Good info, but some of the lecturer's odd pronunciations were distracting. ( )

Professor Larson takes us on a short walk through the halls of history and into the Theory of Evolution.

The idea that species evolve and change over time goes back to Socratic times. Throughout the ages as mankind grew more curious and technology improved so did our understanding of evolution. Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace are most synonymous with this idea but they weren't the ones who 'invented' this theory. Evolution was already a hot topic way before Darwin dropped his classic On the Origin of Species. We also learn about the long debate between the religious and the scientific communities and how that effected the curriculum in schools across the U.S. The course ends with our current understanding of evolution.

Larson did an okay job at narrating. It was a bit rough in the beginning but he improved as the course went on. Also, Alfred Russel Wallace is mentioned but I feel he gets glossed over whenever the topic comes up. He was in an important figure; He basically pushed Darwin to go public with his theory! Give the guy some love dammit!

In general the course was enjoyable. It reinforced my knowledge of Darwin's life and the events that lead to the sharpening of his theory. I also gained a sharper understanding of genes, random mutations and how the ever-changing environment effects change. Really cool stuff.

If you're looking to jump into this topic this is a nice place to start. ( )

61. The Theory of Evolution: A History of Controversy (The Great Courses) by Edward J. Larson (2001, 224 pages in paper form, listened Nov 19 - Dec 2)

This was the first time I tried The Great Courses. Larson is Harvard Law graduate, but he is not a historian, scientist or expert in the history of science, and that shows. Also his time is limited to twelve lectures of 30 minutes each, which keeps the content pretty thin.

I would divide the lectures into four themes - before Darwin, Darwin, after Darwin, and the development of the religious creationist movement. His coverage of science before Darwin was terrible, and his coverage of Darwin is only OK. He does a much better job looking at the twentieth century, and the neo-Darwinian synthesis. When he covers the Scopes trial, it almost seems like another lecturer takes over. We are showered with interesting details and careful characterizations and suddenly the atmosphere comes alive. I suspect Larson may be most comfortable with the legal side of things.

But the most interesting part of the book was his history of the rise of the creationist movement in the United States, a movement that really only began to grow maybe 50 years ago. I found it very interesting how the mainstream churches lost their influence. The scientific community left the church altogether. The religious conservative community abandoned these churches for more evangelic and fundamentalist churches. Religious groups that were historically fringe suddenly became influential. This is actually really sad in more than one way. In the 1920's the Scientists and religious leaders had a dialogue with each other which filtered down to communities at large. Now the scientists are on one extreme, the creationists are on another, and in the middle are the not-so-influential mainline churches (and synagogues) with their fading memberships and attendance. So, there is no longer a meeting ground where a healthy dialogue can take place.

I gave the overall work a low rating because the content is thin, and the author came across to me as not an expert in everything covered. But, still, it's worth listening to.

Posted on my LT thread here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/160515#4408668 ( )