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Light on science and heavy on anecdotal narrative. I didn't need to read about unearthing the fossil and was much more interested in the theory. If you're looking for a 'toilet book', or a book that isn't too thought-provoking; this might be the book for you. I imagine he got a book deal because the discovery was so profound, but doubt that it was because he had a great story to tell.
Anybody who thinks that homo sapiens are "special", "unique", or the apex of creation should reconsider that assumption. Shubin writes an exciting story of his hunt for the missing link of fish to tetrapods. He follows that with a revealing survey of anatomical & biologic structures common in worms, fish, birds, tetrapods, & humans and how they progressed along the way. Forget decending from apes, we come from fish. Well written & easily understood for the biology-challenged among us.
Both books explain the evolution of the fascinating ancient creatures that are our great, great. In addition to hard science, Shubin also includes some personal history, including the hunt for the fossil known as Tiktaalik, one of the first fish to make the transition to land.
As the title suggests, a good part of the book discusses the similarities between living creatures: in some ways, Shubin explains, we are very like fish. Shubin's Your Inner Fish covers a lot of ground.
Those few pages left me wanting more. Of course, we are separated by fish by some hundreds of millions of years, which leaves a lot to discuss.
The final chapter includes a brief but interesting discussion of how understanding our own evolutionary history can help us understand how and why we get sick. This book reminds me, in some respects, of Richard Dawkins' excellent book, The Ancestor's Tale (but perhaps only because I have not read that much paleontology).
great grandparents.
It's a special book and everyone can learn something from it. I love this book. Shubin has put quality time into it - and it shows.I go back and re-read parts of it over and over.I find it refreshing that Shubin doesn't try and take credit where it isn't due. Neil: I anxiously await your next book. Thank you.
And if you do believe in it, then you already have this book anyway or plan to get it.But if you are in doubt, if the idea of evolution seems strange, or even scary, Neil Shubin makes it easy, even fun, to understand. In fact I would suggest it for anybody still on the fence about evolution. If you don't believe in it, why are you reading this review. You will come to delight in the idea.The chapters deal with the basic building blocks of life and how eyes, limbs, ears and such evolved from fish to mammals, and from mammals to primates, and well, to us. We ARE primates, after all.Get it and enjoy it.
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