Caroline’s review of The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution > Likes and Comments

Caoline, Richard Dawkins is excellent and I particularly liked The Selfish Gene and The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design and so third time lucky, I imagine, with this book.

We certainly do live in a wonderful universe!

We do live in a wonderful universe, and I can't think of any who conveys that better than Dawkins ......

You're up early Caroline - like me. There's a star-studded sky outside and it is truly spectacular to behold.

I'm glad you're enjoy the stars... I always get up during the night - it's my most productive time (reading, writing, painting.) Now I'm going back to bed!

Sweet dreams Lynne :O)

Many thank Sabah. By the way, there is very little in the book about testing on mammals, probably because of the level at which Dawkins is writing.

I only read some of what's in the spoiler (will go back and read more), but that's fascinating. Pigs are related to whales? O.O

In a sort of cousin-ish sort of way. So often these connections seem quite bizarre, but whale....hippo....pig - there's a kind of visual flow to it. A pig could almost be a whale on legs ;O)

What a great summary (I read the spoiler!) Are you a good typist or just handy with cut & paste? :-)

I used to be a secretary aeons ago - so yes - I'm a fast typist. It's very useful (as is my rusty shorthand.)

I physically have this book but have yet to read it. We had the pleasure of hearing Dawkins speak at the Center for Inquiry and he really is not the "angry atheist" that some people paint him to be. He is a scientist frustrated by a growing trend toward anti-intellectualism, rejection of science, and the tendency toward equating personal belief with fact. It just so happens that a prime example of this is religions and the myths they grew out of, creationism being one of them.

Shaun wrote: "I physically have this book but have yet to read it. We had the pleasure of hearing Dawkins speak at the Center for Inquiry and he really is not the "angry atheist" that some people paint him to be..."

You have a wonderful read in front of you Shaun - it really is an outstanding book.

I'm envious to hear that you heard Dawkins speak in the flesh! He writes so brilliantly, I'm sure he must speak well too.

Re Dawkins and religion. To me he does sound as though he is banging on against it, but I would would argue that it is understandable that he does so in the face of the force of beliefs like creationism. Perhaps my views are coloured by the fact I have a dear friend who is a deeply committed Catholic - and the only way our friendship flourishes is by us not meeting head on over her beliefs. Where she and most people are concerned I "live and let live". Were I to write a book though touching upon Catholic issues, I would (I hope) speak openly about my concerns. And Dawkins is writing books relevant to these issues.

A pity you skipped the part of carbon dating… It turned out to be quite simple, even though I was afraid of it as well.

Jacob wrote: "A pity you skipped the part of carbon dating… It turned out to be quite simple, even though I was afraid of it as well."

I'm afraid it's too late now to go back and check it again (it was a library book.....)

In fact after reading your post I had a quick google, but I still find the process very daunting! I am a very small-brained critter....