The Making of the Fittest

Sean Carroll explains how evolution works on the DNA level by looking at various specific examples, such as the way the genes that code for light-sensitive pigments have evolved to give animals different kinds of color vision. And he does an excellent job of it, too. He gives enough detail to make things clear without ever overwhelming the reader, and the examples he uses don't just illustrate his points well, but are also fascinating in their own right. This book definitely did for me what science writing ideally should do: it both taught me things I didn't know about the topic and made me feel excited about it. When you look at evolution this way, it's amazing and beautiful how well it all fits together, and how much sense it all makes!

The last two chapters, about evolution deniers and the impact of human activity on the environment, and thus the evolution, of other creatures feel a little tacked-on, and aren't really long enough to do full justice to either subject, but they do at least make some points worth making, so I can't fault Carroll for including them. ( )

An interesting and accessible account of some of the DNA-based "evidence for evolution". It's fascinating to read of the way that common proteins have been conserved through millions of years of evolution, so that we still share them with our remotest cousins.

It's kind of odd to me that it's presented so relentlessly as an argument for evolution. I mean, that's so settled, it's like beating the greasy spot where the dead horse once was. And then there's a concluding chapter on creationist pseudoscience and related religious lunacy.

This is important in the US, I know. But to me it's like reading a book about the fine detail of star formation while the author argues vehemently and at length against geocentrism. Shouldn't that have been put to rest well before my lifetime? I wanted to read about the science, not the politics, and felt unsatisfied. ( )

It felt a little slow getting started but I really got into the second half of the book. I especially enjoyed the last few chapters which dealt with recent political issues and the future of evolution in our world. A completely infallible guide to the truth and power of evolution! ( )

(posted on my blog: davenichols.net)

Molecular biologist Sean Carroll presents an outstanding, deeply scientifically satisfying look at the forensic evidence for evolution in The Making of the Fittest. By focusing his argument on the very smallest bits of evidence, Carroll provides an amazing look into the world of the cell and DNA which leaves the reader with little doubt that evolution and natural selection are clearly capable of developing the entities and processes we find in nature today.

Starting off with a look at bloodless cold-water fish, Carroll jumps into the nature of adaptive mutations. Moving on, he shows that, given time and large numbers, the "miracles" of evolution are practically inevitable, even if not specifically predictable in every detail. Carroll demonstrates that some genes are nearly "immortal", lasting nearly unchanged for millions of years. Further, he explores how old genes and their proteins are frequently repurposed into new uses.

From there, the book moves into fossil genes which allow researchers to trace changes in lineages, as well as the fact that evolution tends to favor the production of similar results even if the affected genomes are not related. Carroll wraps up by showing that humans and other complex entities can be produced by the power of DNA, natural selection, mutation, and drift.

A great follow up to Carroll's previous work on evolutionary development, Fittest is a fascinating glimpse into the world of microbiological detectives. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in biology and evolution. Four and one-half stars. ( )

This book is a primer on how natural selection works. Carroll approaches this topic from a mathematical perspective through statistics and probability, but does so in layperson's terms (which means I can just barely understand it - hah!). The book uses examples such as Antarctic icefish for whom natural selection has chosen genes that give them enlarged hearts, blood without red blood cells, and a natural antifreeze.

Mutation is a key idea, with Carroll stressing that mutations despite their bad PR can be beneficial and points out that in fact we are all mutants. While mutation is blind, natural selection is not. Natural selection acts cumulatively. Carroll also takes on the people who deny evolution by natural selection, refreshingly pointing out that it's not just religious conservatives with examples of Soviet geneticist Trofim Lysenko who persecuted proponents of Medelian genetics and chiropractic practitioners who denied germ theory.

This is a good practical summary of the fascinating key ideas of biology. ( )