Undeniable

October 6, 2014
“The Science Guy” jumps off from and expands the arguments from his public debate with creationist Ken Ham, positing that to deny the reality of evolution is tantamount to denying science as a whole, ignoring the advances in medicine and agriculture that make modern human life possible, and destroying our children’s future by leaving them ill-equipped to understand the world. With his conversational wit, Nye both counters classic creationist tactics—such as the appeal to the Second Law of Thermodynamics and the idea of the uselessness of half a wing—and explains evolutionary concepts such as punctuated equilibrium, bottlenecking, the theory of the Red Queen, and “good-enough design.” Connections to fields like geochemistry and oceanography support his stance that “the natural world is a package deal; you don’t get to select which facts you like and which you don’t.” Nye takes advantage of his soapbox to address hot-button issues like vaccines and antibiotics, genetically modified foods, and cloning (perhaps overstepping when he dives into the psycho-evolutionary basis of evolution denial). Nye’s popularizing talents shine in this one, and if he’s preaching to the science-loving choir, at least he’s giving them easy-to-understand explanations to bolster their inevitable dinner-table or internet arguments.

Bill Nye could make coffee nervous. His almost frenetic delivery takes some getting used to. But once they settle in AND get past the preaching-to-the choir first chapter, listeners will be treated to an interesting and informative discussion of evolution and the history of evolutionary theory. Nye's conversational, almost breezy, style translates well to audio. In fact, in many respects, the book comes off better in audio than in print. Through his voice and tone, he makes exaggeration and sarcasm clear. Thus, his humor comes across more clearly than in the stark quiet of print. One weakness is his use of comical voices for direct quotations of European sources. He could have made it clear these were direct quotes without the distraction. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

February 15, 2015

In February 2014, Nye, the well-known science educator, engaged in a spirited debate with Ken Ham, a noted creationist, concerning the origin and development of life on Earth. The event so stirred Nye that he produced this book, a thorough, if occasionally strident, defense of the science of evolution. Covering topics ranging from geologic strata to genetically modified foods, Nye argues that without a solid grounding in evolutionary theory, including an appreciation of deep time, one cannot properly understand the way nature works. Furthermore, he asserts that the teaching of creationism is not merely harmless but is a disservice to honest science. Nye narrates the book with energy and enthusiasm. While there is much valuable and well-explicated science here, the author sometimes goes too far, setting up sneering straw-man arguments and injecting lame, pointless humor. Thus, the author's animus detracts from his important message. VERDICT Recommended for students of biology or fans of popular science writing. ["The straightforward, accessible language and clear explanations make this ideal reading to understand life's origins, especially for those new to the evidence of evolution," read the starred review of the St. Martin's hc, LJ Xpress Reviews, 1/15/14.]--Forrest Link, Coll. of New Jersey Lib., Ewing

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.