Review: A Remarkable Journey: The Story of Evolution by R. Paul Thompson

Abstract

A Remarkable Journey: The Story of Evolution . By R. Paul Thompson. 2015. University of Chicago Press. (ISBN 9781780234465). 160 pp. Hardcover. $35.00. From 550 BCE to the present, R. Paul Thompson traces the remarkable journey of the development of the theory of evolution and how that theory came to be the cornerstone of the field of biology. As we travel alongside key scientists in this journey, we learn about the nature of science itself, particularly theory development. If you were to ask a typical American high school or college student what he or she knows about the theory of evolution, you would likely hear mention of Charles Darwin. Thompson clearly demonstrates that scientific theories are never developed in isolation. They are developed in concert with many scientists who are influenced by the time and place in which they live. For example, Darwin was influenced by Lyell's Principles of Geology , which he was given at age 22, at the outset of his voyage on the HMS Beagle . The book opens with this statement: “The idea that life evolved is very old.” Thompson situates the ideas of …