Science and Creationism (Galaxy Book, Gb 721)

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Summary: A Demolition of Dogma Masquerading as Science
Review: "Science deals with the world of nature, the discovery and ordering of the world of facts and their relations, with concepts that have been tested by the facts. What the creationists attempt to do is to measure the facts by their conformity to Genesis, and this is absurd." --Ashley Montagu, Introduction, Science and Creationism

The late Ashley Montagu (1905-99) was a British-American anthropologist who earned his Ph.D. in 1937 from Columbia University. He was also a prolific and popular science writer of over 60 books. He is well known for discrditing the notion of race in the editions of his book, Man's Most Dangerous Myth: The Fallacy of Race (1942, 6th ed. 1998). His selections of essays for Science and Creationism range from the philosophical to the legal, historical and scientifically technical. The essayists in this collection include such academic luminaries as Isaac Asimov, Stephen Jay Gould, and others. The essays highlight the opposite methodology of scientists and creationists.

Scientists collect and investigate data and then attempt to formulate explanatory theories. Those theories are always subject to revision or even replacement in the face of new data. They often publish their research in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and their data, hypotheses, and theories are subject to independent verification and replication. Crationists, on the other hand, have an entirely different methodology.

They start first from their desired dogma that the Bible must be inerrant, infallible, and then work backwards to the data. They engage in campaigns of propaganda and political lobbying to pass legislation that either censors objectionable scientific theories or mandates "equal time" for "scientific" creationsim whenever objectionable theories are taught in the science curricula of public schools. Their dogma that the Bible is inerrant and infallible is not subject to revision or replacement in the face of disconfirming data, and they neither do any real science nor publish in peer-reviewed science journals. Thus, contrary to their claims, their dogma and their agenda are religious rather than scientific.

The essays also refute many creationists' errors. For example, creationists claim that the second law of thermodynamics, the law that says systems run "downhill," proves that biological evolution is impossible. However, as explained in Asimov's essay, "The 'Threat' of Creationism," the second law applies to "closed systems." The earth, however, is an open system inundated by energy from the sun. As the sun runs "downhill," it provides the energy necessary to allow the relatively small subsystem of earth to evolve life in the "uphill" direction. Thus, evolution does not defy the second law because it is not a process running "uphill" in a closed system. Moreover, as far as we know, the only closed system is the universe as a whole.

Although this book contains an excellent collection of essays, it lacks a description of the credentials of its contributors and an index. Obviously, an index would augment the utility of this otherwise superb volume.

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Summary: Very useful for rebutting the arguments of creationists.
Review: As someone with a fascination for natural history, evolution and cosmology, I often find myself at a loss when I hear clearly illogical arguments from creationists. I don't want to step on their religious toes but I also can't stand the misinformation that they propagate.

The essays in this volume (several of which are excellent) help the reader to understand the history of the "creation scientists" and the basis for their fallacious arguments.

Our children need to learn the fascinating true story of "creation" including the intracies of biological and cosmological evolution. You can use the information in this volume to help counter those who would take science out of our schools and also to respond to letters to the editor in your local paper.

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Summary: please please please
Review: creationists are not all Religious and no creationist I'v met are crazy fanatics doing all they can to destroy the Theory of Evolution by just lying. Evolution is being fought because it has no evidence and that is the only reason. Do you put your trust completly in a person because they have a PHD, no. If you do then you are extreamly niev. About transitional fossils which all creationists claim not to exist. THEY DONT. If you doubt this then why has this new theory come up-Proteins have been Discovered which fix mutated proteins produced by mutant genes however Scientists say these proteins can only fix a certain number so when a certain number of genes mutate becomes to high(after millions of years)a large change takes place ie a large evolutionary step takes place. Scientists say this theory will help explain the LACK OF TRANSITIONAL FOSSILS. But yet you say this book claims that hundreds have been found. My experience
tells me not to trust evolutionists because when ever an arguement comes up it all they allways turn it into a personnal thing. Look at the anti-evolutionist books reviews and they are full a highly personnal negative statments telling people not to read the book without when they have not done so themselfs. The coments are allways along the same line dont read this because is just a fanatic preacher talking BS and has no scientific bases at all. How can you call yourselfs Evolutionists if you don't look at the whole story. You dont buy a computer just because it looks good on the outside do you.

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Summary: Evolution brings out the big guns
Review: If you're looking for a book boasting big names and eqally big answers to the never-ending debate between rationality and dogma (namely evolution vs creationism), then you have found it. The late Ashley Montagu has assembled a force to be reckoned with in this volume containing 20 essays by some of the biggest names in Science to date. Just to name a few we have: Ken Miller (of _Finding Darwin's God_ fame), Stephen Jay Gould, Isaac Asimov, Laurie Godfrey and the list goes on. The purpose of such an assembly of genius? To refute the largest hoax in history: the movement of the "Scientific" Creationsts. At the time that this volume went to press there was a lot of controversy and heated debate surrounding creationism. Many creationists wanted to get their theory taught alongside evolution in public science classrooms. It is no surprise that this decision was overturned in a district court in 1982. This volume contains the landmark decision by Judge William Overton as well as numerous essays defining science, comparing it to creationism as well as debunking common myths perpetuated by the creationist movement. There are many books available that similarly debunk creationism _The Blind Watchmaker_, _Abusing Science_, _Sciene on Trial_ etc., however this book is a necessary volume in anyone's library as it contains insights from many brilliant minds on all aspects of the debate. It is therefore an excellent starting point for anyone who wants to get an introduction to this topic. For those who are still seeking more, each essay contains an extensive list of references to articles and books that will quench the curiosity of the most academically inclined reader.

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Summary: Great collection of essays
Review: This book, along with Douglas Futuyma's SCIENCE ON TRIAL and Richard Dawkins' THE BLIND WATCHMAKER, was one of my first books on creationism and evolution. Overall, I think the book is excellent; however, I found the individual essays to be of varying quality. In my opinion, Ken Miller's essay, "Scientific Creationism versus Evolution: The Mislabeled Debate," is probably the most useful essay in the entire volume. Ken Miller, a Catholic biologist, is arguably the best pro-evolution debater today. (See his recent book, FINDING DARWIN'S GOD.) Also of value were Robert Root-Bernstein's essay on demarcation criteria for distinguishing science from pseudoscience, both of Stephen Jay Gould's chapters, Isaac Asimov's illuminating chapter on the "threat" of creationism, and the text of Federal Judge William Overton's decision in the historic Arkansas case. However, other chapters were lass valuable. In particular, I think Roger Cuffey's bibliographic essay, "Paleontologic Evidence and Organic Evolution," will be worthless to almost everyone except specialists. Similarly, I was also disapppointed by the contributions of Sidney Fox and L. Beverly Halstead; I was left wishing they had each written essays more accessible to laymen. But despite these flaws I think the book is an important one. Creationists, evolutionists, and anyone else interested in the creation/evolution controversy will want to be familiar with this important book.

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Summary: Excellent Anthology Refuting Creationist Propaganda
Review: This volume edited by the late Ashley Montagu is a superbly well-rounded collection of essays that expose modern creationism as pure pseudoscience with one foot stuck in religious dogma. The essays range from well written and straightforward refutations of the common creationist arguments to what are perhaps the most interesting contents-- serious examination of what the creationists actually say about themselves. The essay by Robert Root-Bernstein contains extensive citations of creationist literature that demonstrate that creationism has nothing to do with science. For example, despite the creationist claim that what they do is science, Root-Bernstein found this statement by Henry Morris which shows that creationists have have no interest in experimentation or the scientific method, but rather insist that the Bible be used as a science textbook:

"The main trouble with catastrophist theories is there is no way to subject them to empirical test...There seems to be no restraint on imagination or speculation when catastrophism is espoused, and this is one reason why it has been in such poor repute for over 100 years. And yet catastrophism, as we have seen, is necessary. It is NOT necessary to speculate, however, since the Biblical record has provided a clear description of the causes, nature, and results of true catastrophism: The Noahic Flood.... We cannot verify it experimentally, of course, any more than any of the various other theories of catastrophism {eg. Velikovsky}, but we need no experimental verification; God has recorded it in His Word, and that should be sufficient." -- Henry Morris, Biblical Cosmology and Modern Science, Craig Press, 1970, p. 30

Other essays discuss the poor theology of creationism, its social context in America and there is even a sadly funny essay by Michael Ruse about his experience in the courtroom in Arkansas in the early 1980's where the creationists had attempted yet another "balanced treatment" law. Ruse shows that the law was scuttled as much by the enormous blunders of the creationists themselves as anything else. Science and Creationism is a wonderfully rich exploration of the issue that covers such a diverse array of topics that both scientist and theologian will find something enlightening.

By the way, you might note that one of the Amazon reviewers above confused the book "Science and Creationism" with the book "Scientific Creationism" by creationist Henry Morris (the man who claimed science does not require experiment in the quote above). The clear fact that the reviewer reviewed the wrong book is more ironic in regards to the intellectual bankruptcy of creationism than volumes of text could possibly demonstrate.