The Greatest Show on Earth：The Evidence for Evolution

CharlesDarwin'smasterpiece,OntheOriginofSpecies,shooksocietytoitscoreonpublicationin1859.Darwinwasonlytooawareofthestormhistheoryofevolutionwouldprovokebuthewouldsurelyhaveraisedanincredulouseyebrowatthecontroversystillragingacenturyandahalflater.Evolutionisacceptedasscientificfactbyallreputablescientistsandindeedtheologians,yetmillionsofpeoplecontinuetoquestionitsveracity.InTheGreatestShowonEarthRichardDawkinstakesoncreationists,includingfollowersof"IntelligentDesign"andallthosewhoquestionthefactofevolutionthroughnaturalselection.Likeadetectivearrivingonthesceneofacrime,hesiftsthroughfascinatinglayersofscientificfactsanddisciplinestobuildacast-ironcase:fromthelivingexamplesofnaturalselectioninbirdsandinsects;the'timeclocks'oftreesandradioactivedatingthatcalibrateatimescaleforevolution;thefossilrecordandthetracesofourearliestancestors;toconfirmationfrommolecularbiologyandgenetics.Allofthis,andmuchmore,bearswitnesstothetruthofevolution.TheGreatestShowonEarthcomesatacriticaltime:systematicoppositiontothefactofevolutionisnowflourishingasneverbefore,especiallyinAmerica.InBritainandelsewhereintheworld,teacherswitnessinsidiousattemptstounderminethestatusofscienceintheirclassrooms.RichardDawkinsprovidesunequivocalevidencethatboldlyandcomprehensivelyrebutssuchnonsense.Atthesametimeheshareswithushispalpableloveofthenaturalworldandtheessentialrolethatscienceplaysinitsinterpretation.Writtenwithelegance,witandpassion,itishard-hitting,absorbingandtotallyconvincing.