Stephen Jay Gould's writings on history - both of the natural world and of the study of that natural world - had made him a household name by the time of his death in 2002. This work contains a selection of Gould's writing, including some of the most famous of his essays and extracts from his major books.

Offers an overview of the life and thought of Charles Darwin and his wide sphere of influence. This title illuminates the ways in which ideas of evolutionary biology have leapt the boundaries of science to influence philosophy, law, religion, literature, cinema, art, and popular culture. It contains more than a hundred essays.

An account of a revolution in our understanding of life's history, this book tells how three obscure British scientists completely changed our view of evolution by discovering a unique group of 530 million year-old creatures in the Burgess Shale fossil deposit in the Rockies.

This volume describes the content and discusses the history and origins of the three core commitments of Darwinism, examines the three critiques that challenge this Darwinian edifice and proposes a system for integrating these commitments and critiques into a structure of evolutionary thought.

Weaves the ideas of some of Wester society's greatest thinkers, from Bacon to Galileo to EO Wilson, with uncelebrated ideas of lesser-known yet pivotal intellectuals. This work of science their ideas to undo an assumption that science and humanities stand in opposition. It argues that in fact each would benefit by borrowing from each other.

For millennia the animals that populated the earth had four toes on each foot, or six. If evolution had taken a tiny shift - if our ancestors had inherited a couple of genes in a different form - our canonical number, based on our fingers and toes, might be eight instead of ten. This book deploys this, which is one of the oddities of history.

Argues that progress and increasing complexity are not inevitable features of the evolution of life on Earth. This book states that if we wish to see grandeur in life, we must discard our selfish and anthropocentric view of evolution and learn to see it as Darwin did, as the unfathomably rich source of 'endless forms most beautiful and wonderful'.

There aren't many scientists famous enough in their lifetime to be canonized by the US Congress as one of America's 'living legends'. This book selects from across the full range of Gould's writing, including some of the most famous of his essays and extracts from his major books. The introduction sets both the essays and Gould's life in context.

This collection of essays apply biographical perspectives to the illumination of key scientific concepts and their history, ranging from the discovery of the scourge of syphilis by Fracastero in the 16th century to Isabelle Duncan's 19th-century attempt at reconciling scripture and palaeontology.

Sheds light on a dilemma that has plagued thinking people since the Renaissance. Instead of having to choose between science and religion, the author asks why do we not opt for the golden resolution that accords dignity and distinction to both? He also delves into the history of science with stories of figures such as Galileo and Darwin.

Among Stephen Jay Gould's many gifts was his ability to write eloquently about baseball, his great passion. Through the years, the renowned palaeontologist published numerous essays on the sport which have now been collected in this volume.

First published in 1998, this collection of essays contains some of Gould's best writing on a variety of subjects ranging from Leonardo da Vinci and Martin Luther to fossils and the history of science, including fascinating oddities from the natural world and the printed word.

.

Containing Gould's thoughts on his passion for baseball, this title explores the complexities of childhood streetball and the joys of opening day; contains tributes to players; and features a frank admission of the contradictions inherent in being a lifelong Yankees fan with Red Sox season-tickets.

This text is a metaphor for the way individuals and unpredictable events influence history. In response history, suggests the author, is the best model for evolution. The author explores the science of improbable outcomes in this wide ranging book written on the evolutionary theme.

Stephen Gould examines the phenomenon of the millennium, describing how the meaning of the word has evolved to its modern usage, and tackling the debate over whether the millennium ends in 1999 or the end of 2000AD. He also questions the human compulsion to impose our time-schemes on the universe.

In this title, Carl Zimmer draws together the entire history of evolution, from Darwin's original insights on the voyage of the Beagle, through the modern synthesis , which combined genetics with natural selection, to the Darwinian medicine and the selfish gene of today.

In this new collection of essays, Gould has once again applied biographical perspectives to the illumination of key scientific concepts and their history, ranging from the origins of palaeontology to modern eugenics and genetic engineering.