Once We All Had Gills: Growing Up Evolutionist in an Evolving World - Hardcover

Raff's book is . . . a fascinating story of how a young boy interested in natural history became a scientist . . . and also a polemic arguing about the importance of science and its defense against the powers of ignorance. * www.skepticblog.org * Science teachers and students, as well as working scientists and laypersons with some knowledge of biology, will find this an interesting and inspiring book, not only about the life and work of a scientist, but the importance of science to society as well. * Foreword Reviews * This is an excellent introduction to evolutionary thinking and an inspiration to those who may be just starting on their career (or those in need of a bit of encouragement to keep plugging along). . . . Highly recommended. * Choice * Once We All Had Gills strikes just the right balance of drama, humor, good stories, and science that makes not only for entertaining reading, but also delivers important insights into evolutionary biology research. * Quarterly Review of Biology * At once a cri de coeur from an eminent scientist on behalf of his profession, Raff's work is also an engaging and informative jaunt through the richly diverse history of evolution as a phenomenon and a course of study. * Publishers Weekly *

In this book, Rudolf A. Raff reaches out to the scientifically queasy, using his life story and his growth as a scientist to illustrate why science matters, especially at a time when many Americans are both suspicious of science and hostile to scientific ways of thinking. Noting that science has too often been the object of controversy in school curriculums and debates on public policy issues ranging from energy and conservation to stem-cell research and climate change, Raff argues that when the public is confused or ill-informed, these issues tend to be decided on religious, economic, and political grounds that disregard the realities of the natural world. Speaking up for science and scientific literacy, Raff tells how and why he became an evolutionary biologist and describes some of the vibrant and living science of evolution. Once We All Had Gills is also the story of evolution writ large: its history, how it is studied, what it means, and why it has become a useful target in a cultural war against rational thought and the idea of a secular, religiously tolerant nation.