.
Unfortunately for biblical Christians, these human design problems are seemingly original. The Bible says God breathed into Adam’s nostrils to bring him to life. It also says this man ate with his mouth from a garden of fruit trees. So the biblical account establishes in its first pages that God created a human system with air and food sharing the same pathway down the throat—a set up incredibly likely to block the windpipe while eating. (A problem whales, for example, don’t have.) Are we still supposed to blame sin here? Or did Adam and Eve, upon first putting the forbidden fruit to their lips, gasp in pain as “sin” warped their food and air passages at the pharynx? Apparently it was already designed in such a way that its normal, primary use could potentially kill a person before death supposedly entered the world. Even if God made them that way in anticipation of sin, assuring no choking would happen before the Fall, the design would still not be considered “good.”
“I say that if indeed it was designed, then the Designer would get an ‘F’ in any descent design class.” Abby Hafer
And why did Adam and Eve need a fruit garden in the first place? Is it because the human body, unlike other animals, is incapable of synthesizing vitamin C? Hafer points out that human beings have the entire biochemical pathway in place allowing the synthesizing of vitamin C, except for the very last step where we fail to make one lousy enzyme due to a genetic mutation. That makes sense inside evolutionary theory, but for religious folks, the human inability to synthesize vitamin C necessitated a garden of fruit from the very beginning. That means the human body was less-than-efficient before the Fall that I was taught to be responsible for such a mutation.
When I was a proponent of Intelligent Design I was dishonest about the areas of science I didn’t understand, but I had some biblical license to “lie for Jesus.” The Hebrew midwives in Exodus 1 were blessed by God for lying to Pharaoh. They had good reason to lie as lives were at stake. Is it the same if one’s faith is at stake? In Joshua 2, the prostitute, Rahab, lied to the king of Jericho that the customers she was servicing had already left her brothel. She was rewarded by God when he spared her family in the ensuing destruction of the city. Is trying to save children from Hell any less worthy? Jesus lied about going to a festival so he could attend it later in secret in John 7:8-10. If Jesus can do it, why couldn’t I?
So of course it’s comes as no surprise to me that Hafer exposes several unflattering things on the Intelligent Design crowd, including:
• Their infamous Wedge Document trying to combat scientific discoveries
• Their several apologists who think HIV does not cause AIDS (which led to hundreds of thousands of deaths in South Africa when this was presented as science)
• Their false claims that Intelligent Design is not religious
• Their failure to come up with a scientific theory while acting as if they have one on par with evolution
• Their founding a fake Research Institute that doesn’t actually do any laboratory research.
I used to believe the Intelligent Design authorities at least had good intentions, but there’s nothing that sinks my faith in my former heroes more than reading their direct quotes. Apparently lying for Jesus was not something I alone struggled with.
It is a relief to realize that my baby was a result of natural processes (including love) and not a result of sin. Understanding evolutionary theory brings freedom to choose blood transfusions, appendix surgeries, and Cesarean sections instead of dying young as part of God’s will. It was human ingenuity born out of need that brought us eye glasses and jockstraps. If the Designer really did design us, there are some pretty obvious improvements he is free to upgrade any time.
Or maybe he is a turkey after all.
Abby Hafer, in her book The Not-So-Intelligent Designer: Why Evolution Explains the Human Body and Intelligent Design Does Not, shows ten major design flaws in the human form evident of unconscious natural processes. Beautifully blasphemous, Hafer repeatedly labels the human design as bad, contradicting the biblical encomium of “good.”
The Not-So-Intelligent Designer is organized in pithy informational tidbits with multiple pictures and illustrations. Like a prize fighter, Hafer dives right in with talk about testicles for maximum attention-grabbing effect, bobs and weaves around Intelligent Design claims, jabs out a few facts about the scientific method, then jumps back to the center of the ring with yet another example of a body part in need of a simple design improvement. Some of her chapters work almost like commercial breaks, keeping the reader engaged. Cogent and concise, Hafer had no trouble communicating her ideas without long explanations. Chapter five, for example, is only 95 words long.
I was excited about this book because I want more scientists to step down from the lofty realms of academia and perform the tedious labor of making scientific concepts accessible to the average person. Hafer seems to be the person for the job as she already uses her doctorate in zoology to teach classes and give lectures—experiences that have no doubt prepared her for this book. Her bright, witty, and often downright snarky writing is meant to persuade, educate, and highlight memorable talking points.
Because she relies heavily on the Socratic Method, Hafer’s informational sections often end in a question like, “Does the Creator like sharks better than people?” or “Is the Designer a turkey?”
This book really got me thinking. Why are testicles in a vulnerable position when they aren’t like that for other mammals? Even rats enjoy protected balls. Why do humans walk upright which requires narrow hips when our offspring’s big heads require wide ones? Kangaroos avoid this problem. Why is our optic wiring that takes visual information to the photoreceptors located in front of the photoreceptors, blocking the light? It’s not like that for other animals like cuttlefish. Does God likes rats, kangaroos, and cuttlefish better than people? Or is he also lacking better equipment and simply made humanity in his faulty image?
As a former evangelical Christian, my answer for these flaws was simple: sin. During the Fall in the Garden of Eden, as the passage goes, “sin entered the world… and death came through sin.” We interpreted this to mean that death, entropy, mutation, and even carnivorous behavior all started then. Before this we were supposedly perfect. Of course I was aware original sin theology didn’t quite make sense of the idiosyncrasies of the human body. Sin is easier to blame for cancer, than say, for wisdom teeth.
Unfortunately for biblical Christians, these human design problems are seemingly original. The Bible says God breathed into Adam’s nostrils to bring him to life. It also says this man ate with his mouth from a garden of fruit trees. So the biblical account establishes in its first pages that God created a human system with air and food sharing the same pathway down the throat—a set up incredibly likely to block the windpipe while eating. (A problem whales, for example, don’t have.) Are we still supposed to blame sin here? Or did Adam and Eve, upon first putting the forbidden fruit to their lips, gasp in pain as “sin” warped their food and air passages at the pharynx? Apparently it was already designed in such a way that its normal, primary use could potentially kill a person before death supposedly entered the world. Even if God made them that way in anticipation of sin, assuring no choking would happen before the Fall, the design would still not be considered “good.”
“I say that if indeed it was designed, then the Designer would get an ‘F’ in any descent design class.” Abby Hafer
And why did Adam and Eve need a fruit garden in the first place? Is it because the human body, unlike other animals, is incapable of synthesizing vitamin C? Hafer points out that human beings have the entire biochemical pathway in place allowing the synthesizing of vitamin C, except for the very last step where we fail to make one lousy enzyme due to a genetic mutation. That makes sense inside evolutionary theory, but for religious folks, the human inability to synthesize vitamin C necessitated a garden of fruit from the very beginning. That means the human body was less-than-efficient before the Fall that I was taught to be responsible for such a mutation.
When I was a proponent of Intelligent Design I was dishonest about the areas of science I didn’t understand, but I had some biblical license to “lie for Jesus.” The Hebrew midwives in Exodus 1 were blessed by God for lying to Pharaoh. They had good reason to lie as lives were at stake. Is it the same if one’s faith is at stake? In Joshua 2, the prostitute, Rahab, lied to the king of Jericho that the customers she was servicing had already left her brothel. She was rewarded by God when he spared her family in the ensuing destruction of the city. Is trying to save children from Hell any less worthy? Jesus lied about going to a festival so he could attend it later in secret in John 7:8-10. If Jesus can do it, why couldn’t I?
So of course it’s comes as no surprise to me that Hafer exposes several unflattering things on the Intelligent Design crowd, including:
• Their infamous Wedge Document trying to combat scientific discoveries
• Their several apologists who think HIV does not cause AIDS (which led to hundreds of thousands of deaths in South Africa when this was presented as science)
• Their false claims that Intelligent Design is not religious
• Their failure to come up with a scientific theory while acting as if they have one on par with evolution
• Their founding a fake Research Institute that doesn’t actually do any laboratory research.
I used to believe the Intelligent Design authorities at least had good intentions, but there’s nothing that sinks my faith in my former heroes more than reading their direct quotes. Apparently lying for Jesus was not something I alone struggled with.
It is a relief to realize that my baby was a result of natural processes (including love) and not a result of sin. Understanding evolutionary theory brings freedom to choose blood transfusions, appendix surgeries, and Cesarean sections instead of dying young as part of God’s will. It was human ingenuity born out of need that brought us eye glasses and jockstraps. If the Designer really did design us, there are some pretty obvious improvements he is free to upgrade any time.
Or maybe he is a turkey after all.
April 25, 2024
The term Intelligent Designer was one I used frequently over a number of years as I journeyed from Christian to atheist. I accepted the Creation story was just a myth, albeit borrowed from Sumerian and Babylonian myths and knowing this, Christians came up with the theory that some kind of intelligent designer (read their God), somehow created the world using a combination of intelligent design and evolution. It was an attempt to stop the slow death Christianity, which despite its recent help from the far right is in serious decline.
Enter Abby Hafer who challenges the concept of an intelligent designer with simple biology, starting with the most obvious design flaw, the fact that a man's testicles hang outside his body where they are vulnerable to attack and mutilation. She then moves onto the vagina and points out the design flaws there as well. These two instances alone point out that if God really was a designer he would've been kicked out of design school for incompetence.
It's a quick read, it took me longer because I had other books to read but it's a fantastic book packed full of useful arguments to use when coming up against your Christian friends who might try to use the Intelligent Design argument. It has pictures and diagrams as well, which serve to drive the point home that the Intelligent Design argument is fundamentally flawed. I keep it on my Kindle because it's a handy reference book.
Enter Abby Hafer who challenges the concept of an intelligent designer with simple biology, starting with the most obvious design flaw, the fact that a man's testicles hang outside his body where they are vulnerable to attack and mutilation. She then moves onto the vagina and points out the design flaws there as well. These two instances alone point out that if God really was a designer he would've been kicked out of design school for incompetence.
It's a quick read, it took me longer because I had other books to read but it's a fantastic book packed full of useful arguments to use when coming up against your Christian friends who might try to use the Intelligent Design argument. It has pictures and diagrams as well, which serve to drive the point home that the Intelligent Design argument is fundamentally flawed. I keep it on my Kindle because it's a handy reference book.
November 16, 2017
For those who are not well versed in the biological sciences, this would be a good text for expanding on what information they had gleaned in high school biology. For those whose higher education and careers allowed them to expand and incorporate the aspects of sciences that support and authenticate the core idea that binds all biological sciences together, this is a fun escape for a few hours a day for the reading of it.
Filled with caustic wit and jibes against "Intelligent Design" proponents, this small volumn draws one into the realm of those aspects of biology, biochemistry, anatomy, and physiology that strongly... STRONGLY... support the idea that all species are related and that all species have developed from previous species.
I met and spoke with and purchased this book directly from the author at an event at which she was presenting a talk on "sexual development"... somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek look at norms and that lampooned those who try to shoe-horn all life into a dichotomy.
Filled with caustic wit and jibes against "Intelligent Design" proponents, this small volumn draws one into the realm of those aspects of biology, biochemistry, anatomy, and physiology that strongly... STRONGLY... support the idea that all species are related and that all species have developed from previous species.
I met and spoke with and purchased this book directly from the author at an event at which she was presenting a talk on "sexual development"... somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek look at norms and that lampooned those who try to shoe-horn all life into a dichotomy.
June 1, 2016
Easily digestible
Like most people who aren't scientists, I too rarely read scientific journals, but at least I understand and accept the usefulness of science. It's also true that most proponents of Intelligent Design (ID) would prefer their "version" of events be taught in schools at taxpayer expense. This book sets itself a monumental task of both addressing ID's not-so-subtle political tactics as well as providing enough evidence to bury it once and for all. It succeeds for the most part, but the political side of the discussion does get a little repetitive. Ultimately, though, it was more satisfying to see ID get ripped a new one like it deserved. Not only is evolution by natural selection the only viable solution, it's also more satisfying than saying "God did it."
Like most people who aren't scientists, I too rarely read scientific journals, but at least I understand and accept the usefulness of science. It's also true that most proponents of Intelligent Design (ID) would prefer their "version" of events be taught in schools at taxpayer expense. This book sets itself a monumental task of both addressing ID's not-so-subtle political tactics as well as providing enough evidence to bury it once and for all. It succeeds for the most part, but the political side of the discussion does get a little repetitive. Ultimately, though, it was more satisfying to see ID get ripped a new one like it deserved. Not only is evolution by natural selection the only viable solution, it's also more satisfying than saying "God did it."
June 28, 2019
Excellent book, informative and humorous. A good explanation of Intelligent Design as it truly is, a tool for the Conservative Religious lobby to get education out of our schools and dumb down future generations so they are easier to control.
June 27, 2019
Excellent read, thorough and amusing; precise, concise, and enlightening. I highly recommend.
January 21, 2025
Reading _The Not-So-Intelligent Designer_ by Abby Hafer was a refreshing dive into the world of evolutionary biology and a critical examination of the concept of Intelligent Design (ID). The book is incredibly accessible, making complex scientific ideas understandable for readers who might not have a background in science. Hafer's writing style is engaging and often humorous, which makes the book not only informative but also enjoyable to read.
One of the key points Hafer makes is the critique of Intelligent Design. She argues ID lacks a scientific basis and is often driven by political motivations. The book discusses the "Wedge Strategy," a tactic used by ID proponents to introduce religious ideas into science education. Hafer effectively dismantles arguments like "Irreducible Complexity" and "Specified Complexity," which suggest that certain biological structures are too complex to have evolved naturally. She provides clear examples and scientific evidence to refute these claims.
Hafer also highlights the concept of "Bad Design" in the human body as evidence against an intelligent designer. She uses examples such as placing human testicles and the design of the birth canal to illustrate her point. These examples are not only thought-provoking but also underscore the randomness and imperfections inherent in evolutionary processes.
The book delves into the importance of evolution as a more plausible explanation for the design of the human body. Hafer supports this with scientific evidence, emphasizing that evolution, unlike ID, is backed by a wealth of research and data. She also touches on the role of materialism in science, defending it as a necessary approach to understanding the natural world.
Hafer's discussion on political arguments is interesting. She stresses the need for clear, memorable arguments to counter ID, recognizing that the debate is as much political as it is scientific. This perspective is crucial for anyone interested in the intersection of science and public policy.
Overall, _The Not-So-Intelligent Designer_ is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the flaws of Intelligent Design and the strength of evolutionary theory. Hafer's ability to make complex ideas accessible and her use of humor make this book a valuable resource for both newcomers to the topic and those looking to deepen their understanding of evolution.
One of the key points Hafer makes is the critique of Intelligent Design. She argues ID lacks a scientific basis and is often driven by political motivations. The book discusses the "Wedge Strategy," a tactic used by ID proponents to introduce religious ideas into science education. Hafer effectively dismantles arguments like "Irreducible Complexity" and "Specified Complexity," which suggest that certain biological structures are too complex to have evolved naturally. She provides clear examples and scientific evidence to refute these claims.
Hafer also highlights the concept of "Bad Design" in the human body as evidence against an intelligent designer. She uses examples such as placing human testicles and the design of the birth canal to illustrate her point. These examples are not only thought-provoking but also underscore the randomness and imperfections inherent in evolutionary processes.
The book delves into the importance of evolution as a more plausible explanation for the design of the human body. Hafer supports this with scientific evidence, emphasizing that evolution, unlike ID, is backed by a wealth of research and data. She also touches on the role of materialism in science, defending it as a necessary approach to understanding the natural world.
Hafer's discussion on political arguments is interesting. She stresses the need for clear, memorable arguments to counter ID, recognizing that the debate is as much political as it is scientific. This perspective is crucial for anyone interested in the intersection of science and public policy.
Overall, _The Not-So-Intelligent Designer_ is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the flaws of Intelligent Design and the strength of evolutionary theory. Hafer's ability to make complex ideas accessible and her use of humor make this book a valuable resource for both newcomers to the topic and those looking to deepen their understanding of evolution.
April 7, 2020
I didnt like this book so much , although i consider my self as an enthusiastic ordinary reader who gets impressed by the beauty and uniqueness of evolution.
This important section of the evolutionary evidence "the improper design , vestigial organs , the NON-logical ways of how our body works in certian circumstances" are among the most beautiful and powerful topics in explaining evolution and showing the undisputable story of how every living organism evolved.
I was hoping to find a (scientific) book that explain these important sections of the theory and put it all together , instead of this book that is full of criticism to the ID proponents , and written in a political language rather than scientific.
I understood the purpose of the writer , and she make it very clear in her introduction , that this book is to face the political/religous arms that oppose the true science by their psudoscience etc.
But like i said , i was hoping to ....
This important section of the evolutionary evidence "the improper design , vestigial organs , the NON-logical ways of how our body works in certian circumstances" are among the most beautiful and powerful topics in explaining evolution and showing the undisputable story of how every living organism evolved.
I was hoping to find a (scientific) book that explain these important sections of the theory and put it all together , instead of this book that is full of criticism to the ID proponents , and written in a political language rather than scientific.
I understood the purpose of the writer , and she make it very clear in her introduction , that this book is to face the political/religous arms that oppose the true science by their psudoscience etc.
But like i said , i was hoping to ....
February 24, 2024
This was a quick read with very short chapters. Lots of good scientific information. She explains a lot about the history of the Discovery Institute and how it's not a scientific institution and how Intelligent Design is not a scientific theory.
Sometimes the antagonistic tone got a bit much for me, even though I'm in the "choir" she's speaking to. The book is definitely geared toward people who already accept evolution and just want talking points when discussing the ideas with science deniers. While I knew most of the science topics she discusses (various "bad designs" in the human body), I thought the explanations were excellent, and I learned a few things I didn't previously know.
Sometimes the antagonistic tone got a bit much for me, even though I'm in the "choir" she's speaking to. The book is definitely geared toward people who already accept evolution and just want talking points when discussing the ideas with science deniers. While I knew most of the science topics she discusses (various "bad designs" in the human body), I thought the explanations were excellent, and I learned a few things I didn't previously know.
November 23, 2021
I was taught Intelligent Design and Creationism in school, so it was fascinating to read about the parts of the human anatomy that are badly designed when you really look at them. She also got into the politics of Intelligent Design which did get a bit repetitive. Not for everyone, but I enjoy learning the science behind things. Books have helped me think for myself. 😊
February 9, 2023
An excellent and easy to understand primer on evolution vs creationism. This book DOES NOT set out to dismiss religion, its aim is to argue that intelligent design/creationism has no place being taught as SCIENCE in the tax-payer funded public education system.
September 16, 2024
An amusing, short read. Hafer highlights some basic issues with ID and points out some flaws. She does explain some scientific concepts. However, if you want a through explanation, this is not the book. Good read, though. The narration works well.
February 3, 2020
Very much worth the read!! Science trumps because it starts with the question & works toward an answer. It doesn’t start with an end in mind & make the facts fit. Interesting & enlightened read.
December 13, 2025
Good message, bad story telling
December 8, 2024
Shorter than I expected, but good.
March 1, 2017
Author has great examples, but is so confident in her content that she doesn't reason as careful as she should. A 2nd edition could be an outstanding book.
May 12, 2019
Logical with important concepts. However, it’s very repetitive because the author is so indignant.
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