The Pony Fish's Glow: And Other Clues to Plan and Purpose in Nature (Science Masters) - Hardcover

Reseña del editor

Examines the evolutionary adaptations and maladaptations of humans, including our eyesight, our cravings for sugar and fat, and our connected reproductory/excretory systems

Reseña del editor

How well designed are we humans to carry out the tasks of life? A noted evolutionary biologist gives some fascinating answers.

In this compelling volume, George C. Williams illuminates the peculiar design features we humans possess, the effective adaptations that evolution has bestowed upon us, and why we have evolved the way we have. He explains such things as why we have eyes only in the front when, clearly, we'd be better off with a pair in the back as well; why we were designed to crave sugar and fat, when both have been shown to be harmful to our health; why our bodies deteriorate so badly with age; why we are vulnerable to disease; why human babies must travel through the narrow pelvic ring when they could make the trip much more safely and easily though a birth canal situated in the empty space outside the ring; and much more.

Providing a biological foundation for thought on current philosophical controversies, such as the mind-brain problem, and the definition of human life in relation to abortion rights and last rites, the author proves himself a masterful teacher of evolutionary science.