The Tangled Bank: An Introduction to Evolution

(Paperback, 2nd Revised edition)

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Used widely in non-majors biology classes, this is the first textbook about evolution intended for the general reader. Zimmer, an award-winning science writer, takes readers on a fascinating journey into the latest discoveries about evolution. In the Canadian Arctic, paleontologists unearth fossils documenting the move of our ancestors from sea to land. In the outback of Australia, a zoologist tracks some of the worlds deadliest snakes to decipher the 100-million-year evolution of venom molecules. In Africa, geneticists are gathering DNA to probe the origin of our species.

In clear, non-technical language, Zimmer explains the central concepts essential for understanding new advances in evolution, including natural selection, genetic drift, and sexual selection. He demonstrates how vital evolution is to all branches of modern biologyfrom the fight against deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria to the analysis of the human genome.

Reviews

"Spectacularly successful." - Quarterly Review of Biology "The Tangled Bank is the best written and best illustrated introduction to evolution of the Darwin centennial decade, and also the most conversant with ongoing research. It is excellent for students, the general public, and even other biologists." - Edward O. Wilson, University Professor, Emeritus, Harvard University "Zimmer describes the processes and patterns of evolution admirably, using his flair with language and substantial knowledge of biology - Zimmer has a gift for finding just the right example to fascinate the reader, encouraging him or her to want to read on and learn more. The book is astoundingly well illustrated; it could serve as a coffee-table book as well as an up-to-date introduction to the changing ways in which evolution has been and is being studied. A book to both browse and read in depth." - CHOICE (by B. K. Hall, Dalhousie University)

Author Bio

Carl Zimmer is one of the country's leading science writers. A columnist for The New York Times and a regular contributor to magazines like Scientific American and National Geographic, he is the author of thirteen books, including Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea and A Planet of Viruses. Zimmer is a lecturer at Yale University, where he teaches science writing. He is a three-time winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Journalism Award and the winner of the National Academies Communication Award.