Rating: 
Summary: A rare engagement between knowledge and common sense
Review: Eight little piggies is just one of a series of essay collections Gould masterly wrote. He was one of the very few people that combines deep knowledge and common sense (by the way, not so common really). Gould was a writer, a teacher, a scientist, an intellectual, and if you allow me, an empirical philosopher to say the least. Reading a collection of essays like this is like making a journey inside one of the brilliant minds of the twentieth century, an experience worth the try (if you dare to compromise your own prejudices to such an elocuent argumentative person). If you are a Natural History lover, don't hesitate, this is for you.
Rating:
Summary: Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History
Review: Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History by Stephan Jay Gould is pure Gold or is that Gould. This is the sixth in a series of books on Gould's essays found in "Natural History."We find Gould in a more contemplative mood within these pages, being reflective and personal as he speaks about the importance within our lives of the connections to our past and ancestral generations. But as Gould would put it, " a theme of supreme importance to evolutionists who study a world in which extinction is the ultimate fate of all and prolonged persistence the only meaningful measure of success." There are essays on extenction, fishtails and frog calls, the coloration of pigeons, the eyes of mole rats, and an in depth personal essay about his maternal grandfather. This last essay brought some fond memories back to me, as I was growing up... yet time waits for no man. For variety, range, depth and a refinement in writing style, this tome is one of Gould's best, as you read, Gould hits his stride and leads you toward his conclusions, just like my grandfather taught me to be observent and not take things for granted. But to question, the way things are as they seem, just like Gould does to his readers, bringing information to them and through observation and a brilliant mind making things clear. This is an eductional book, as well, as you read, Gould makes the reader learn painlessly... a good storyteller of thirty-one essays that are truly fascinating. Read and enjoy this well thought out collection of essays.
Rating:
Summary: Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History
Review: Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History by Stephan Jay Gould is pure Gold or is that Gould. This is the sixth in a series of books on Gould's essays found in "Natural History." We find Gould in a more contemplative mood within these pages, being reflective and personal as he speaks about the importance within our lives of the connections to our past and ancestral generations. But as Gould would put it, " a theme of supreme importance to evolutionists who study a world in which extinction is the ultimate fate of all and prolonged persistence the only meaningful measure of success." There are essays on extenction, fishtails and frog calls, the coloration of pigeons, the eyes of mole rats, and an in depth personal essay about his maternal grandfather. This last essay brought some fond memories back to me, as I was growing up... yet time waits for no man. For variety, range, depth and a refinement in writing style, this tome is one of Gould's best, as you read, Gould hits his stride and leads you toward his conclusions, just like my grandfather taught me to be observent and not take things for granted. But to question, the way things are as they seem, just like Gould does to his readers, bringing information to them and through observation and a brilliant mind making things clear. This is an eductional book, as well, as you read, Gould makes the reader learn painlessly... a good storyteller of thirty-one essays that are truly fascinating. Read and enjoy this well thought out collection of essays.
Rating:
Summary: Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History
Review: Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History by Stephan Jay Gould is pure Gold or is that Gould. This is the sixth in a series of books on Gould's essays found in "Natural History." We find Gould in a more contemplative mood within these pages, being reflective and personal as he speaks about the importance within our lives of the connections to our past and ancestral generations. But as Gould would put it, " a theme of supreme importance to evolutionists who study a world in which extinction is the ultimate fate of all and prolonged persistence the only meaningful measure of success." There are essays on extenction, fishtails and frog calls, the coloration of pigeons, the eyes of mole rats, and an in depth personal essay about his maternal grandfather. This last essay brought some fond memories back to me, as I was growing up... yet time waits for no man. For variety, range, depth and a refinement in writing style, this tome is one of Gould's best, as you read, Gould hits his stride and leads you toward his conclusions, just like my grandfather taught me to be observent and not take things for granted. But to question, the way things are as they seem, just like Gould does to his readers, bringing information to them and through observation and a brilliant mind making things clear. This is an eductional book, as well, as you read, Gould makes the reader learn painlessly... a good storyteller of thirty-one essays that are truly fascinating. Read and enjoy this well thought out collection of essays.
Rating:
Summary: A very human science writer
Review: Gould was an expert in writing about science in a way that ordinary, not-particularly-scientific readers could comprehend, at least in a general way. But more than that, he linked the science to anecdotes that readers could not only understand, but also identify with.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent collection of essays on evolution and the envir
Review: Gould's essays provide a new viewpoint highly accessible to the scientist and layperson alike concerning the evolution of animal body design, mass extinctions, and human hubris concerning our role in the ecosystem. Gould's tone is at times condescending and pompous, and I, as a biologist, find the certainty he lends his conclusions to be disquieting, but overall it is an enjoyable and informative read that will answer many of the layperson's questions about evolution. I read it as an undergraduate and it influenced me to focus on evolutionary and developmental biology.
Rating:
Summary: Gould is good
Review: I admit im not the most interested in some of Gould's subjects (evolution and biology) but he is a great storyteller. He sometimes attacks, sometimes defends some of histories greatest thinkers. I think i'll probably read most of his books (so far 3) in the next few years simply because I like his style and diverse content.
Rating:
Summary: Gould is good
Review: I admit im not the most interested in some of Gould's subjects (evolution and biology) but he is a great storyteller. He sometimes attacks, sometimes defends some of histories greatest thinkers. I think i'll probably read most of his books (so far 3) in the next few years simply because I like his style and diverse content.
Rating:
Summary: Another Gould Masterpiece
Review: This book is another fine example of the wonderful writings of Stephen J. Gould, Harvard biologist and natural historian. Again , the chapters are culled from his columns in Natural History and present thought provoking glimpses into the world of evolutionary biology. There are only a few writers in the world who can present scientific information in such a way that the multitudes can understand it. This man is truly one of the geniuses of our times and Harvard has been fortunate to have had him on the faculty all these years.
Rating: 
Summary: Another superb collection
Review: This is a mid-point Gould. As his essay style progressed, his essays lengthened, his topics widened and the books kept selling more and more. This is a collection of beautifully written essays, which even with the passage of time lose none of their freshness - the eight little piggies of the title are even more important now with all the recent research on early tetrapods. A good place to start for anyone who's not read Gould before
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