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Flock of Dodos: Behind Modern Creationism, Intelligent Design and the Easter Bunny
What is creationism? Is it science, theology, both, neither? Who's behind it? And why should you give a damn in the first place? Ex-National Lampooner Barrett Brown and Professor of Sociology Jon P. Alston, Ph.D, answer these questions, and perhaps one of two more, in a superbly unorthodox, serenely offensive and splendidly hilarious look at the forces behind the most talked-about pseudo-theory in modern history.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2007
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112 people want to read
About the author
Barrett Brown
6 books23 followersBarrett Lancaster Brown is an American journalist, essayist and activist. He founded Project PM, a research collaboration and wiki, to facilitate analysis of the troves of hacked emails and other leaked information concerning the inner workings of the cyber-military-industrial complex.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 28, 2009
"Flock of Dodos" is a short (155-page) book poking fun at Intelligent Design, Creationism, and those who espouse these views. The book is intermittently funny, but taking aim at these poor folk is like shooting fish in a barrel with a shotgun. Most of the most howling statements come from the anti-Darwinians themselves. The sad thing is that a substantial minority of Americans (most of whom are science, arts, and government illiterates) believes Creation Science, the existence of UFOs, and assorted other nonsense.
November 1, 2013
Somewhere in Texas a poor sociology professor with a brain has found himself surrounded by idiots. This book is his revenge. Meanwhile, somewhere in a graveyard, H.L. Mencken's corpse is laughing like hell knowing that there are people carrying on his good work.
Intelligent Design is, of course, the domain of nincompoops. All the efforts at arguing scientific fact with these poor lost souls are lost on them. The authors, to their enduing credit, recognize this fact. Thus they offer what measured scientific writing by its very nature cannot: unencumbered ridicule. This book offers solace to all who watch as our country, founded on the values of the Enlightenment, is subjected to an ongoing attempted hijacking by the very sorts of people the Founders of this great nation most feared: people who mourn passing of the Dark Ages.
Oh, and the book is goddamned funny. I haven't laughed this hard while reading a book since, well, I honestly can't remember. Savage wit at its best, directed at the easiest target in all of, um, Creation. What could go wrong?
Bravo!
Well done, sirs!
Intelligent Design is, of course, the domain of nincompoops. All the efforts at arguing scientific fact with these poor lost souls are lost on them. The authors, to their enduing credit, recognize this fact. Thus they offer what measured scientific writing by its very nature cannot: unencumbered ridicule. This book offers solace to all who watch as our country, founded on the values of the Enlightenment, is subjected to an ongoing attempted hijacking by the very sorts of people the Founders of this great nation most feared: people who mourn passing of the Dark Ages.
Oh, and the book is goddamned funny. I haven't laughed this hard while reading a book since, well, I honestly can't remember. Savage wit at its best, directed at the easiest target in all of, um, Creation. What could go wrong?
Bravo!
Well done, sirs!
February 13, 2012
"And the mind of God called for there to be light, and thus the Logos brought about light, and light was. The mind of God called for there to be stars and planets; and oceans, and fish to dwell within them; and land, and animals to dwell upon it; ... and thus the Logos compels it to be so. And for some reason or another, the mind of God also called for female bonobo chimpanzees to settle their disputes by rubbing their vaginas together to the point of orgasm. And so the Logos caused this to be the case, possibly while giggling, assuming that the Logos is indeed capable of giggling, which it most likely is not." (Page 77-78).
This small little book is rather funny. It reviews the evolution (sorry) of Creationism from the Thomas Huxley's quip at Bishop Wilberforce to modern Intelligent design with hysterical insults. While no new material manifests, it is a funny reminder of how retarded the creationist arguments against evolution and science are.
This small little book is rather funny. It reviews the evolution (sorry) of Creationism from the Thomas Huxley's quip at Bishop Wilberforce to modern Intelligent design with hysterical insults. While no new material manifests, it is a funny reminder of how retarded the creationist arguments against evolution and science are.
January 20, 2008
The only proper look at the Intelligent Design movement and its perpetrators...a bitterly sarcastic completely damning look at a gaggle of facile fools addicted to self-loathing and fear.
This book had me laughing out loud again and again. I read it four times, quoting lines to anyone within range until they probably wanted to beat me with a dinosaur bone.
It pleases me to think of idjits like Michael Behe and William Dembski reading a book about how stupid they are.
Get 'em Barrett!
This book had me laughing out loud again and again. I read it four times, quoting lines to anyone within range until they probably wanted to beat me with a dinosaur bone.
It pleases me to think of idjits like Michael Behe and William Dembski reading a book about how stupid they are.
Get 'em Barrett!
February 12, 2013
Ever read something that was just on your side? Maybe you have an opinion on a subject and always read up on it with the author being polite about the ideas of the opposition?
This is not a polite book, and I think that's what I loved about it.
I picked up the book because I thought it may be another book like the 50 Reasons series by Guy P. Harrison, but it wasn't. It was bold, arrogant and condescending of creationists and I enjoyed every page.
This is not a polite book, and I think that's what I loved about it.
I picked up the book because I thought it may be another book like the 50 Reasons series by Guy P. Harrison, but it wasn't. It was bold, arrogant and condescending of creationists and I enjoyed every page.
January 20, 2009
Why won't the nutty christians go away?
January 22, 2013
Only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because he chose such an easy target.
September 23, 2021
Interesting enough. Snark and occasional rambling gets a bit tiring at points. Really enjoyed the chapter on the founding of America and the competing claims there. Quick read too.
August 11, 2014
More a very log essay than a book, but very enjoyable otherwise. This is not your detached intellectual argument about the reasons the creationist crowd is probably wrong. No, this is the equivalent of the nerds in class making fun of the cool kids. It names names and pokes fun. Nerd that I am, I laughed several times. The really bad thing about this book is that it's OOP and so to read it you either have to pay an exorbitant price or find it through "alternate" means. I will be looking for a real copy to add to my library.
November 29, 2015
Sceptics, who naturally tend to be "smart arses" like Clarence Darrow, and admit it, will find it funny in parts. Better to be a smart-arse than a dumb-arse anyway.
Note that I refuse to write arse as "ass", even though in my non-rhotic RP accent I don't really say any of my Rs (or any of my vowels for that matter).
Note that I refuse to write arse as "ass", even though in my non-rhotic RP accent I don't really say any of my Rs (or any of my vowels for that matter).
February 6, 2013
Very good. Nothing groundbreaking or particularly new regarding the ID crowd and it's intentions, but a worthwhile read.
February 20, 2014
Very funny takedown of "Intelligent Design"/Creationism.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews