It took me a few years to finally read it all as I've read multiple chapters in random order before (those about the thumb of the panda, the one about solving the Piltdown conspiracy, among others). The greatest modern voice for the neo-Darwinian synthesis. Having recently settled in Australia I found the information on Marsupials in South America highly interesting. Gould spent most of his career teaching at Harvard University and working at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Start by marking “The Panda's Thumb: More Reflections in Natural History” as Want to Read: Error rating book. This is another collection of Stephen Gould's essays which were previously featured in other publications. But I blame me, not the author, because his style was chatty enough. The title essay (of 1978, originally titled "The panda's peculiar thumb") presents the paradox that poor design is a better argument for evolution than good design, as illustrated by the anatomy of the panda's "thumb"—which is not a thumb at all—but an extension of the radial sesamoid. Mr. Gould has the ability to astonish and amuse us with his explanation of how the panda's "thumb" is actually a sort of sixth finger that "may have been fashioned by a simple genetic change, perhaps a single mutation affecting the timing and rate of growth." The Panda's Thumb is an overall interesting book dealing with the curiosities of evolution through a compendium of articles written by Gould mostly in the 70s for Nature magazine. To see what your friends thought of this book. When it comes time to explain to your argument-partner what all that fuss regarding Darwin was all about, the topics in this book will handily give you something to knowingly speak about. This was a hugely enjoyable book by an extremely talented writer. We’d love your help. The Panda's Thumb: More Reflections in Natural History, Stephen Jay Gould is a pleasure to read. This is called the radial sesame’s, which lies on the underside of the panda’s forepaws. I think a glossary would have helped. All in all, still worth the read though. The content is really good and he has a great sum up near the end about a lot of "points" other science writers have made that really comes through with some fervor about the way that bats and bees see and what the world is to us. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published A panda usually eats while sitting upright, in a pose that resembles how humans sit on the floor. This is the book you want to have just read when you are faced with having to argue with an idiot. Natural history buffs, biology students, creationists, This is a book of essays originally published by Gould in Natural History magazine, during the time that he was its editor (one of several such books, in fact). An excellent rebuttal to the miraculous but debunked claims of evolution. I have read some of his other work and will continue to read more. Should I read "Ever Since Darwin" before I read this? Steven Gould is amazing at bringing technical concepts into layman's terms. Finally finishing it I must say it is a bit less cohesive then the previous one but has some texts that shine even more on their own. I also enjoyed his somewhat internal debates about dinosaurs. Theories concerning adaptations of the … Written as a series of vignettes about various topics, each was an entertaining and enlightening read, although I'm not sure if I'm a. I bought this second hand over 13 years ago and, after reading it, should not have put it off for so long. It also inspired me to read more nonfiction, particularly science nonfiction. I still haven't latched on to his writing as much as I would have liked. The Panda's Thumb is an overall interesting book dealing with the curiosities of evolution through a compendium of articles written by Gould mostly in the 70s for Nature magazine. The topic of evolution has interest for me for two reasons, the first being that biology is the one core area of science I've not studied formally and the second that it (evolution) has become such a flash-point issue in disputes between science and religion. B. Medawar, New York Review of Books , The Panda's Thumb, More Reflections in Natural History, Stephen Jay Gould, 9780393308198 This posture leaves the front paws free to grasp bamboo stems with the help of a "pseudo thumb," formed by an elongated and enlarged wrist bone covered with a fleshy pad of skin. The Panda's Thumb: More Reflections in Natural History (1980) is a collection of 31 essays by the Harvard University paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould. The thought most running across my mind when I was reading this book was: "Where can I get more Stephen Jay Gould books?!". There are no discussion topics on this book yet. The 1992 edition even goes over some clarifications which have come into light in … Recurring themes of the essays are The Panda's thumb is one of the most widely read and translated SJ Gould books. Finally finishing it I must say it is a bit less cohesive then the previous one but has some texts that shine even more on their own. For this assignment, I have chosen one of Gould’s essays. It's been one of my favorite types of writing ever since. The Panda's Thumb won the 1981 U.S. National Book Award in Science. 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