Making of the Fittest

by Sean B. Carroll

DNA evidence not only solves crimes - if you know how to read it, it can also reveal the history of life on Earth. This title guides the general reader on a tour of the DNA record left by three billion years of evolution to see how the fittest were made.

Genres: Science, Evolution, Nonfiction, Biology, Genetics, Popular Science, Science Nature

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Sean B. Carroll (born September 17, 1960) is a professor of molecular biology, genetics, and medical genetics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He studies the evolution of cis-regulation in the context of biological development, using Drosophila as a model system. He is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. Since 2010, he has been vice-president for science education of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting if somewhat scattered tour through genes focusing on evolutionary proofs.

Preface: Beyond Any Reasonable Doubt was too long & there is an introduction. Redundant; do one or the other. Basically he's going to make a case for evolution that proves it beyond a reasonable doubt just using DNA. No need to convince me & I doubt it will convince anyone who believes in magic, but I like the premise.

Introduction: The Bloodless Fish of Bouvet Island is about the ice fish of Antarctica. Very wild adaptation & it's interesting how it came about.

The Everyday Math of Evolution: Chance, Selection, and Time is excellent. I've always said that people (like my neighbors) who believe in Creationism are just bad with numbers. (Of course, they're stuck in a 6,000 year time frame, so magic is the only answer.) Anyway, he spends some time with probabilities & statistics that make sense of how changes can multiply. It's not the best explanation I've read, though. He tends to wander around too much.

Immortal Genes: Running in Place for Eons were something I'd heard about, but never heard defined before. His definition was foggy, but I got the gist. A few basic processes are necessary & the genes that control them haven't changed because when they do, the life-form dies.

Making the New from the Old is about genes changing over time. Really interesting example of our eyesight. We have trichromatic vision now, but many (most?) mammals don't, yet many reptiles, birds, & such do. Our common ancestor did. Apparently when mammals were little hunted things, we lived at night so color wasn't important & we became dichromatic. As we became day-dwellers, we redeveloped color perception, but in different ways. Great examples between the genetics of New & Old World monkeys.

Fossil Genes: Broken Pieces of Yesterday's Life Use it or lose it, as with color vision. Genes will mutate. If they don't cause a survival issue, the broken gene just becomes more & more broken until it is a fossil. If the broken gene does cause a survival issue, then natural selection sees that it isn't passed on.

Deja Vu: How and Why Evolution Repeats Itself Life adapts or dies off. How it adapts may look very similar but is often done through different mechanisms. Great examples with the specific needs of sight as compared to coloring which can be accomplished in many ways.

Our Flesh and Blood: Arms Races, the Human Race, and Natural Selection Arms races between species make for fast evolution & we've seen some in our own race. Several good examples, although the malaria one didn't fully mesh with what I've read before. I was rather disappointed in the uneven description.

The Making and Evolution of Complexity is about how complex structures develop out of simple ones. Again, a lot of really good info, but he never really went through the steps in a cohesive manner.

Seeing and Believing held some horrific examples of where ideology overshadowed science to the detriment of all. The main example was the denial of genetics by the USSR. Along with collectivism, this led to millions starving. This is the same sort of ignorance held by many fundamentalist Protestants here in the US. Thankfully, the Catholic church has recently (finally!) recognized evolution & then there is the Clergy Letter Project, religious groups & leaders who are willing to write to school boards & such to keep religion out of science. Carroll also provides more examples of why 'intelligent design' isn't science.

I had no idea chiropractors were against vaccination & such. I go to one occasionally (every 3 -5 years) to get my back cracked, generally my left sacroiliac. When it goes out, nothing makes in better until a strong chiropractor snaps it back into place. Then I have to be careful & keep a rolled up towel to brace it while sitting for a while. Definitely not a placebo effect, so I don't think they're all completely full of crap, but many scientists & doctors think so, including a couple of very good orthopedic surgeons I knew well who couldn't fix that pain. Well, even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

The Palm Trees of Wyoming is a grim ending. He points out the wonderful fossils unearthed in Utah during the building of the transcontinental railroad & the sort of creatures & climate it shows. Fittest is fleeting, even precarious. He then goes on give some horrifying stats on sea life & its degradation. (Also a big horn sheep example.) It's plain scary. Even when we finally get around to protecting a species, we may well have altered the balance too much for the species or even the ecosystem to recover.

One of his examples is the Chesapeake Bay. I grew up gathering crabs in a hand net tossing them into a bushel basket in an inner tube tied to my waist with a rope. Even my 7 year old self could get a respectable catch in an hour of wading through the grasses. That area, along with over a third of the bay, is now a dead zone. No crabs, no grass in less than half a century. Horrifying.

This last chapter is fantastic & by far the best argument he made for evolution. Without understanding evolutionary & ecological forces, we're doing this to our entire world. It's not just one species that we hunt to extinction, but all the other parts of the ecosystem that depend on them.

This book isn't going to convince anyone who doesn't believe in evolution that it does exist. Carroll's arguments were too scattered. He seems like a smart guy & I loved all the neat facts, but he rarely brought them together properly. Still, it was quite interesting especially when put together with other books on evolution & genetics. Unseen Diversity: The World of Bacteria & Venomous: How Earth's Deadliest Creatures Mastered Biochemistry also blend well with it.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book over the course of an entire semester of college, as it was assigned for my Ecology, Evolution & Society Biology class. That being said, I am sad to see it come to an end as this semester winds to a close as well. I had begun to look forward to the new piece of evidence or explanation for natural selection that Carroll provided with each new chapter. He presents a myriad of examples in very simplified way, so as to provide readers with an easier and more comprehensive way of understanding the mechanisms of evolution. He does so by utilizing the newest way in which scientists have begun to understand evolution and shared ancestry: through DNA.

With each chapter, Carroll clearly explains the inner-workings of evolution, and presents new and interesting findings and statistics that you might have never heard of before. Upon finishing this book, you will have a new wealth of knowledge regarding the ways in which species interact with one another to foster the grand ecosystem that is the tree of life. Every organism, even the most seemingly insignificant ones, have a purpose in the world, for each organism is but a puzzle piece within the constantly changing web or organisms. The fittest is a conditional phase, and no organism is guaranteed to be at the top of the hierarchy forever. Thus, we are all in an evolutionary arm's race of sorts--I think our status as animals sharing this earth among many others who must run just as fast as us to keep up with nature, is quite beautiful, if you think about it.

I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in biology, evolution, Darwinism, etc. Those who are beginners in biology/people who lack a sufficient scientific background will be pleased to find that Carroll makes this understandable and interesting for the average Joe.

10/10

[Aurélien Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gobsmacking! From convergent evolution to fossil genes we are here taken through a breathtaking journey into the realm of evolution, with DNA's point of view as sole guide and captain.

Sean B. Carroll's genocentrism is captivating, fascinating, enlightening. His writing style is engaging and very accessible. The whole is a great work absolutely impossible to put down until the last line of the last page!

Brillantly, he also argues for a better recognition of evolutionary science those impact, from environmental issues to medicine cannot be underestimated. About, he's not afraid to blow away anti-evolutionary fantasies -from Lyssenko's case in the USSR to the more contemporary and burning debate around the so-called 'Intelligent Design'.

Fantastic!

[Andy]

DNF. Seems like solid science with good illustrative stories. Just not that interesting to me.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I studied evolution for the first time at age 26 in a "first year biology for science majors" course at Utah State University. Amazingly (at least, it seems amazing to me now, knowing how foundational evolutionary principles are to every aspect of modern biology), evolution was never even mentioned in my high school biology class, nor was it seriously touched upon in any class I took at Brigham Young University, beyond professors referring us to official Church statements on evolution (which basically boil down to "the Church takes no official stand on the matter"). I can't blame them for their reluctance, since despite the Church's official open-mindedness on the subject, BYU faculty had received specific instruction from Boyd K. Packer, then acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, not to teach evolution at BYU. So, even though some members of BYU faculty were themselves involved in evolutionary biology research (you can't really do biology research that doesn't take into account evolutionary principles because it's such a foundational concept), they were instructed NOT to teach these principles to their students.

So I went into that Utah State biology course with a lot of cultural baggage. I knew going into it that evolution would be one of the main things we'd study, and I steeled myself against believing in a scientific theory that I'd been warned (first by a well-intentioned mother when I was in the 5th grade, and strengthened by a an ardently anti-evolution Institute teacher) went against the teachings of the Bible and was incompatible with a belief in a Creator-God. Luckily, my biology professor--a great and compassionate teacher and scientist named Frank Messina--knew his audience (about half active Mormons) well enough to know that we'd need to get over that cultural hurdle before we could get excited about studying evolution. He recommended some books by LDS scientists willing to write candidly about their experiences with the intersection of science and faith (one of the best was Reflections of a Scientist by Henry Eyring). Reading those books, I considered for the first time the possibility that my faith and the study of evolution might not be incompatible. Because of that, I was able to really delve into the subject that semester and grew to really love it for all its highly nuanced simplicity. Dr. Messina taught two units that semester: evolution and ecology. It started to hit home with me how fundamental a principle evolution is when I realized how much it informed our understanding of ecology, and I eventually came to see how it underpins our understanding of everything in biology.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book (The Making of the Fittest). It was dense enough reading that I ended up checking it out from the library several times because I'd have to put it down for a while and absorb before picking up again where I'd left off. It was a great review of the basics of evolutionary biology, and also taught me new things that have been discovered in the ten years since I took that college biology course. In the second-to-last chapter, the author switches gears and talks about the underpinnings of the perceived need by some to deny evolution. And in the final chapter, he gives an impassioned and convincing argument for the importance of understanding the mechanisms of evolution--not just for scientists, but for policymakers, natural resource managers, and anyone who interacts with the natural world (which, whether we realize it or not, is all of us). I highly, highly recommend this one.

[Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a country where the teaching of evolutionary biology is being suppressed in the schools, and where very few people actually UNDERSTAND what evolution is, this book could not have come at a better time. It is a very engaging introduction or review of the principle of evolution, meant for laypeople who care enough to be in the know. Many might be surprised to know that what we know about evolution is not only based on the fossil record but on the "DNA record". In the same way we can trace paternity, DNA also bears the marks left by millions of years of evolution. So it makes no sense that the same people who put their trust in DNA tests that identify the father of a child or determine the guilt or innocence of criminals are the same folks who do NOT trust the DNA tests that give undisputable proof of the reality of evolution. The book also deals head-on with the "anti-evolution" sentiments, and just how such ignorance could endanger our very survival, in light of how evolutionary science has helped us fight diseases, battle cancer, insure a reliable food supply -- all the things that we take for granted in our comfortable, modern existence.

[Alvaro de Menard · Rating 2 out of 5]

A curious artifact from a different era. Perfectly captures the zeitgeist of the peak of internet atheism and creationism debates. One could make statements about human evolution then which would be quite dangerous today.

The stuff on DNA and evolution is pretty wide and not that deep. All of it has been covered better elsewhere. There's a chapter on EvoDevo for example, but it stays on the surface of things and I would recommend reading Endless Forms Most Beautiful (by the same author!) instead.

On top of the evolution stuff you also have a random sprinkling of skeptic-related causes (dull and cringey rants about chiropractors), plus a very generic liberal environmentalism which basically ignores everything the author had written up to that point.

Probably more interesting as a marker of a (short, but memorable) era than a book about DNA and evolution.

[LiN · Rating 4 out of 5]

ดีเอ็นเอเปรียบเสมือนล็อกบันทึกข้อมูล และร่องรอยเกือบทุกอย่างในประวัติศาสตร์ของสิ่งมีชีวิต แสดงให้เห็นว่าระหว่างการเดินทางอันยาวนาน สายพันธุ์หนึ่ง ๆ มีการปรับตัวอย่างไร โดยการเปรียบเทียบสปีชีส์ที่ใกล้เคียงกันและห่างออกไปหน่อย ๆ

ตัวอย่างในเล่มนี้ค่อนข้างเยอะและเข้าใจไม่ยาก เช่น ปลาในแถบขั้วโลกที่ต้องปรับตัวให้อยู่ในอุณหภูมิหนาวเย็น การมองเห็นของสัตว์ต่าง ๆ รวมทั้งมนุษย์ที่มีทั้งช่วงรีแล็กซ์และแอคทีฝกว่าเราจะมี trichromatic vision เช่นทุกวันนี้ ขณะที่บางสปีชีส์มองเห็นได้มากกว่า sickle blood cells กับมาลาเรีย สีผิวและปริมาณรังสียูวีในเขตต่าง ๆ ของโลก ฯลฯ

นอกจากสาระเกี่ยวกับวิวัฒนาการแล้วยังพูดถึง anti-evolution, anti-vax ในมุมมองของวิทยาศาสตร์ ศาสนา และการเมือง ซึ่งต้องผ่านความรุนแรง และมืดบอดนานับกว่าแนวคิดเรื่องวิวัฒนาการจะเป็นที่ยอมรับในประเทศหนึ่ง ๆ ในเล่มนี้ยกตัวอย่างรัสเซียยุคสตาลิน ค่อนข้างน่าหดหู่ทีเดียว

ในตอนสุดท้ายผู้เขียนวกมากล่าวถึง unnatural selection ซึ่งก็คือมนุษย์นั่นเอง เราล่า ขยายอุตสาหกรรม เพื่อเลี้ยงดูประชากร ความต้องการที่มากอย่างไร้การควบคุมส่งผลต่อสิ่งมีชีวิตเกือบทุกชนิด การวิวัฒนาการที่ต้องใช้เวลาหลายหมื่นหลายแสนปีตามความเร็วของมนุษย์ไม่ทัน และสมดุลก็เริ่มเสีย

ปรากฏการณ์โดมิโนในห่วงโซ่อาหาร สุดท้ายก็จะวนกลับมาที่ผู้บริโภคลำดับท้ายสุด… มนุษย์

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although it tends at times to be too dry and formal for a pop-sci book, this is a well-built explanation of the genetics behind evolution, and has a lot of valuable things to say.

The book's best points are definitely the scientific and historical anecdotes at the beginning of each chapter. Carroll's voice at these points becomes much more lively and engaging. When he goes to explain the science behind, say, the "bloodless" icefish of the South Ocean, he immediately reverts to a scholarly tone that has probably lost this book a lot of readers.

I read Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo more than a year ago, and found it really hard going for a lot of the same reasons. I suspect The Making of the Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution was written to explain what readers of that book were presumed to understand already. I wish now that I'd read this one, first, and might pick up Endless Forms again to see if it makes more sense this time.

Overall, I really recommend The Making of the Fittest. It requires careful, active reading, but in the end I found it well worth the effort. I'll definitely be on the lookout for Carroll's other work!

[David Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful update for those of us who want to know what gene sequencing is unearthing about our relatives, including great great etc uncle slime mould and the astonishing bloodless ice fish. Hammering the points home is unfortunately not going to convert entrenched creationists, probably just annoy them.

[Daphne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this one years ago, and just found it on audio. I enjoyed it almost as much now as I remember doing so then. Not a ton of ground shifting information for those that have an interest in evolution and history of science, but still an important pop-sci book.

[Illiterate · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good introduction to the way genomics and maths fill out and support the theory of evolution. Chapter 9 onwards is boring if well-intentioned.

[Lis Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carroll starts out by talking about forensic use of DNA evidence in criminal cases, where we rely on DNA evidence to determine guilt or innocence, often in cases where the death penalty or long imprisonment is at stake. He explains, in simple terms, how this works and why it matters.

And then he explains the contradiction between the wide popular acceptance of DNA evidence by the general public, and the widespread resistance to or rejection of evolution.

Organized in three main sections, Carroll lays out, first, how DNA analysis works, why it is solid evidence of evolution, and how it enables us to decipher the evolutionary history of organisms; what it tells us about how evolution has worked, focusing on specific examples such as the evolution of vision in insects, primates, cetaceans, and fish, and why Antarctic ice fish have no hemoglobin in their blood; and finally, the major arguments against evolution and responses to them.

The book is written in clear, understandable terms. Carroll acknowledges that some of the concepts are complex, but says they're both important and within the ability of the reader to understand, and then proceeds to explain them in an accessible way without talking down to his readers. In the audio version, we don't get the benefit of seeing the figures and illustrations while listening to the text, but in the audio CD edition, they are included on the final disk. In the final section, refuting objections to evolution, Carroll is respectful and never mocks those he disagrees with, but is absolutely firm and clear about why they are wrong.

Patrick Lawlor, as the reader, is excellent, with a clear, expressive voice that captures, I think, exactly the tone that Sean Carroll intended.

Highly recommended.

I borrowed this book from a friend.

[Andy Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Carroll is a well-respected biologist and a contemporary Darwin scholar.

He shares his original insights and connects them to the latest research in evolutionary biology.

The book will anger some conservative Christians. It will also frustrate many chiropractors, and well as the occasional Soviet communist.

The tone is a bit arrogant, but the explanations of the DNA record are clear and accessible for anyone with a knowledge of high school biology and genetics.

The story moves more briskly and clearly than I thought possible.

If you’re interested in learning more about the evidence behind Darwinian evolution, you need to read this book. I particularly enjoyed reading about the ice fish, an animal completely free of red blood cells. You’ll find a favorite anecdote or two as well.

I give it my highest recommendation!

[Nola · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the explanations of the various facets of evolution, of vision, especially. It was also interesting to hear what happened to plant genetics in post-World War II Russia. I didn't like the way that Carroll argued for evolution and the attacks he made on creationists. It seems to me that the facts stand on their own, and can be understood by anyone willing without being force-fed. I almost never do feel, however, that an appeal for environmentalism, as in the last chapter of this book, is misplaced, and I was horrified by the new facts there. It was especially compelling that Carrol himself says he had just found out about the statistics in the final chapter while doing the research for the book.

[Aca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a hard time finding any exciting information in this book even though genetics and evolution are captivating. Most of the content is either too redundant to my knowledge, overly generalized or unnecessary specific.

The problem that I see with this book is a lack of future foresight. Nowadays, everyone is familiar with evolution, it has been a hot topic for over 150 years. There is no need for another book proving this theory. On the contrary, genetics is a rapidly developing branch of biology promising many fascinating discoveries, and, yet, the author does not mention any of them.

[Cheryl]

Eh. The accessible parts of this were familiar, and I won't have access to it long enough to take a class in genetics to be able to understand the details. For once I've found a science book that actually would, imo, be improved with a bit more of a narrative. The last chapter is interesting, though....

[Tom Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thorough exploration of evolution and certainly informative, but a little too dry for my tastes.

[Islomjon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The purpose of the book is to explain correctness of theory of evolution using DNA analysis, understanding natural selection and the wide diversity of species. Sean B. Carroll divided entire book to three logical parts: before meal, meal (the most difficult part to understand) and dessert. Author gave a truthful evidences to DNA record in our genes and dispelled a lot of important hesitations towards evolution: why we did need evolution.
It also worth to note that Carroll interesting used some historical events, which made reading interesting. Albeit it was difficult to understand 'meal' part, but it was interesting to read last chapters regarding to ignorance of theory of evolution and anthropological effect.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as engaging as other books by Carroll, but I can appreciate the tireless and expansive amount of research it took to create this book. And beyond that, the masterful grasp of this information and overall expertise that is required to write a book on this subject and make it accessible to a wide audience is commendable. It never felt condescending (which a lot of biology books can) and helped me better grasp concepts that I had once been taught in college, but promptly forgot about.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping for more in depth science, but this was a fantastic introductory book.

[Anuraag Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

[Blaire Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this for class. Easy to understand and informative. I liked that the author injected some humor throughout which helped hold my interest.

[Alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly good for a school assignment. Definitely a bit basic for my taste and therefore a bit boring at times but well written and well substantiated.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think my background is skewing how I see this book. I have an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and a graduate degree in cell, molecular, and developmental biology, so some of the information presented here seemed either oversimplified or obvious. I also have a legal background, and in one of my two constitutional law classes we spent a decent amount of time on the Religion Clauses of the First Amendment. In particular, we learned a great deal about the intelligent design movement and the Kitzmiller v. Dover case, which is discussed (although not by name) in Chapter 9, and I would have enjoyed an expanded discussion of both the case and “irreducible complexity.” Incidentally, Michael Behe and irreducible complexity both showed up in Kitzmiller. Finally, while I accept the theory of evolution - and for people who want to plead "it's only a theory" I also accept the theory of gravitation, the theory of relativity, and the germ theory of disease - and an old earth, I know several young-earth creationists very well and interact with them regularly. With all that in mind, here goes…

First, I appreciated the sections on the mathematics behind evolution, particularly the frequency of new mutations for natural selection to act on. This section would be especially useful when interacting with young-earth creationists, because from what I can see there is a strong belief that the idea of an old earth was postulated primarily because of the time frames required for evolution, so it was useful to see the evidence of the frequency of mutations clearly laid out. And it doesn’t take nearly as long as one might think. Yes, you’d need longer than six thousand years, but four and a half billion years is far more than enough. So, if you have to interact with young-earth creationists and they keep trying to start arguments based on statistics and probability with you, I would recommend reading this book just to get a feel for the numbers. I would not recommend giving it to them; most of them would never read a book with a title like this. However, if you read it yourself you can start bringing up math as soon as they do. One caveat about this chapter: The calculations for mutation frequency don’t explicitly include a calculation for the probability that the mutation will end up in the germ line, and thus be evolutionarily relevant.

As a graduate student, I worked with two highly conserved (“immortal”) gene sequences, including the 16S sequence, so Woese and his work were familiar to me. But I do believe some more explanation should have been included here. While Woese’s work was discussed, the 16S sequence was never brought up by name or even described. I think the 16S gene should have been named and its function described, and then it would have been obvious why this gene is “immortal” and the reasons Woese selected it would have been more clear. Similarly, a conserved region of the elongation factor 1-alpha gene was shown, but there was no discussion of what elongation factor 1-alpha does or why it’s important to cells across all three domains. To me this was a recurring problem; the “why’s” that would have helped the argument were left undiscussed. The preface made it clear this was supposed to be an argument, or a “brief,” in favor of evolutionary theory, and it’s always best to discuss all the relevant information, the reasons why you cited that information, and how it helps the case you’re building. Of course, it’s also best to have a concise argument with a chain of reasoning that can be clearly linked to the “clincher” statement, which were also things I couldn’t always find. Incidentally, there are plenty of highly conserved genes to choose from for a discussion like this, and I think “The Violinist’s Thumb” did a much better job with explaining the conservation of the hox genes.

Because this topic came up in the same chapter, I’ll add that I’d like to learn more about the idea of eukaryotes being the result of a “merger” between bacterial and archaean parents – this version of the tree of life was never presented, even in grad school, and I’m most familiar with the version that has bacteria and archaea splitting off and then eukaryotes splitting off from archaea. Genetic similarities in eukaryotes and archaeans are in genes that encode for enzymes associated with transcription and translation. But eukaryotes have much more in common with bacteria when it comes to genes that encode for enzymes associated with metabolic enzymes or for basic cellular components. The merger idea makes more sense, but if it were widely accepted one would think I’d have heard of it before (the book was published in 2006, when I was in grad school). In addition, the table on page 77 is making me wonder whether there is an upper limit on the number of genes in a genome; if so, it would explain why alternative splicing came to be, even though it is very costly in terms of energy.

Speaking of energetic costs, another thing that drove me crazy is that a discussion of energy requirements when it comes to producing certain proteins was not included. Proteins that might otherwise confer a selective advantage can be so energetically costly to make that they fall out of the pool if the advantage is not immediately apparent. Venoms or poisons tend to be biochemically expensive, and this is one of the reasons why mimicry is such a popular tactic. Similarly, heat-resistant proteins and other cellular components tend to be very costly in terms of energy, so any advantage conferred would need to show up relatively early. In addition, it takes longer and costs more energy to transcribe a larger genome, and so reproduction also takes longer and costs more. These balancing factors were not discussed, and I felt like they should have been.

Furthermore, I’m not even sure who the intended audience for the book is supposed to be. For one thing, while the 16S gene was alluded to but never named and elongation factor 1-alpha was named but never discussed, it seemed like the book was initially targeted toward readers with a casual interest in biology. But then the book brought up specific codons and included portions of protein sequences that were written using the single-letter abbreviations for each amino acid. Although I still remember a lot of biochemistry, I do not remember every single codon or the single-letter abbreviations for each amino acid, and a reader with a more casual interest would likely find it even more confusing. This problem could have been easily resolved by including an appendix with a few tables containing this information. But other parts of the book were obviously geared more towards non-specialists, such as the discussion of opsins. It’s possible to successfully achieve an “in-between” effect, but it’s very rare and usually requires including a lot of technical information somewhere in the book (usually a few appendices) and making it clear that the reader can consult those appendices for a more detailed discussion. This worked well for A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth.

For the interested (review continues beneath second table):

The codons:



The single-letter amino acid abbreviations:



As for seeking to convince creationists by pointing out the evidence for evolution from molecular biology, I will simply point out that most creationists do not completely discount the idea that both natural selection and evolution can happen. When confronted with the development and spread of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, or the pigment shifts in the peppered moth, they will say these are examples of “microevolution” and this is not the problem. It is “macroevolution” that they object to, and as far as I’ve been able to tell no amount of discussion will convince them that small changes over time can add up to very large changes. Also, pointing out the universally conserved sequences isn’t going to help much at all, because the similarities will be interpreted as evidence for design (think “we create similar tools for similar tasks.”) Under these circumstances, even very strong evidence isn’t going to help nearly as much as one might think.

I did like Chapter 9, and I found the discussion of the most common arguments and tactics used to attempt to undermine scientific arguments interesting, especially because the same pattern is emerging when it comes to climate change in the United States:

1. Doubt the science (and make teaching it effectively impossible)
2. Question the motives and integrity of scientists (and bring up grant funding at every opportunity)
3. Play up legitimate disagreements among scientists, and cite gadflies as authorities (bonus points if you can find credentialed scientists outside the relevant field to take your side – creationists arguing against evolution have been known to cite arguments from “PhD scientists” whose degrees are in physics and astronomy)
4. Exaggerate potential harm
5. Appeal to personal freedom (an especially powerful tactic in the United States)
6. Argue that accepting the science means rejecting the core of another set of beliefs vital to a person, his or her community, or both (bonus points if this is religious faith or political values, which can then be linked to personal freedom)

And I don't think it's a coincidence that the same group of people who oppose the idea of evolution also oppose the idea of climate change.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

For us scientists who spend our holidays explaining basic science concepts to our non-scientist relatives, this conversationally written book is chock full of some of the best examples that clearly illustrate and support the evolution by the forces of natural selection. Carroll simplifies DNA and molecular data and the mathematics of probability so that most people could have a better understanding of the principles that underpin evolution, and indeed, all of biology. As someone quite partial to vision, I was impressed with his chapters on eye evolution. Although I felt that he left out some key pieces of information, I had to keep reminding myself that he was writing for an audience that doesn't already know the difference between rhabdomeric and cilliary photoreceptors. Besides, he does include quite an extensive list of extra reading for people who want to know more about specific concepts and examples.

While the bulk of Carroll's book focuses on providing a clear and well-supported lay explanation of evolution, the last two chapters set this volume apart from any other popular biology book that I've read. In the chapter entitled, "Seeing and Believing", Carroll chronicles several examples of ideological resistance to science: the French doctors who did not believe Pasteur's experiments on the microbe causes of many diseases; Lysenko and the soviet era of the denial of DNA as hereditary information; chiropractors and their denial of the efficacy of the Polio vaccine; and finally evolution naysayers. This chapter alone should at least convince the people who scoff at evolution to re-evaluate their position.

The last chapter, "The Palm Trees of Wyoming" is a wake-up call for all of us. By juxtaposing the fossil record, the state of the world's oceanic fisheries (dire from all the numbers he quotes), and history of human impact on the natural world, Carroll points out that the most alarming consequence of not understanding the implications of evolution could be our own demise...after we have destroyed a multitude of ecosystems by our actions. If only we could learn the lessons of evolution by natural selection we would see how our unnatural selective pressure on many species has altered them to the point of being unable to survive.

To all of my friends and fellow readers who may or may not know much about evolution or science, I highly recommend this book. I especially urge high school biology teachers to read this and consider assigning it (or a few chapters) to their classes.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. 2.5 stars, but I'll round up to three because it was enjoyable enough that I made it through the whole thing without getting TOO bored or annoyed.

But first of all, dangit! How did I get stuck with another audiobook narrated by Patrick Lawlor? I meant to avoid him from now on after his reading of Buddy Levy's Conquistador; at least he didn't have any Spanish to butcher this time. I'm sure he's a very nice man, but I have a really hard time with his accent. I just do. However, I did actually manage to make it all the way through his reading of this book, so yay me!

As to the book itself, I found it in turns pretty interesting and pretty frustrating. I really enjoyed the parts about the evolution of the eye, but most of the other examples Carroll uses I have seen documented much more thoroughly in other books, so those parts had less appeal for me. I imagine folks that haven't read or heard about them before will enjoy them much more than I did. I also felt like at times Carroll got pretty repetetive, and his habit of ending every chapter with something like, "in the next chapter, I'll talk about so-and-so..." really got on my nerves. I don't really need you to tell me what you're going to start talking about on the next page--just move along and talk about it already! It felt kind of...I don't know. Amateurish? I didn't like it, whatever it felt like. And then the chapter about intelligent design seemed really unnecessary to me. I get the idea that he's trying to convert people from intelligent design to believing in evolution with the power of his arguments or whatever, but (a) how many people that believe in intelligent design are really reading this in the first place? And (b) it seemed kind of disrespectful, although I do at least appreciate his making the point that not ALL people who believe in God feel that the theory of evolution is antithetical to their faith. I just feel like it would have been a much better book without that entire section.

I know I sound pretty crotchety about this one, but it's not bad. I guess I do think there are better books on this topic out there though. On the other hand, plenty of folks seem to have really liked this one a lot, so maybe that's just me.

[Book Shark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Making of the Fittest by Sean B. Carroll

Fantastic! An accessible book on genetics that hits all the right notes. Music to my ears. Beyond any reasonable doubt this is one of the best books to get on evolution. DNA contains the information that decisively confirms evolution. This book contains the information that makes it clear that it is so.

Positives:

1. Evolution explained for the general masses with focus on genetics.
2. Dr. Carroll uses a great approach to explain the complexities of genetics. Each of the 10 chapters begins with stating clearly what we are expected to learn from that chapter.
3. Some great examples and wonderful illustrations.
4. Great examples of evolution.
5. Some fascinating and memorable information.
6. Introduces new terms you have probably never heard, but will understand as a result of the author's innate ability to present in a clear manner.
7. Great civility used in debunking creationists misinformation on evolution.
8. Powerful and memorable arguments. Well reasoned and well thought out.
9. Covers many topics about evolution not just genetics.
10. There are many great books on evolution: "Why Evolution is True" by Jerry Coyne, "The Greatest Show On Earth" by Richard Dawkins, "Your Inner Fish" by Neil B. Shubin, "What Evolution Is" by Ernst Mayr and now "The Making of the Fittest" by Sean B. Carroll is also worthy of being on that top mantle of books about evolution.


Negatives:

1. It's not intended for those in the field due to its basic and general approach.
2. I wanted more...more examples.

In summary, a fabulous book on evolution that focuses on genetics. I can't recommend this book enough. Highly recommended to all those who want to learn about evolution but are too fearful that the topic may be way over their heads...no need to fear Dr. Carroll is here.

[Mikel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one well organized, easy to read, and information-rich book. In the first part of the book, there is an explanation of how the book will be organized, along with a review of the basic principles of evolution and natural selection. He provides an early explanation of how mutation works, of how and why a mutation may or may not change the structure of a protein (since DNA is used to code proteins, which then build bodies and structures) and explains using very basic math how we know if a particular mutation is being acted on by natural selection or not. In the bulk of the text, Carroll gives example after example of the evolution of genes, fossilization of genes, and the independent evolution of particular traits, all of which show undeniable evidence for evolution at work. In the section marked "after dinner discussion" he talks about science denial, comparing modern denial of evolution to the ideological denial of genetics in Soviet Russia (leading to severe crop failures and starvation), and the early denial of the germ theory of disease by doctors who could not believe that they themselves were carrying illness from sick patients to healthy ones because they didn't wash their hands. And in the final chapter, an ecological warning about how humans have and are causing dire environmental harm by ignoring the effects of natural selection in resource management, citing multiple collapsed fisheries to show how the pattern of exploitation and collapse proceeds.

All in all, very well written and informative. I look forward to reading Carroll's other books as well.

[Cathy Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book explains and illustrates evolutionary science, relating good points through good stories. It's always illuminating to have a working scientist write popular nonfiction, and this book is a case in point. I liked it less well when Carroll veered into politics. He didn't make any case against creationism that's going to stick, and he soiled the book in attempting it.

I heard him lecture on the same topics, and both the best and worst features of this book were magnified by live presentation. The stories about how evolution works are in themselves fascinating. As to whether religious-based thinkers believe evolution or not -- who cares? There's nothing that will change their minds. They have their truth, and the facts be damned.

Carroll's science writing isn't the easiest to read, but it's worth the effort. This book is easier to understand than his previous one, and perhaps not by coincidence stays further from his own academic research.