About this title: Inspired by Darwin's observations of the Galapagos finches, the author reveals how the incremental changes that occur between generations of finches demonstrate natural selection. Through the author's discussions with many prominent ornithologists, the reader learns the differences among these finches and the effects the environment and sexual ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Description: Acceptable. Ships from the UK. Former Library book. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Your purchase also supports literacy charities. read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Satisfaction Guaranteed. Shipped quickly. 1995. Paperback. Used, very good. Very good overall with light to moderate wear. No dust jacket. read more
Description: Good. Book shows minor use. Cover and Binding have minimal wear and the pages have only minimal creases. A tradition of southern quality and service. All books guaranteed at the Atlanta Book Company. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf
Date Published: 1994-05-03
ISBN-13:9780679400035ISBN:0679400036
Description: Good. Pages clear and bright, shelf and edge wear, corners bumped, cocked, pages have untrimmed fore edge, an ex-library copy with usual library markings and a mylar cover with the top layer removed leaving the underlayment beneath the dust jacket, ships in a box, delivery confirmation on U.S. orders. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Vintage Books USA
Date Published: 1995
ISBN-13:9780679733379ISBN:067973337X
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Highlighting/underlining. Some notes and highlighting, with shelf and reading wear, good used reading copy, Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 352 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
"The story of Rosemary and Peter Grant's twenty-year study of the finches of the Galapagos islands goes far beyond ornithology and even beyond biology: the author contends that the Grants have successfully observed the birds evolving under stressful conditions to become better adapted to their environment. That claim may be disputed, but the book is a great adventure story of science under brutal conditions--the most barren of islands, so rugged that just landing on it is potentially fatal. The description of how the study was conceived and carried out is woven into the Grants' own personal story and the whole is placed into the context of the history of evolutionary theory, told in an intelligent and entertaining style. The book ends with some comparisons of other similar attempts to observe evolution, and the arguments are compelling that the Grants have succeeded in doing so.
While fascinating and well-written, I must admit that there were parts that were a bit dry and you really have to love this subject to get all the way through the book. Probably the best part is Weiner's explanation for why the finches' beaks are so crucial to their survival: their primary food source is a tiny, rock-hard seed. There is also a very funny passage on how the Grants discovered what male finches find sexually attractive.
A pleasant and engrossing read for the serious or semi-serious naturalist."
Had some interesting biology stuff. Not very dense. Lots of story. Cool stuff at the end about pesticides and hybridization.
Quotes:
"The fossil record is just too primitive a motion-picture camera to capture the fast-moving life. Rapid motion disappears like the whir of a hummingbird's wings. In such a record, the two wonder years of Darwin's finches would disappear as surely as a wing-beat up and a wing-beat down, canceling out in a blur. If we look at the billowing smoke of a volcano from close up, we see intense and rapid motion, enormous and dangerous turbulence. If we look at the eruption from far, far away the smoke seems to hang in the air almost motionless: we have to watch a long while to see any change at all. The evolution of life turns out to be rather like the eruption of a volcano. The closer you look, the more turbulent and dangerous the action; the farther your remove, the more the living world seems fixed and stable, hardly moving at all.""
"Along with the work of Darwin, this book inspires me to plan on eventually visiting the Galapagos Islands. The story of Darwin's Galapagos Finches is one of the great science stories of our age and should be understood by anyone wishing to maintain a modern educational knowledge of our world."
"This took me awhile to get through, but it was very good and thought provoking. It tells the story of recent research into evolution happening now. The main new finding is that species are evolving MUCH faster than anyone suspected, that subspecies are continually melding and branching to take advantage of available niches."
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