Efrem, Jr. Zimbalist Books

Once more, with feeling! Damned if Dr. Gould didn't do it again, or, more accurately, kept right on doing it. In this eighth collection of his monthly essays from Natural History magazine, Stephen Jay Gould continued his exploration of how science works (and doesn't). His reading and comprehension of history, both natural and social, produce delicious juxtaposition, insight and humor. Month after month in what became the longest running science commentary series ever to see print. Gould is adept at finding the particular instance which illustrates the general, and discerning errors of presupposition which stymie or paradoxically further scientific inquiry. In one of the title essays of this collection, for example, he demonstrates that Leonardo Da Vinci's motive for analysis of fossil clams -- a study which appears in retrospect to be marvelously modern and ahead of his time -- was offered in defense of an extremely antiquated and fallacious view of the earth as a living body. In other words, Leonardo got the right answer for the wrong reason, and though he knew his view of the earth was flawed, he never got beyond his backward bias. So, while we tend to view Da Vinci as a prescient wizard, he was perhaps more of an obsessed antiquarian, albeit a brilliant one. Great stuff in here about dodoes and Irish elk, neanderthals and missing links, princes and principles, with the arts, artists and religious texts thrown in for good measure. As I have said before ( see reviews of BULLY FOR BRONTOSAURUS, W.W. Norton & Company, 1991, and QUESTIONING THE MILLENNIUM, Harmony Books, 1997), Gould was one of our greatest modern essayists.

Gould's eighth collection of essays from his long-running feature in "Natural History" magazine explores the human history of scientific discovery; the use of observation to bolster preconceived notions and theories, and mistaken, sometimes humorous interpretations of fact.

Gould organizes the book in six broad categories: "Art and Science," "Biographies In Evolution," "Human Prehistory," "Of History and Toleration," "Evolutionary Facts and Theories," and "Different Perceptions of Common Truths."

With his customary eloquence and classic organization, Gould opens each essay with an intriguing anecdote leading to a brief discussion of his subject, then a clear statement of his intent. In the opening piece on Leonardo da Vinci's paleontology (the book's best and the one Gould himself admits to being "most proud of") Gould acknowledges the "truly prescient character" of Leonardo's observation. He then raises "two questions that expose the early-sixteenth-century context of Leonardo's inquiry: first, `What alternative account of fossils was Leonardo trying to disprove by making his observations?' and, second, "What theory of the earth was Leonardo trying to support with his findings?"

Leonardo's startlingly modern observations were employed forcefully to disprove that Noah's flood was the cause of fossil distribution or that fossils were some mystical outgrowth of rock itself. Leonardo's theory, shored up by his accurate observation, argued that the earth was a macrocosm of which man was a microcosm: "as man has within himself bones as a stay and framework for the flesh, so the world has the rocks which are the supports of the earth." Painstakingly, Leonardo proved his quaintly elaborate analogy with a wealth of breathtakingly accurate fossil detail.

This fascinating contrast of fact and human interpretation joyfully engages the reader in Gould's humanist views. While many of these myths have become famous for revealing cultural prejudice - women are inherently non-scientific, the best cave paintings must necessarily be the most modern, the dodo was an inferior evolutionary design - Gould's approach celebrates the vigorousness of human intellect in misguided pursuit.

Gould, who was evolutionary biologist and professor of zoology and geology at Harvard, makes his arguments from many sources, educating the reader on lesser known scientists and theories and revisiting favorites such as Darwin and the persisting misconceptions about the theory of evolution.

His elegant, stately prose conveys his own fascination and amusement and celebrates intellectual accomplishment, however mistaken.

Readers of Gould's other collections of science essays will be delighted with most of the material he presents here. With his usual scope and fine prose, he presents us with carefully researched and captivating subjects. All his essays are stimulating exercises in challenging traditional ways of thinking on a wide spectrum of subjects.

The opening essay on Leonardo da Vinci provides a picture of a thinker challenged by mysterious evidence, expertly addressed. Da Vinci displays more humanity here than revealed by viewing his works. Fossil seashells at mountain peaks were puzzled over for centuries. Leonardo's vivid analysis might have enhanced scientific inquiry greatly if his ideas had not ran counter to church dogmas.

The remaining essays span the usual gamut of resurrecting the reputations of scientists now often lost to view. While restoring some scientists in our estimation, he manages to erode that of others just a bit. Huxley, having been knocked off a high pedestal by an earlier essay of Gould's is subtly chided here once more for racist opinions. Richard Owen, who used some truly underhanded tactics in responding to Darwin's theory of Natural Selection, is given more leniency. Racism is a durable commodity, as Gould himself readily admits in describing his own feelings about taxing pedal-powered vehicles in Africa. It behooves him to grant Huxley a bit of leeway. Huxley, 'Darwin's Bulldog' in his unqualified support for natural selection, must necessarily be besmirched a bit in keeping with Gould's own efforts in evolutionary revisionism.

Having addressed NOMA in comments about Gould's bizarre work ROCKS OF AGES, dwelling on the essay here would be inappropriate. Suffice to say, the concept verges on the irrational, a rare circumstance in Gould's otherwise fine collection. Far more impressive are the two essays, As the Worm Turns and Triumph of the Root-heads are among his best work. Every new discovery in biology raises our consciousness of our place in Nature. The description of the bizarre parasites inhabiting the body's of crabs is a superb challenge to rigid thinking about evolution's methods. We're frequently reminded that evolution never works 'backwards', but this essay confirms again how unpredictable life can be in adapting to new environments. Keep this book where the children can reach it. It will provide hours of delightful reading - not just one reading, but many.

As Stephen Jay Gould's writes another book of thought provoking essays, here he toys with us with the title to this book.

The title is about two seperate essays and they are well written. Understanding nature itself is what Gould is doing here... making a point in his customary brillance. There are short biographies, puzzles and paradoxes, all the time Gould is leading us through his thought prossess and reasoning.

This is a very good collection of essays and well worth the time to read.

Read and enjoy.

Stephen Jay Gould has done it again - Exposes the racist side of the foundation and development of Western Scientific Knowledge, which sadly enough, although to a much lesser degree persists to this day. Fortunately, there are more credible and enlightened men and women of science like Stephen Jay Gould to challenge and expose it. So many of the so-called men of science were heavily influenced by racism - racial and gender.

Gould for example mentioned that with the exception of Friedrich Tiedemann, professor of anatomy at Heidelberg University, all early-nineteenth-century European scientists of eminence shared the view that blacks and women belonged to the lower forms of human life, because we have smaller skulls and therefore smaller brains.

Gould also, rightfully so, singled out Richard Owen for praise, who although shared the same racist perspective as other eminent men of science, that (African, Papuan/Melanesian) blacks and women belonged to the lower races, wrote that: "Although in most cases the Negro's brain is less than that of the European, I have observed individuals of the Negro race in whom the brain was as large as the average one of Caucasians; and I concur with the great physiologist of Heidelberg, who has recorded similar observations, in connecting with such cerebral development the fact that there has been no province of intellectual activity in which individuals of the pure Negro race has not distinguished themselves."

What is even more relevant, is that the negative stereotype against blacks is still wide spread and persists to this day. Gould is such a decent and honest man, that he mentioned, even he is not immune to the persistent stereotypes against blacks, as for example when he narrated an incidence on his last visit to Zimbabwe. Fortunately he caught and corrected himself, which to me is the power of his message - not to deny, bristle and bury our heads in the sand and pretend it does not exist. Although we have undeniably made progress, in some ways things have not changed a ding (I can personally testify to that). In my view, it is human failure, not an American, European or Caucasian alone. Like SJG, we should forever be alert to the distinct possibility that our actions may be harmful, unfair and based on negative stereotypes.

Another important issue addressed in the book, is along the same line, namely, the mindset of even men of science to operate from the mistaken belief that human development is linear, in other words, all cultures/ societies, go through same stages of development i.e., based on a blueprint. Gould would have non-of that, in his view, which I share and based on more recent scholarly scientific work, like the rest of nature itself, things don't develop based on human models of how it should be, nature pretty much does its own thing. It will develop regardless of our desire to control it. For sure, we are making progress in many ways to direct, alter and influence nature - we can only do that to a certain point, the rest of it is beyond human control.

One of the best books I have ever read, strongly recommend it.

service throughout the day, throughout the month, throughout the year....100 stories of giving...the notes at the end of each story to jump into service in your community are a link to giving. .My favorite story was Christmas in April---I must admit I cheered for Frances as she conquered the steps--I read later that she and the writer are enthusiastic pen pals...what inspiration. Thank you to the 100 stone soup writers. You gave me a taste of who inspires you.

......one of the chapters in this book, these stories reflect movements that we should let sweep the nation!!!! Read and be inspired...told simply, the 90+ writers for this book brought these community heroes home....

such a pleasure to read these stories... such an opportunity for all involved with the project to share their words...you never know, maybe someone was inspired to do something today...by simply reading...as long as Stone Soup for the World is available to America's youth we know we have a bright future ahead... My favorites: The Forgiveness Party, Table for 6 Billion Please, and Peace for Their Grandchildren....and there are 97 more to read and pass on....

Stone Soup for the World is a set of 100 stories about compassion and volunteerism. From the intro by Colin Powell to the story of Ms.Larned's young brother, the whole book was a joy to read. I especially loved the Nelson Mandela and Paul Newman stories. This book has stirred me to be a better person and to help others. I recently walked in honor of my aunt who passed away from cancer and raised money doing it. It felt good just as these stories felt good. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to people from 9 to 99.

On occasion one of those books comes along that I can't put down. This collection of short (3 - 5 pages each) true stories are of people about whom, after I have read the story, I consistently say, "Why didn't I know that before reading this?" This book is truly an insight into past and current history through the prism of what stirs the heart and spirit.

I am thoroughly impressed with Edward De Bono's matter-of-fact, wholly insightful, and unique yet practical work(s) published in the field of Thinking over the last four decades. After listening to De Bono's taped works (such as "Teach Yourself to Think"), I was both saddened and amazed to realize how limited in scope were the types and tools of thinking I was taught in higher education. The Ivy-league schools I attended taught specialized material primarily by means of judgment, criticism, analysis, and argument. Other important thinking modes, especially action-oriented ones such as design, exploration, creativity, and so forth, were assumed to arise mainly from talent and intelligence, and therefore were not taught, even ignored. How wrong and damaging was that default view !

Ed De Bono's works are packed with useful tools and insights. Because they are packed, gaining the most benefit requires reading "between the lines". I believe the listener must "stop the tape" (or put down the book) and make the effort to expand on De Bono's concepts and comments, in part by mapping them into past personal experiences (particularly useful are those experiences that had costly or unpleasant outcomes for the listener because at the time he/she lacked (or misapplied) certain thinking tools).

I am convinced that anyone of average intelligence and education who invests about 20 hours effort to listen to, internalize, and then practice a half-dozen of De Bono's various thinking tools will be amazed at the improvement it will yield in his/her relationships and work. I offer this comment as neither a religious nor "New Age" promoter but merely as a person who continues to benefit from these approaches.

I also highly recommend De Bono's "Teach Your Child to Think" tapes. They largely complement this set.

I only made a cup of coffee for myself,that's the only break I had while I was reading this book which was the very first by mr.De Bono. I couldn't put it down and even though this book could have been so complicated it isn't at all - as a matter of fact it was the author's goal to be as simple as possible with his ways of teaching us how to think properly. And with some effort I should be able to think properly now when I read this book. I knew I am gaining something with the humiliation I made to myself by chosing the book to teach me of something that "I already know"!!!

Teach Yourself to Think, this book is a precious one! It really helps you to think! What I personally admired about this book is that it doesn't really tell me what to think or what i should be thinking about but it shows me how many of these different kinds of thinking can benefit me in my daily life! Furthermore, after being aware of these various kinds of thinking, I've been able to achieve some of my personal goals which I wanted to achieve them along time ago, about a year ago! Thank you Edward de Bono for this rare book! Im planning on reading some of the other books of yours out there!

This is the story of the explorer Marco Polo, as told by an Irish bard. The Irishness of the telling is as thick as the head on a Guiness Stout -- the very Irish-sounding Pope is a particular treat -- and the China of its imagining is very unlikely ever to have existed. But the love between Marco and Golden Bells, the daugher of the Khan, was the first great love story I ever encountered, and I have no more recovered from it than I have recovered from my own first love. I understand why this is sometimes categorized as children's literature. The story is simple, romantic, lyrical, a kind of storytelling that has long gone out of style. But I read this when I was sixteen, and it has remained my favorite book ever since.

"Never let your dream be taken from you," the Pope tells Marco, and if you read this at a certain age, you may be moved to tears, as I was, and am.

A mixture of three elements give this simple tale a unique flavor. A modern Irishman tells the adventures of a Christian Italian in pagan China. Irish mysticism mingles with the mystery of the east for a romantic and tragic love story based upon the visit of Marco Polo to the court of Kubla Kahn. In one framework we have folk tale, history and imagination . His simple narrative style is a kind very rarely found among modern authors: it suggests the fireside stories and poems of the past which passed from generation to generation by word of mouth.

"A very magically beautiful book." -James Branch Cabell

I have just ordered my third copy of this book for .58
The other to got loaned out and never returned. That's
how great this book is. The passage on Tammy Faye dealing
with her dog Chi Chi could be the basis for an Indie Cult Film.

I read this book years ago. It still sticks in my mind how much good I got out of it.
In life we have to go through many storms, not weather related, but tests and trials of the enemy. Instead of trying to get out of it, she tells about how she conquered her fears by not running away from them, but running right into them.
When you do that they disperse. It reminds me of geese. They are very aggressive and if you allow them they will try to back you down, but if you run through them and swing your arms they will move out of your way and instead of you bring intimidated, they will disperse and move out of the way. You are in control and not them.
Something most of us need to know when we are facing the storms of life.
God tells us in James 1:2-4 Amplified Version

2 Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. 3 Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.
4 But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.

This is what the book is about. I loved the book when I read it, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who has fears of any kind because she points you in the right direction to Jesus who showed her what to do about her fears.

Phil Cousineau challenges the reader to think of each trip that you take as a pilgrimage. Pilgrimage is a state of mind... Pilgrimage is an art form... A Pilgrimage can turn an ordinary trip into a life-changing experience.

I highly recommend that you consider reading this book before your next vacation. It will add a new spin onto your journey!

Travel - to admit of being transported - moved.

Sacred - entitled to reverence, respect.

Pilgrim - one who allows oneself to be transported.

The Art of the pilgrimage - "the daily practice of slowing down and lingering, savoring and absorbing each move/stage of the journey."

"What matters most is how deeply you see, how attentively you hear, how richly the encounters are felt in your heart and soul." (from Intro: p. xxix).

I like this book. My sister gave me a copy of it when I was preparing to travel to Scotland a few years ago. But the book is not really about the destination nor the things you encounter in your travels. It's about paying attention and being moved. In that sense, one does not need to go anywhere to undertake the pilgrimage. One could stand completely still, listening to music & be completely transformed by the experience. The "art" is the attention, the reverence and respect you give to your encounters on your "journey."

"Any journey, whether as part of a crowd or in solitude, can produce the moment of awe, the vision, contact with the numinous . . . a redemption of our wasted time." That is the "moment of being." That is the art of the pilgrimage.

[Review revised: 7/19/2007]

A great read for someone embarking on their own pilgrimage or thinking about doing it. I'm inspired.

This is part travelogue, but very much a deeper philosophical insight into why we travel - and by talking it Cousineau expresses much of what I felt about travel but hadn't really put into words before. It is very much about getting meaning from the places you visit rather than simply visiting them, which is why spiritual and religious pilgrimages mean such a great deal.

The early christian church recognised this and put together a book of pilgrimage sites, places and ways with details of what was on the way and what was there so pilgrims could make their journey. These early travel books make it clearer the inner motive we have to travel.

Certainly the majority of people these days don't travel on pilgrimages as such any more. Yet to use a similar concept, Cousineau talks about getting meaning from the places you visit in the same way. Visiting a place is about understanding it and finding meaning from it. The more you know and understand why you are visiting somewhere the more satisfying the visit.

there are a great number of anecdotes in here - from people like an Anti-nuclear campaigner to inveterate travelers like Peter Ustinov and Cousineau's own experiences. some of these anecdotes are less successful than others, but it is the mix which gives the book strength.

On a purely aesthetic note, I really liked the hardback version of this book from Conari, the jacket is nicely illustrated with faux letters and stamps, and it also comes with a nice little green ribbon place marker. This would make a lovely gift for someone.

While you might not find deep spiritual insight into your pilgrimage or quest, you might get a deeper understanding of the drive and how to make travel a more profound experience.

Chances are, if you're looking at this book, you're already planning a trip, and are of a mind to make your travel special. If you are not already of a mind to travel, you will be after reading even a little of "Art of Pilgrimage". Read it on the plane, on the bus, at rest stops...but if you read it sitting at home, expect to travel soon...
To put it simply, Cousineau loves to travel, and has written a book that will speak to the traveler in all of us. We are descended from nomads; the instinct is in all of us, but we get bogged down in Mundania. Cousineau mixes great quotes along with observations from his own quests and adventures. The results will most certainly help you to make your own journey a transformative event.

Reading Robert Frost just enriches your life. He writes with incredible color and unusual grace. The hardcover is totally worth it.

I have read Robert Frost's poetry for years. There's nothing better than being curled up on the sofa on a cold afternoon drinking hot cocoa, and browsing through a Robert Frost poem book to warm your heart. For years I had been looking for a complete collection of Robert Frost's poems. I'm glad I found it a Amazon.

Robert Frost has a world-wide admiration. And in this book, you can find all his poems grouped neatly in sections connecting them to the place they are written in. So to put it in a nut shell, it is just what you are looking for if you want to buy something you won't regret.

Frost's poetry is like the essence of New England's North Country-it's sparseness, praticality, absence of frills, fall color, winter bleakness but strong, independent confidence. Yet in both the North Country and in Frost's poetry there is an underlying complexity and an openness to unfettered interpretations. This book delivers Frost's work in a simple, straightforward manner. His poetry needs no fancy presentation but then neither does the North Country. Visit both, but especially Frost.

A warning-it may be best to read only one or two poems a day. The more time each is thought about, the more it grows in depth and thought complexity-or doesn't....

I wonder how long it will be before Frost's literary stock is devalued as much as it deserves to be. These are trite and banal poems that do not ring true or sincere. Frost seems distant from both his poems and the reader. What he has to say is obvious and unoriginal. How he says it is on the level of a hallmark greeting card at its best; at its worst, it is no better than a limerick. Posthumous revelations about his horrific cruelty to others and his shrewd creation/manipulation of his celebrity image as the New England farmer-poet only confirm that there was something seriously wrong with this man and his poems that an earlier generation missed. How earlier generations could find genius in such obvious observations is astounding.
Bad poetry from a twisted man.

Edward de Bono's text is a must read for teachers who wish to foster independent thinking in their students and show them that seeing problems in new ways can lead to creative, worthwhile solutions.

This book is more like cognitive training manual. It explains some techniques about how to open up your thought processes to get better results. It is more like a book for school teachers rather than general reader.

In my view, this is the best of the de Bono series of more than 30 books. It is as advertised: A step-by-step introduction to the art and science of creative thinking.

It shows the reader with a staple of de Bono's -- his graphs and diagrams - how to get over the threshold from just ordinary (right brain thinking) or "linear thinking" to (left brain thinking) or "lateral thinking," that is to pure creativity; and most important, how to consistently find the "launch pad" to ones own creativity.

Critical to the organization of this book and to making his points here (the same as in his other books), is giving the reader a basic understanding of how the mind works. This provides the framework for setting up and recognizing the special situations in which ones creativity is most likely to come into play.

Like, others in the de Bono series, these techniques work so well that it is scary.

Well, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed, but maybe that's just from erroneous expectations. I'm an artist & designer, and a graphic designer I admire had this on his list of the most important books he'd read, and that was my motivation to pick it up.

My conclusion is that this is a great book for non-'Creative' types (not to mean that they're not creative, just that they're not in a 'Creative' field such as the arts) such as scientists and engineers, who are looking to round out their thought process, or young adults in jr. high or high school who are exploring the nature of creativity.

It is intriguing to hear someone dissect the creative process in a cold, calculating, scientific sort of way, and de Bono does this job quite well without coming off as too fatuous (a common fate in that endeavor it seems).

Ultimately though, the creative thinking de Bono discusses is a very specific and fairly limited type, namely problem-solving. It's telling that almost all of the examples & figures he gives are geometric puzzle-solving. This would be a great book to read right before you take a IQ or SAT test.

Isn't it amazing that for hundreds of years no one thought about creative thinking till de bono and lateral thinking came along.

Not bad, not amazing. This collection of essays does a good job of opening the mind and they're decently written. Nothing awe-striking, but commendable.

Dinosaur in a Haystack: Reflections in Natural History, by Stephen Jay Gould, is one of the twentieth-century's great, approachable thinkers presenting what turned out to be among his final projects. Consisting of a collection of his articles as well as additional thoughts written strictly for this book, Dr. Gould herein tackles topics that range from Poe to the environment, dinosaurs to nautical lore, modern museum architecture, to, yes, of course, his favorite subject, one he rightly or wrongly unfailingly championed to the too-soon end of his days, evolution. These easily-readable and quotable essays are invaluable in this time after this great and good man has left us, and I have re-read this book several times since I first got it as a birthday present in 1995. To be able to make people laugh, think and debate, even after your life has physically ended is not a bad legacy for anyone. Don't let Stephen Jay Gould rest in peace, read this book and stir things up a bit in his name.

Evolution is probably the most exciting natural
truth that science has ever discovered.
And Stephen Jay Goulds essays tells about it
with an infectious enthusiasm. On the way everything
from flat earth myths to ancient Greece and
men like Diogenes the Cynic gets their say.
Rigorous and numerous historical details makes it
a serious, but fun read.
All in all, it is all about the nature and essence
of humanity.
How sad that Stephen Jay Gould is no more.
But at least we have his books!

-Simon

This is a review by a non-paleontologist and non-biologist, just by someone interested in science since he was a child in the 60's. All my life I have followed the marvels of Space science, the moon shots and Aviation in general, since subscribing to the Eyring e-mail list, I have found I lack basic knowledge in the fields required to discuss Evolution. Now I have finally done something about it, although some of you may have given recommendations as to what to read, my local library limits me, so I am starting with Stephen Jay Gould, whose recent passing was noted on this very list.
Dinosaur in a Haystack, Reflections in Natural History, (Stephen Jay Gould: 1996 Random House and various issues of Nature magazine).
This is a review of a collection of Essays published in Nature Magazine before 1996 I should imagine. I would have liked the editors to include the original publication dates in Nature with each essay. The essays themselves revolve, sometimes loosely, on the topic of evolution; he always relates it back to that somewhere in the essay.
For someone like myself, a complete novice in the fields discussed by Gould, his style of writing is informative without the jargon that sometimes cloud the specialties us humans undertake from the mere mortals in the lower classes. Gould explains:
"I will, of course, clarify language, mainly to remove the jargon that does impede public access... I will not make concepts either more simple or more unambiguous than nature's own complexity dictates."
I am happy he has done just that, in his 7th in this series of essay collections, the first one published in 1977 (Ever Since Darwin).
All the essays revolve around that topic I am trying to understand, "Evolution." I decided to start with Gould, because of his readily available material at my local library and his prominence in his field. The continuing argument between theology and science on "the origin of man" and hence the oxymoronic term "creation science" was coined by the proponents, or at least, the more prominent proponents of the biblical literal view of the world. Being a Christian, I felt I should find out the truth!
Now, back to Gould, two essays gained my interest for clearly pointing out two points of discussion between Old School and New School on the one hand and between Evolution and Creationists (a better word, don't you think?).
The first is "Dinosaur in a Haystack," the second, "Hooking Leviathan by its Past".
Dinosaur in a Haystack
Observation follows theory or is it theory follows observation? Gould explains how at the time of Erasmus Darwin (Grandfather of Charles Darwin), the Geological Society banned theoretical discussion. It was felt that observation was essential, when sufficient data was collected, and then theories could be entertained. When Charles Darwin came to the discussion some 30 years later, he then indicated the necessity for theory before observation. After all, how we look at the world is based on a theory, what we go out in search of is based on theory, etc. The two are dependant on each other and cannot be separated without making each meaningless.
Thus we come to Gould's paleontology field and the theory of The Late Permian Debacle, and how an asteroid hitting the Earth caused it. The great extinction at this time was a matter of how extant it was amongst the fossil species and, of course, what contradicted it.
The evidence pointed to a gradual extinction of the animals over geologic times. The new theory required additional evidence. Gould tells us about the ammonites ( a name which sounded like a Biblical tribe) and how they had appeared, given the current evidence and how a more thorough look, in the field, at the fossil record (needle in the haystack) might bring up ammonites closer to the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (225 million years ago).
The problem is described as this, the rarer animals in the virtual slice of time take at a geological cut, cliff face, or whatever, may be distributed randomly and infrequently through it. Thus, it is conceivable that they did expire at the KT event, indicated by a layer of mud, literally dividing two epochs of time, rather than at the latest recorded disposition in the strata. If the above is true, then a more detailed look, excavation, needs to be made. The end result was the finding of the ammonites near the boundary, and thus dispelling the gradualism of the neo-Darwinists amongst the palaeontological world.
We know the fossil record is incomplete and sparse, so some logical; indeed, rational analysis is needed to flesh out theories. This means, sometimes, hard work, which makes the armchair theorists obsolete in a heartbeat.
Hooking Leviathan by its Past.
Or, another case of filling in the gaps!!!
He starts the essay with a serious error by Darwin himself, who speculated that the North American Black Bear, swimming with its mouth wide open catching insects, could easily, over a serious long time, evolve to something approaching a whale. The origin of the whale thus is introduced.
This is case where the creationists insisted that evolution was inadequate to explaining life; in this case it was the origins of the leviathan of the deep, the mammalian whales that confused these poor people.
"Still, our creationist incubi, who would never let facts spoil a favorite argument, refuse to yield, and continue to assert the absence of all transitional forms by ignoring those that have been found, and continuing to taunt us with admittedly frequent examples of absence."
Are you a "creationist incubi"?
Gould takes us through the discovery of the very intermediate fossils that prove the evolution of whales, where it had been inferred, now it is established beyond a doubt. With Gould's now famous explanatory skills we are taken for a journey of exploration in Pakistan (Science knows no national boundaries) where 1983 produced Pakicetus, a discovery by paleontologists Phil Gingerich (University of Michigan) and N. A. Wells, D. E. Russel, and S. M. Ibrahim Shah, found it buried in ancient river sediments, where one would expect to find it. The find was only the skull, but further field work produced the remaining body 10 years later. An excellent essay, and one that will remain embedded in my cranium for sometime.
I am currently furthering my reading in this field of paleontology with a taxonomic dalliance into Eugenics, lead by the 3 essays under the heading "Disparate Faces of Eugenics" in this same book to Gould's 1981 book "The Mismeasure of Man".
I highly recommend Dinosaur in a Haystack, and if that is any guide to the style of Gould's work, his other writing should be quite enlightening.
Clifford M Dubery

Gould's 1996 collection of essays for "Natural History" magazine ranges over the broad and varied terrain of his intellect and curiosity, educating and satisfying the reader with elegance, wit and powerful reasoning.

Gould delights in juxtaposing literature and science, the familiar and the unexpected. He chooses "Cordelia's dilemma" - her refusal to compete with her sisters in making loud protestations of love for their father, King Lear - as an analogy for "publication bias" - the reluctance of journals to publish boring negative results in favor of more interesting successful experiments. A positive result in a study of AIDS or cancer treatments wins headlines while later failures to duplicate those results are read by few. And most negative results never see publication at all. "Lear cannot conceptualize the proposition that Cordelia's silence might signify her greater love - that nothing can be the biggest something."

In this collection, Gould divides his essays into eight sections. "Heaven and Earth" includes his marvelous experience of the effect of a solar eclipse on the citizens of New York City, and in "Literature and Science," he ruminates on the moral lesson of Frankenstein and Hollywood's subversion of it.

"Origin, Stability, and Extinction" argues that the Cambrian explosion is even more the "key event" in the history of multicellular animals than previously believed, "Stability" includes "Cordelia's Dilemma," "Extinction" includes the title essay on Darwin's view that "all observation must be for or against some view."

"Writing About Snails" delves into women's Victorian writings (I'm reminded of the value of negative results), "The Glory of Museums" explores "Dinomania" and "The Disparate Faces of Eugenics" revisits the hilarious arguments of an eminent scientist who argued that cancer causes smoking.

"Evolutionary Theory, Evolutionary Stories," explores the arguments of Creationism and the origin of evolutionary science's best one liner (in answer to a question on the nature of the Creator) "an inordinate fondness for beetles," and "Linnaeus and Darwin's Grandfather" uses the whimsical observation of the "curious conjunction" of Linnaeus and Gustav III on a Swedish banknote to explore the scientist's classification theories (still used today) and his adherence to a religious Creationism.

Certain themes recur in these essays. Gould is a staunch evolutionist and defends Darwin's theories vigorously, even when pointing out mistakes and misconceptions. He takes Creationism seriously - as a threat to scientific reasoning. His interest in natural history extends to the history of human thinking about nature and science.

His essays are beautifully crafted, full of literary allusions, anecdotes and turns of wit but always to the point. He loves tracking down the precise source and context of oft-used quotes as much as he enjoys tracing the origin of flatworms, and manages to arouse his reader's interest in both. He is not a writer of wasted words. Best of all, Gould's essays are always as thought provoking as they are entertaining.

I enjoy reading biographies of movie and television celebrities. I can't remember when I enjoyed one so much as this book. It's very well-written (and not ghost written), humorous and filled with Zimbalist's joy for life. Thank you Mr. Zimbalist for creating a small treasure!

I really enjoyed this book. I just love Efrem anyway but never knew much about his life story. I thought it gave an insightful look in to Efrem's past. My only problem was that it was too short. I would have loved a bit more details on his personal life. What a gentleman he is, and a wonderful role model for young people especially in this day and age.

I have been a fan of Mr Zimbalist for 47 years. I was looking forward to all my questions being answered, but although this book was very interesting, it left more story out than was told.
I felt the book went together more as journal entries for family and friends than for fans and followers. Mr. Zimbalist please forgive syntac errors. R. Harris of N Jersey.

...since I was a child. His character Stuart Bailey on "77 Sunset Strip" was so charming, gentlemanly, worldly, and gorgeous-- and it turns out he's that way in real life, too. And what a vocabulary! I had to stop to look up a few things. The text is laced through with love, affection, humor, and charm. Easy and delightful reading.

My Dinner Of Herbs is the personal and engaging memoir of Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., the son of renowned soprano Alma Gluck and the acclaimed violinist Efrem Zimbalist. His own career included work in the theater, talent as a producer, a well-deserved Pulitzer Prize for "The Consul" (which he produced with Chandler Cowles), as well as numerous television specials and series. My Dinner Of Herbs is a thoroughly delightful and entertaining memoir packed with a informed and informative personal view of the Hollywood entertainment business, anecdotes of unforgettable people, and the memorable challenges that mark life, ranging from Efrem Zimbalist Jr.'s hard work to earn a Yale degree, to his military service in World War II. A first-rate, engaging portrait of a life well lived, My Dinner Of Herbs is very highly recommended reading which is especially recommended to those with an interest in Hollywood autobiographies and memoirs.