Vous voulez voir cette page en français ? Cliquez ici.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
34 used & new from CDN$ 18.89

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution
 
 

The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution (Hardcover)

by Richard Dawkins (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
List Price: CDN$ 39.99
Price: CDN$ 23.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details
You Save: CDN$ 16.00 (40%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca. Gift-wrap available.

Ordering for Christmas? To ensure delivery by December 24 to Toronto, Ottawa, or Montreal, choose Express at checkout. Read more about holiday shipping.

28 new from CDN$ 18.89 6 used from CDN$ 26.65

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution + The God Delusion
Price For Both: CDN$ 40.01

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution by Richard Dawkins

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details

  • The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free

Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free

by Charles P. Pierce
CDN$ 20.16
The Case for God

The Case for God

by Karen Armstrong
3.5 out of 5 stars (4)  CDN$ 22.02
Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One Of America's Leading Atheists

Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One Of America's Leading Atheists

by Richard Dawkins
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  CDN$ 14.24
The Age of Empathy: Nature's Lessons for a Kinder Society

The Age of Empathy: Nature's Lessons for a Kinder Society

by Frans de Waal
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  CDN$ 20.78
Why Evolution Is True

Why Evolution Is True

by Jerry Coyne
5.0 out of 5 stars (5)  CDN$ 19.53
Explore similar items

Product Details


Product Description

Review

"This is a magnificent book of wonderstanding: Richard Dawkins combines an artist's wonder at the virtuosity of nature with a scientist's understanding of how it comes to be.'' -- Matt Ridley, author of Nature via Nurture

"'There is grandeur in this view of life,' said Darwin, speaking of evolution. There is no one better qualified to convey this grandeur than his worthy successor, Richard Dawkins, who writes with passion, clarity, and wit. This may be his best book yet." -- V. S. Ramachandran

"To call this book a defense of evolution utterly misses the point: The Greatest Show on Earth is a celebration of one of the best ideas humans have ever produced. It is hard not to marvel at Richard Dawkins's luminous telling of the story of evolution and the way that it has shaped our world. In reading Dawkins, one is left awed at the beauty of the theory and humbled by the power of science to understand some of the greatest mysteries of life." -- Neil Shubin, author of Your Inner Fish

"Up until now, Richard Dawkins has said everything interesting that there is to say about evolution -- with one exception. In The Greatest Show on Earth, he fills this gap, brilliantly describing the multifarious and massive evidence for evolution -- evidence that gives the lie to the notion that evolution is 'only a theory.' This important and timely book is a must-read for Darwin Year." -- Jerry Coyne, author of Why Evolution Is True

"This is the book Richard Dawkins needed to write and many need to read -- a comprehensive account of evolution that faces the difficulties and questions his critics have raised. In it he draws on his great ability to write about science in a way that is clear, absorbing, and vivid." -- Lord Harries of Pentregarth (formerly Bishop Richard Harries)

"With characteristic flair and passion, Dawkins has put on a stunning exhibition of the evidence for evolution. In his own words, 'Evolution is a fact...and no unbiased reader will close the book doubting it.'" -- Dr. Alice Roberts, biological anthropologist, author, and broadcaster

"'...he is an awesome thinker, a superb writer whose explanatory skills I envy, who dismisses his opponents with the thoroughness of a top silk'....A beautifully crafted and intelligible rebuttal of creationism and intelligent design." -- The Times

"Dawkins gathers up the weight of evidence into a huge lump and hurls it at us from the highest heights his rhetoric can scale...his grandness of vision still dazzles."-- The Sunday Telegraph


Product Description

In 2008, a Gallup poll showed that 44 percent of Americans believed God had created man in his present form within the last 10,000 years. In a Pew Forum poll in the same year, 42 percent believed that all life on earth has existed in its present form since the beginning of time.

In 1859 Charles Darwin's masterpiece, On the Origin of Species, shook society to its core. Darwin was only too aware of the storm his theory of evolution would provoke. But he surely would have raised an incredulous eyebrow at the controversy still raging a century and a half later. Evolution is accepted as scientific fact by all reputable scientists and indeed theologians, yet millions of people continue to question its veracity. Now the author of the iconic work The God Delusion takes them to task.

The Greatest Show on Earth is a stunning counterattack on advocates of "Intelligent Design," explaining the evidence for evolution while exposing the absurdities of the creationist "argument." Dawkins sifts through rich layers of scientific evidence: from living examples of natural selection to clues in the fossil record; from natural clocks that mark the vast epochs wherein evolution ran its course to the intricacies of developing embryos; from plate tectonics to molecular genetics. Combining these elements and many more, he makes the airtight case that "we find ourselves perched on one tiny twig in the midst of a blossoming and flourishing tree of life and it is no accident, but the direct consequence of evolution by non-random selection."

The Greatest Show on Earth comes at a critical time: systematic opposition to the fact of evolution is menacing as never before. In American schools, and in schools around the world, insidious attempts are made to undermine the status of science in the classroom. Dawkins wields a devastating argument against this ignorance, but his unjaded passion for the natural world turns what might have been a negative argument into a positive offering to the reader: nothing less than a master's vision of life, in all its splendor.


Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What do customers ultimately buy after viewing this item?

The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution
86% buy the item featured on this page:
The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution 4.0 out of 5 stars (14)
CDN$ 23.99
Superfreakonomics
5% buy
Superfreakonomics 3.0 out of 5 stars (8)
CDN$ 18.50
What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures
4% buy
What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures 4.5 out of 5 stars (4)
CDN$ 17.50
Freakonomics
3% buy
Freakonomics 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)
CDN$ 10.00

 

Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
5 star:
 (8)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most helpful customer reviews

 
61 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Evolution is indeed the greatest show on Earth, Sep 23 2009
By A. Volk - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
Whether or not you believe that there is a god (God) guiding evolution, there is no rational argument against its existence and importance. Nor does an understanding of evolution diminish the wonders of the world- in fact, it augments them. Those are Dawkins' main themes in this book, and they are laid out clearly and forcefully.

The first main theme, the evidence for evolution, is the dominant theme of this book. Given his previous work on atheism, this certainly is a topic he believes passionately about. Dawkins is an authority on evolution, and has been ever since his first books on the topic (The Selfish Gene, The Extended Phenotype, and to a lesser extent, The Blind Watchmaker, are classics in evolutionary theory). What Dawkins does in this book is recite the mountains of evidence that support evolution. Fossils, development, cross-species similarities, and genetics all add up to make evolution one of the most solid and proven theories in science (perhaps more so than gravity!). He even goes the same route as Darwin in using domesticated animals as an example of evolution (guided by humans, not natural selection) in action. People who believe that the word "theory" means unproven, unsupported guessing really need to read this book to understand just how much evidence there truly is for this "theory". Dawkins even left out some of the more dramatic genetic evidence that has begun to surface recently, and the case is still rock-solid. Dawkins does avoid making direct attacks and comparisons to other "theories" such as Intelligent Design, but his case for evolution is so overwhelming it's hard to imagine a competitive theory that could knock evolution off. As a defense of evolution, this book is a hard to argue against.

The second theme, that evolution doesn't take away mystery, but rather adds to it, is less forcefully presented, but it is omnipresent throughout the book. I suppose a lot of that has to do with one's personal preference. If you like mysteries and not understanding things, then understanding evolution might not be wonderful to you. But if you are curious, then evolution's explanation of life on Earth makes all life that much more fantastic. And certainly, there are still far more questions than answers when it comes to our understanding of all life on Earth. Evolution is the best tool we have for answering those questions, and the many, many, many examples in this book are bound to fill a curious reader with wonder about how and why life has turned out the way it has.

Overall then, I find this to be Dawkins' best book since his first three. I would quibble that at times he is distracted with an antagonistic tone, but I suppose it must be frustrating constantly defending one of the most proven scientific theories ever. Ignoring that, his writing is clear and easy to read. What's more, the subject matter is so fascinating that even those familiar with biology and evolution will enjoy reading it. Dawkins is right on two things- Darwin's theory of evolution is 99.9999999999999999999999999999999999% likely to be true and the story of the evolution of life on Earth is truly The Greatest [Story] on Earth!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A well written guide to the grandeur and elegance of evolution, Sep 26 2009
By David Annable - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This book is not about God or faith or religion at all. Dawkins is not attacking elements of faith. This book is written for believers and secularists alike. It's a scientific look at the concepts and elements of evolution - all of which are well established and proven. He redraws Darwin's grand vision and offers it to us in a well written and readable form that appeals to the lay-person as readily as the biologist.

Dawkins uses this book to exhibit how the arguments against evolution (not arguments against God or the divine in general - that was dealt with in The God Delusion) fall short and fail to address the evedence that is readily available.

Evolutionary science requires no belief - only understanding. I whole heartedly invite people of faith to read this book and really try understand what is being said in its pages. Knowledge and understanding are the keys to the universe.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Aptly titled and beautifully written, Sep 30 2009
Richard Dawkins, author of the excellent 'God Delusion' begins his new book on evolution with a bang "Evolution is a fact, and this book will demonstrate it. No reputable scientist disputes it, and no unbiased reader will close the book doubting it." (pp. 8-9). Close-minded people will say 'why write a book on it in the first place'? Well guess what, if there are ignorant vapid and fatuous comments on here from people who haven't read the book and haven't been challenged critically in their life - this book really is necessary. It doesn't matter if you're not familiar with evolution or if you've read Darwin's 'Origin of Species'; 'Greatest Show on Earth' is a phenomenal read and is written layman enough that anyone can appreciate. Dawkins is right - evolution is a fact and it is true; if you deny then you are a history-denier. This book should be mandatory reading for any school kid in America. Can't wait to see what Dawkins does next.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive but opinionated
My knowledge of evolution was limited to reading Darwin and to National Geographic. This book made me realize how widespread and important evolutionary based practice is in the... Read more
Published 1 day ago by bookweasel

5.0 out of 5 stars The Greatest Show on Earth
I finished reading Richard Dawkins' latest book a few weeks ago and it was a great experience. I am a follower of Dawkins' writings. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Cristian Tibirna

1.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't explain anything except his own ignorance and lack of scientific rigor
This book doesn't offer anything new, it just shows how man's imagination to how he'll go to disprove God. Read more
Published 13 days ago by L. Morissette

4.0 out of 5 stars Not the best book on evolution
This is a good read - much better than his "God Delusion". He clearly understands and is able to express clearly the theorum (his word) of evolution. Read more
Published 20 days ago by Philip C. Mooney

5.0 out of 5 stars Who could have thought it would be so exciting?
The Greatest Show on Earth sets out the evidence for evolution, and shows how Darwins exposition of the idea that all life on earth is intimately linked is massively supported... Read more
Published 1 month ago by E. Harvey

3.0 out of 5 stars You better really like evolution!
Dawkins is a 1st class researcher and wrote a great scientific proof for evolution. For those that don't dispute evolutionary evidence I would suggest that reading this is like... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ron H

5.0 out of 5 stars A great author
Richard Dawkins is a fantastic writer as well as researcher. Some reviewers point out that he cannot explain how life began, but only that evolution happened afterwards. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Zafri M.

5.0 out of 5 stars An eye opener
If anyone had any doubt about evolution after reading this book, then they probably started reading it with a closed mind to evolution in the first place. Read more
Published 1 month ago by K. Buckley

3.0 out of 5 stars I agree with the Grumpy Old Man
Richard Dawkins can not explain how life began, only that it did, and claims evolution happened after that. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Weston

5.0 out of 5 stars How life began?
By definition evolution does not explain how life began. There is a separate study called Abiogenesis. I ordered this book but not received it yet. Read more
Published 1 month ago by U. H. Eres

Only search this product's reviews



Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject


Feedback


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.