An Urchin in the Storm: Essays About Books and Ideas (1987)

This book is wonderful for examples of critical thinking. The books and essays that are critiqued are old and probably have not stood the time, but these essays are still relevant in today's world.

Stephen Jay Gould is an amazing writer of science. He is able to express his ideas clearly, concisely and with empathy.

Where the writer is missing a point he gently explains why this person's reasoning is wrong or incomplete (see the example with Cardboard Darwinism). When the author is a complete ass (See Jensen's Last Stand), Gould dissects the writing with a sharp knife that leaves the reader very clearly understanding why the argument has no merit.

I especially enjoyed the last section, In Praise of Reason. Gould highlights four different scientists, either as a biography or as the scientific principal that the scientists bring.

So, to conclude - a well written book that is both interesting in topic matter, but also will demonstrate how to reason. This was a very enjoyable read. Highly Recommended. ( )

Not as interesting as Gould's essays on evolution, baseball, and statistics, this book focuses on reviews of books. Gould does demonstrate much of his familiar style here, but he isn't as much fun to read when he strays into criticism instead of evolutionary theory. ( )

An Urchin in the Storm: An Urchin in the Storm by Stephen Jay Gould is about books and ideas, but more so about writing, thinking and study in method.An Urchin in the Storm is divided into five different sections. The first two sections of this book group reviews that discuss the irreductibility of history, along the way the pleasures and challenges of contingency, in its two principle domains of life and the earth. The first section on evolution focuses upon structuralist and hisoricist alternatives. While the second, explains nature's complexity, (Evolutionary Theory, Time and Geology). The third section of this book explores the theory and consequences, both political and intellectual, of biological determinism. The fourth section deals with "Four Biologists." While the fifth works with "In Praise of Reason." As we read on throughout this book, Gould makes his point and scores, as he exposes fallacies, expands on geology, give thought to biological determinism, and gives the reader a clearer picture of evolutionary theory. This is a fascinating little book, as Gould works through this little tome, like the urchin, always presenting a tough exterior and continues to prickle the enemy.

Well written essays from Stephen Jay Gould.

The chapters are
- Evolutionary Theory
- Time and Geology
- Biological Determinism
- Four Biologists
- In Praise of Reason ( )