An award-winning biologist takes us on the dramatic expeditions that unearthed the history of life on our planet. s investigation of our deepest p...
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Apr 05, 2009
Nurul
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I've read several of Dr. Carroll's scientific papers. So, standing on science section of a book store and finding a natural history book authored by him was like a tiny adventure for me, a successful one. I couldn't wait to read this book and follow his journey in tracking the pioneers of scientific natural history research in search for all the remarkable lifeforms on earth.
From Darwin, Wallace, Eugene Dubois with his 'Java man', back to the "Cambrian period which marked the e More...
From Darwin, Wallace, Eugene Dubois with his 'Java man', back to the "Cambrian period which marked the e More...
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Feb 16, 2010
Leslie
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Sooo.....we did evolve from apes. I knew it! That explains so many things, all the hair in unusual places, the urge to groom my husband, why my youngest hangs on me like a monkey. Carroll includes a quote on the last page of this book, talk is cheap, exploration and discovery is hard. Boy, oh boy is that true! Some people are just born to find stuff. Some people are just premade to tackle decades of dealing with sunburns, throwing up, fire ant bites, fevers, sea-sickness, more throwing up,
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Mar 31, 2009
Donna
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I liked this book because it was as much about the scientists included as their discoveries. Of course now I want to go pick up more thorough biographies about some of the people that it covers...
The very end of the book starts to drag though. After a good overview of Pauling's political activism, things get a bit jargon heavy and we stop getting the same level of personal detail that made the rest of the book so interesting.
The very end of the book starts to drag though. After a good overview of Pauling's political activism, things get a bit jargon heavy and we stop getting the same level of personal detail that made the rest of the book so interesting.
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Sep 08, 2009
Athena
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"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them".
This book is a chronicle of the greatest adventures in natural history in the last 200 years. The author Sean Carroll, a professor of genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, looks at the lives of people who had gone into the wild, with one purpose, to find evidence of evolution. He starts with Darwin and his voyage around the world. Darwin's passion for collecting and for ex More...
This book is a chronicle of the greatest adventures in natural history in the last 200 years. The author Sean Carroll, a professor of genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, looks at the lives of people who had gone into the wild, with one purpose, to find evidence of evolution. He starts with Darwin and his voyage around the world. Darwin's passion for collecting and for ex More...
Jun 27, 2009
Xine
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In 1584, the Catholic monk Giordano Bruno asserted that there were “countless suns and countless earths all rotating around their suns.” He was charged with heresy and burned at the stake in 1600.
And here I thought peer reviews these days were unforgiving.
This book wasn't quite what I expected, but it was really lovely. It's not much about the creatures, but mostly about the discoverers. It's interesting, for all that.
This book features a few of my favorite scien More...
Apr 26, 2009
Donna
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In an extremely close, affectionate, life-long marriage, Charles Darwin and his wife Emma were able to tolerate and transcend their philosophical differences. (She was a devout, conservative Christian who believed in the Biblical version of creation.) He entrusted her with the disposition of his writings in the event of his early demise.
Louis Leaky, a son of English missionaries in Africa, was initiated into the native Kikuyu society at the age of 11. He received an African name (Wa More...
Louis Leaky, a son of English missionaries in Africa, was initiated into the native Kikuyu society at the age of 11. He received an African name (Wa More...
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May 06, 2010
Nicole
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I was given a wonderful glimpse of what has driven great naturalists into the field despite fatigue, disease, and sometimes an utter lack of funds. These people clearly enjoyed taking their field by storm and getting down to serious disputations about their findings. There is nothing like a solid wrangle over a fossil to get the best work done.
Besides Darwin, Wallace and Bates early work and their influences the book covers Eugène Dubois's discovery of Java Man; Charles Walcott's dis More...
Besides Darwin, Wallace and Bates early work and their influences the book covers Eugène Dubois's discovery of Java Man; Charles Walcott's dis More...
Feb 09, 2010
Stephanie
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Science has a reputation for being boring. I’ve made the acquaintance of many a science textbook in my time, and I can say that, in spite of my love for science, that reputation is not unwarranted. Textbook writers could stand to learn a thing or two from Sean B. Carroll, author of Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origin of Species.
In Remarkable Creatures, Carroll tells the stories of many of the men and women that have made great discoveries in the field o More...
In Remarkable Creatures, Carroll tells the stories of many of the men and women that have made great discoveries in the field o More...
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Jan 30, 2012
Jenny
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Carroll's earlier book about evolutionary biology, "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" was an amazing book that takes the reader me deep inside the science underlying evolution and explained in ways comprehensible to the nonscientist how a limited number of genes go about building the myriad forms our bodies take. Given how great that book was, my expectations were high for this one.
Unfortunately, for me at least, this book turns out to be a very lightweight survey of several ex More...
Unfortunately, for me at least, this book turns out to be a very lightweight survey of several ex More...
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Feb 09, 2012
Eppursimuov3
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Remarkable Creatures by Sean Carroll is not a biography but a set of biographies. Yet, it is a single story – detailing the journey of discovery that led many explorers, naturalists and scientists on a quest to solve the mystery of mysteries – the origins of life itself. From Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace in the birth of the theory of evolution to the paleontological discoveries of Tiktaalik and Archaeopteryx, and finally to the rise of biochemical investigations into human origins,
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Apr 14, 2010
Richard
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This is an excellent introduction to the History of the theory of evolution.
Naturally, Carroll's book includes chapters on Darwin. It also includes those inspired him, his contemporaries and followers.
Don't read this book if you're looking for any in depth discussion of any particular aspect of evolution: you won't find it. It is however a highly enjoyable read, entertaining even, if you're interested in how the theory of evolution has developed and wish to know a littl More...
Naturally, Carroll's book includes chapters on Darwin. It also includes those inspired him, his contemporaries and followers.
Don't read this book if you're looking for any in depth discussion of any particular aspect of evolution: you won't find it. It is however a highly enjoyable read, entertaining even, if you're interested in how the theory of evolution has developed and wish to know a littl More...
Jun 16, 2011
Koen
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Carroll writes a fieldwork-centric, mostly paleontology-centric book on evolution, which is interesting. You sometimes get pretty interesting paleontological popular science (Neil Shubin's Your Inner Fish, which Carroll covers, being a recent example), but they tend to be quite narrow in scope. It's easy to see why: you can't really give a broad overview of the whole of evolutionary biology without tackling more theoretical work. That work may be borne out in the fossil record, but using the fos
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Feb 15, 2009
I heard this author today on NPR and at first I wanted to change the channel, but I fought the urge and heard this guy out. By the end, I was pretty fascinated with what he was talking about and wanted to check out this book. It sounds like each chapter talks about a different person/scientific discovery, each story with its own cinematic drama. I know, origin of species, but it sounds pretty intersting. Feathered dinosaurs, precambriac life, earth's crust...Doesn't sound that interesting no
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Mar 21, 2009
Nicole
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This was a really fun overview of the history of the theory of evolution, told through the biographies of it's major contributors. Of course, it starts with Darwin, but I pleasantly surprised to find that Mr. Carroll gave as much space and attention to each of the other scientists/naturalists that he addressed. I was also thrilled that he didn't just stick to biology, rather branched out into paleontology, paleoanthropology, and molecular biology, and the scientists that in their own way and w
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Mar 05, 2010
I didn't really realize that some of these things (neanderthal v. homo sapiens, dinosaur extinction) were quite so new, as ideas. I guess they've all basically been around since I have, or since I've been paying attention, so they all seem like old news or so.
Anyway, fun book. I burned through it in just a few days. Sorta lost interest a little with the humans research, asia versus africa descent and suches, perhaps too much reading for me too quickly, but it's all good.
A More...
Anyway, fun book. I burned through it in just a few days. Sorta lost interest a little with the humans research, asia versus africa descent and suches, perhaps too much reading for me too quickly, but it's all good.
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Jun 02, 2010
Ken-ichi
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A great little overview of some notable biologists and their discoveries. Carroll tempers his wonder with rigor, succinctly but thoroughly explaining a great deal of science alongside the zany adventures of his heroes, with ample citations in appendices. My only critiques are that it was too brief to be completely satisfying for someone familiar with the science (at least in broad strokes), and the occasional moments of dorkiness (Snakes on Plane reference (p. 145)? Seriously?).
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Jul 06, 2009
Asymmetrical
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A good book that could be better. The first 3/4 or so makes very good reading, with the kind of details about the people involved that keep good popular science books interesting to lay readers. There was a lot of familiar material in these chapters, but I found enough that was new and some lively storytelling to keep me going.
Unaccountably, the writing degrades as Dr. Carroll gets closer to our own time and his areas of expertise -- interpreting genetic and other information at th More...
Unaccountably, the writing degrades as Dr. Carroll gets closer to our own time and his areas of expertise -- interpreting genetic and other information at th More...
Jan 31, 2010
Orin
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This is a remarkable survey of the individual chapters that make up the history of science in the last 150 years. The author catches the thrill of discovery well. My favorite chapters were those dealing with the events at the K-T boundary and the work of the Alvarez family and with the career of Louis Leakey. (Forty years ago I got to hear Leakey speak twice (!)--He was wonderful. I don't remember what he said exactly, but I'll never forget being in his presence.)
Feb 09, 2009
PastAllReason
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Carroll's latest is well worth reading. In a series of chapters that serve as vignettes, Carroll explores the adventurers in evolutionary science who were, themselves, remarkable creatures. Carroll includes notable scientists from the nearly inevitable Darwin and Wallace, to the work done by Neil Fisher, whose book Your Inner Fish was recently on the best-seller list.
Carroll writes both as a scientist and an enthusiast. This book is well worth reading.
Carroll writes both as a scientist and an enthusiast. This book is well worth reading.
Sep 08, 2010
Jose
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I loved these stories of a dying breed of men, the adventurer scientists. This book really does a good job painting a narrative of evolution's "big" finds through the personal lives of scientists. I appreciate how the author dug a little deeper and found some very interesting anecdotes about the lives of these people. One thing shines through all of it, they were all overwhelmed by the wonder and beauty of nature. It drove them to uncover some truly remarkable things.
Jun 07, 2010
Melissa
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The author has crafted a compelling set of biographical sketches that show readers the life and work of scientists who have contributed to our understanding of the development of life on Earth. I like the idea behind his section introductions, but I found the italic type hard to read. I'm not sure that the final section was necessary. It seems a bit tangential to me.
May 07, 2010
Nathan
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A jumbled rehash of everything you probably have already heard about paleoanthropology, stingy with any real insight. Carroll assumes a folksy tone meant to appeal to the general reader, but then leaves far too much unexplained, zipping from one story to the next without making connections or showing implications. The thing I liked best about this book was the cover art.
Jul 21, 2009
Donna
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Another junket book from my local NPR station (support public radio!) - not a story of the origin of species...but about the people and EVENTS surrounding the actual search itself.
Starts - sorta - with Darwin. But then goes into his contemporaries, students...and inheritors.
Simple, lovely stuff. Can be devored in an afternoon.
Starts - sorta - with Darwin. But then goes into his contemporaries, students...and inheritors.
Simple, lovely stuff. Can be devored in an afternoon.
Feb 26, 2009
Turi
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Sean Carroll does a great job illuminating the discoveries, voyages, and people that contributed to our current understanding of evolutionary theory. From Darwin and Wallace to Leakey and Pauling, Remarkable Creatures goes around the world and across disciplines. There's evolutionary theory, paleoanthropology and molecular biology, all explained clearly, simply and interestingly.
Feb 13, 2010
Virginia
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Sean Carroll tells the dramatic stories of the naturalists, anthropologists, paleontologists, chemists and biologists whose discoveries help tell the real story of how our world evolved. For the non-scientist he explains the exciting evolution of man and his world and it is a thrilling story.
Dec 23, 2010
Jenny
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This book contains a series of biographical sketches about different scientists and explorers who have advanced our knowledge of evolution and human origins. From the 18th century naturalists who explored the Amazon river basin to modern molecular biologists, Sean Carroll describes both the people and their discoveries.
Jun 14, 2010
Jocelyn
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The foreword starts off a little bombastic, but once you're into the chapters, the tone changes and is easier to read. Each chapter revolves around people involved in developing the theory of evolution, from the people who influenced Darwin to those who are currently working on DNA.
May 23, 2010
Max
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This was fun. The first half was particularly good, though the second half slowed down a bit. Still, it was interesting and educational. Also, I was surprised at how much biologists have learned since I originally learned this stuff in school.
Aug 21, 2009
Vickie
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I wasn't sure I would like this book - but my son is a budding paleontologist -- and I trust my friend Heidi's recommendation. Its a very well written book. Even if you have a little interest in evolution. If you have a large interest - even better
Feb 03, 2012
Steve
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I got this book from the library and was apparently unforgettable enough that after about 45 pages in I finally realized I had already taken the book out and read it. Weird. But still contains some great stories on some great biologists
