Review by Choice Review
Distinguished philosopher Dennett serves up an intellectual feast that happens perhaps once in a decade, if that often. This work is intelligible for those nonspecialists interested in such "big" topics as evolution in the biological and social spheres, yet it remains simultaneously a gold mine for philosophers, cognitive scientists, and evolutionary biologists concerned with evolutionary theory. The meticulously crafted arguments are laid out in three parts and 17 chapters. Part 1 is a novel and detailed account of the heart of the Darwinian algorithm approach to evolution; the second part examines head-on the current controversies in evolutionary theory; the third is a detailed examination of mind, meaning, mathematics, and morality. Dennett's two metaphors of "cranes" and "skyhooks" used to get at the understanding of causalities in science make accessible details of his seminal analysis. Although not a kneejerk Darwinist, Dennett shows intellectual appreciation of the rigor and utility of Darwinian thinking on a level that overshadows that of many (lesser) theorists in biology. The book has been called "surpassingly brilliant" by professional evolutionary biologists, but it is also a methodological beacon for dealing with issues of evolutionary theory. Very highly recommended. All levels. F. S. Szalay; CUNY Hunter College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
In 1991 Dennett wrote Consciousness Explained, and it so burned up the religious minded they tagged it Consciousness Explained Away. Here, Dennett presses forward the implications of natural selection (the "dangerous idea" ) in a presentation most readers will find rather technical, but for those who persevere, understanding of its mechanisms, particularly the algorithms by which natural selection operates, should gradually sink in. Understanding is facilitated by Dennett's cogent organization, which accounts for all possible evolutionary outcomes (a virtual infinity of possibilities dubbed Design Space), followed by his explanation of the relentless, purposeless winnowing that results in the life-forms that exist today. Yet, however persuasive Dennett's view is, not all evolutionists share it, namely the oft-cited Stephen Gould, and readers who enjoy argumentativeness can follow Dennett blasting Gould's idea of "punctuated equilibrium" for dozens of pages. Ending with a Nietzschean explanation for human morals, Dennett's deep-diving work challenges studious readers but should survive the struggle for shelf space in big, highly evolved libraries. --Gilbert Taylor
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Darwin's ``dangerous idea,'' as defined by orthodox neo-Darwinist Dennett (Consciousness Explained), is the belief that evolution, a mindless, mechanistic, purposeless process, gave rise to the single, branching tree of life and, further, that this process eliminates the need for invoking an intelligent God as the source of design. In a grand, provocative, gripping synthesis, Dennett, director of Tufts University Center for Cognitive Studies in Massachusetts, presents a lucid, elegant account of Darwinian evolution and its far-reaching implications for understanding human behavior and culture. He systematically attacks Harvard biologist Stephen Jay Gould's theory of ``punctuated equilibria,'' which attempts to explain the sudden emergence of new species. Gould's various revisions of orthodox Darwinism are superfluous ``false alarms,'' according to Dennett, who also lambastes E.O. Wilson, Roger Penrose, Noam Chomsky, B.F. Skinner and others. Expanding on biologist Richard Dawkins's concept of ``memes,'' self-replicating ideas that are subject to natural selection, Dennett explores how language, mind, culture and morality could have evolved by Darwinian mechanisms. Illustrated. Newbridge Book Club main selection; BOMC, History Book Club and QPB alternates; author tour. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Dennett, the author of Consciousness Explained (Little, Brown, 1991) and director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University, challenges us to examine Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection with renewed, emphatic vigor. Current controversies associated with the origin of life, sociobiology, punctuated equilibrium, the evolution of culture and language, and evolutionary ethics are investigated rigorously within the context of Darwinian science and philosophy. Dennett challenges the ideas of several imminent scientists, including Roger Penrose and Stephen Jay Gould, who, Dennett asserts, tend to limit the power or implications of Darwin's dangerous ideas. Gould's influential publications have contributed to a seriously distorted perception of evolutionary biology, according to Dennett. As he explores issues of morality and consciousness, Dennett essentially extends the theories of natural selection far beyond the biological disciplines. Dennett's assertions and ideas stimulate. Enthusiastically recommended for scholars, specialists, and informed lay readers. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/95.]Donald G. Frank, Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An explorationat a consistently high level of discourseof the implications of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, which extend far beyond biology. Dennett (director, Center for Cognitive Studies/Tufts Univ.; Consciousness Explained, 1991, etc.) goes directly to the crux of the natural selection controversy: its implicit denial that a divine ``first cause'' is needed to account for the origin of life. While Darwin discreetly avoided a confrontation with orthodox religion, he could not prevent the proponents of divine creation from launching preemptive attacks against his theory. Dennett takes a rationalist tack, pointing out that any theory of a creator begs the question of how life began: If complex DNA molecules cannot have come into being without a creator, must not that creator have been even more complex to have designed the molecules? He argues his points more from a philosophical and logical position than from analysis of the scientific literature on evolution, of which he openly admits only an amateur's understanding. (On the other hand, few of the critics of Darwinian selection have any deeper knowledge of the subject.) Among the fascinating subjects he brings up in passing are the laws of probability, computer simulations of evolution, and the revisionist Darwinian theories of Stephen Jay Gould and Roger Penrose. Ultimately, he contends, the Darwinian revolution's greatest achievement is the denial of the supernatural explanation of the universe, replacing it with an even more miraculous natural explanation. Readers had best be prepared to think long and hard about the points Dennett raises, but those who stay with the author will be amply rewarded for their efforts. (40 b&w line drawings) (Book-of-the-Month Club/Quality Paperback Book Club/History Book Club alternate selections; author tour)
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Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review
Review by Kirkus Book Review
