Fairbanks, Daniel J

This persuasive, elegantly written book argues that understanding evolution has never mattered more in human history. The author not only uses evidence from archaeology, geography, anatomy, biochemistry, radiometric dating, cell biology, chromosomes, and DNA to establish the inescapable conclusion that we evolved and are still evolving, he also explains in detail how health, food production, and human impact on the environment are dependent on our knowledge of evolution. This is essential reading for gaining a fuller appreciation of who we are, our place in the great expanse of life, and the importance of our actions.

Presents a discussion of evolution based on discoveries in genetics since the late 1980s, covering topics such as introns, transposable elements, mutation, and natural selection, and includes a critique of the theory called intelligent design.