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272 ratings, 4.18 average rating, 35 reviews
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published
September 1st 1990
by W. W. Norton
binding
Paperback, 352 pages
isbn
039330700X
(isbn13: 9780393307009)
description
The Burgess Shale of British Columbia "is the most precious and important of all fossil localities," writes Stephen Jay Gould. These 600-mil...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 379)
bookshelves:
science
Read in November, 2007
This book describes the trials and tribulations of understanding the fauna of the Burgess Shale. I was riveted by the process of actually scraping away the shale to study the underlying parts that were also preserved, like disecting a fossil! Amazing.
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non_fiction
Read in August, 2007
In the movie It's A Wonderful Life, George Bailey tells Uncle Billy that the three most exciting sounds are of anchor chains, plane motors, and train whistles. To me, one is that of a page being turned. Books transport you into periods and worlds that you can never hope to visit, most existing in either the past or the heads of their authors.
Wonderful Life by Stephen Jay Gould focuses on two periods. One spans ...more
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Gould does an excellent job balancing readability and technical details in this account of the discovery and classification of fossils found at the Burgess Shale in Canada. Some of the fossils reveal truly bizarre creatures of the Cambrian period, which were shoehorned into existing phyla when originally classified, but upon recent, closer study were shown to belong to completely new phyla of their own. The fascinating creatures are thoroughly described.
Gould convincingly argues that these...more
Gould convincingly argues that these...more
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bookshelves:
nature
Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
people interested in evolution
I started this read from an audio book, which was a big mistake. It's too hard to follow the verbal description without illustrations.
This is a crazy new concept. It provides a whole new twist to the theory of evolution. It basically turns evolution upside down and says, at least for marine arthropods, The Cambrian Explosion had more unique life forms than at present. The Theory of Evolution argues for an increase in complexity from simple life forms to more complex over geologic time. T...more
This is a crazy new concept. It provides a whole new twist to the theory of evolution. It basically turns evolution upside down and says, at least for marine arthropods, The Cambrian Explosion had more unique life forms than at present. The Theory of Evolution argues for an increase in complexity from simple life forms to more complex over geologic time. T...more
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Read in August, 2007
My standard disclaimer: My reviews are for myself and are not for others. (probably true of everyone, but from my books read, I suspect that from the variety it would be more true for me)
This book is a good example. I enjoyed it even though it was difficult to work through at points since this is not an area I have ever covered before. I didn't know Late Cambrian from Jurrasic. But I enjoy expanding my horizons. Would I recommend this to others? That depends on who the others are. I wrote down...more
This book is a good example. I enjoyed it even though it was difficult to work through at points since this is not an area I have ever covered before. I didn't know Late Cambrian from Jurrasic. But I enjoy expanding my horizons. Would I recommend this to others? That depends on who the others are. I wrote down...more
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Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
Anyone interested in where we come from.
I enjoyed this book, it felt a bit too much like a text book, but I was very interested in what it had to say.
It's a tale about the rediscover of some forgot fossils dating back to the Cambrian explosion at a sight known as the Burgess Shale in Canada. Gould argues in the book that these unusual animals need to make us rethink our upside down cone shaped look at evolution. That instead of starting off as simple creatures that became exceedingly more complex and diverse, that instead there was...more
It's a tale about the rediscover of some forgot fossils dating back to the Cambrian explosion at a sight known as the Burgess Shale in Canada. Gould argues in the book that these unusual animals need to make us rethink our upside down cone shaped look at evolution. That instead of starting off as simple creatures that became exceedingly more complex and diverse, that instead there was...more
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science
Read in January, 1993
This was my first dive into the world of fossils, from the world of biology. Before this book and before some fossil collecting of my own, it never occurred to me that fossils are all around us. This story of the Burgess Shale in Canada and the creatures that were exquisitely preserved there was so amazing to me. Gripping me like a suspense novel, I whizzed through the pages, more and more amazed with these creatures that once lived on earth in abundance. I need to read it again!
It does ...more
It does ...more
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Read in January, 1996
I've only known one other person who has read this book. The other person is a biology professor, by the way. Gould's perspectives on evolution and life on Earth in general were introduced to me when I first read it. In the context of the Cambrian Explosion, I learned a lot about how durable and yet fragile life on the planet really is -- and how little the average person understands about the mechanisms that that hav...more
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dustbunnydungeon
Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
serious bug lovers
As someone with a longstanding fascination with all things Cambrian, this book is pure indulgence.
I am reading it at an appropriately slow pace (this is natural history after all). When I get tired of Steven J making his point over and over again, I take a little time out and look at the AMAZING drawings of trilobites and lace crabs. I can't wait for the BBC to make "Swimming with Arthropods." I'll have nightmares for weeks.
PS- this book is not for anyone who di...more
I am reading it at an appropriately slow pace (this is natural history after all). When I get tired of Steven J making his point over and over again, I take a little time out and look at the AMAZING drawings of trilobites and lace crabs. I can't wait for the BBC to make "Swimming with Arthropods." I'll have nightmares for weeks.
PS- this book is not for anyone who di...more
bookshelves:
popular-science
This book should be a required reading for any student in biology. The main topic of the book is the fossil fauna of the Burgess Shale and all the weird animals that were present around 540 million years ago. The most didactic point of the book is the following: If we were to go through the last 540 million years again, would we end up with the same organisms as we have now? Gould explains in a trully amazing way how the answer is no.
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Read in October, 2007
About half way through this. I'm finding that it puts an interesting perspective on our place in the world.
I understand that his views aren't those of all evolutionists and I will be seeking out some other stuff once I've finished. A thoroughly enjoyable, informative and well written book.
Yes, most enjoyable. Got some Dawkins and Conway-Morris for more views, next.
I understand that his views aren't those of all evolutionists and I will be seeking out some other stuff once I've finished. A thoroughly enjoyable, informative and well written book.
Yes, most enjoyable. Got some Dawkins and Conway-Morris for more views, next.
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science---other-nonfiction
"Wonderful Life" is a wonderful example of popular scientific writing. Gould argues that punctuated equilibrium best explains the evolution of life. He also emphasizes the role of contingency. Historical events are contingent and, Gould argues, so was evolutionary development.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
So worth it, despite the taxonomy and indecipherable anatomical drawings of crushed-up buggy things from way-back-when. I learned many things from this book, including: science is fallible, but still great; evolution is not a tree, but rather an abortive menorah; bias is inherent in humans; I admire Stephen Jay Gould! Read the book, and you'll understand.
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recommends it for:
jerks loving fossils
Despite his beautiful penchant for Red and his compelling view of natural history (punctuated equilibrium), Wonderful Life tries to be too much all at once and can come off rather pedantic at times. At it’s best though, it’s hugely thought-provoking, and as such gets awesome high-fives from Steve Ross.
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Read in July, 2004
recommends it for:
natural history fans, paleontology students, artists
I have been looking for the sixth star to put on this review, but the computer won't seem to let me do it. I have read most everything by Steven Jay Gould and this was by far my favorite. Fantastic book. And the photographs are even better than Gould's prose, which is really saying something.
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Since my former punk rock band saw fit to espouse our intense interest in the Burgess Shale through a song of the same name, I feel I have been remiss in not reading this yet. (I wasn't the primary or even secondary songwriter on that one, though, either.)
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Read in January, 1989
This books presents more of Gould's clear and witty writing on the Burgess Shale revelations of a different branch of evolutionary organisms. He steps out on the branch with possible explanations and grants that he may be proven wrong in the future.
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Stephen Jay Gould is really good. I was reading this, but I misplaced it. I'll finish it whenever I find it. It's about the Burgess Shale and all of the fossils from the Cambrian Explosion that were uncovered there.
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Read in January, 1993
recommends it for:
Every Poet Should Read this Book
The history of life is chance. What a beautiful way at looking at evolution fully clothed and naked where it counts. I posted a poem on Goodreads today "The Last Sexual Extinction" that relates to WONDERFUL LIFE. Sean
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Read in January, 2002
read this while i was studying palaeontology - so i really enjoyed it at the time. not a read for everyone, written like a textbook at times in what seems like a different language but i admire gould.
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