The Lying Stones of Marrakech: Penultimate Reflections in Natural History
$15.00
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In his last collection of essays, the late scientist Stephen Jay Gould once again offers his unmistakable perspective on natural history and the people who have tried to make sense of it. Gould spent nearly thirty years as a monthly essayist for Natural History magazine, the longest-running series of scientific essays in history. This, then, is the next-to-last essay collection from one of the most acclaimed and widely read scientists of our time. In this work of twenty-three essays, selected by Booklist as one of the top ten science and technology books of 2000, Gould covers topics as diverse as episodes in the birth of paleontology to lessons from Britain's four greatest Victorian naturalists. The Lying Stones of Marrakech presents the richness and fascination of the various lives that have fueled the enterprise of science and opened our eyes to a world of unexpected wonders.
Month after month, for nearly 30 years, Gould wrote articulate, substantial, and provocative essays for Natural History magazine. With equal regularity, every two years his latest articles were republished in anthology form. This new installment follows the standard, successful format. There is an integrative preface and six topical, interrelated sections: ""Episodes in the Birth of Paleontology,"" ""Present at the Creation,"" ""Darwin's Century and Ours,"" ""Six Little Pieces on the Meaning and Location of Excellence,"" ""Science in Society,"" and ""Evolution at All Scales."" Throughout, Gould employs his familiar techniques of using biography to humanize science and relating episodes from the history of science to illuminate contemporary issues. This is the promised last collection in the series, which lends it a feeling of building toward finality. Gould's books were always popular in public libraries, and some are even cited in primary scientific literature, so this is a solid purchase for all libraries. - Library Journal
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