Evolution: The View from the Cottage
Evolution
The View from the Cottage
by Jean-Pierre Rogel; translated by Nigel Spencer
$21.95
- Autumn 2010
- print ISBN: 978-1-55380-104-7
- ebook ISBN: 978-1-55380-116-0
- 6″ x 9″ Trade Paperback, 176 pages
- Natural History
- Out of print
With all the attention given to “creationism” in the news these days, Jean-Pierre Rogel felt it was important to show how Darwin’s concept of natural selection can be seen in action in everyday situations.
Beginning with a familiar cottage scene that includes squirrels, loons, salmon and bears, Rogel expands his scope to explore the emerging field of evolutionary developmental biology, showing how genes play a role in the extraordinary diversity of the plant and animal kingdom. Readers may be surprised to discover which animal is most closely related to whales, how nature makes a fin into a paw, how salmon have adapted to gaps in fishing nets, and what really sets humans apart from chimpanzees.
Written in a lively style, based on the latest science but without the jargon too often attached to it, Evolution: The View from the Cottage celebrates evolution and finds its traces everywhere around us. You may never see loons, salmon, bears, belugas or even the humble cornstalk the same way again.
Click here to read the introduction to Evolution.
Reviews and Awards:
- Runner-up in the Science category in the 2012 Green Book Festival
“I was immediately attracted to this book, because, like Jean-Pierre Rogel, I have a cottage in the woods. And like him, I wonder about the natural relationships and history of the plants and animals around it. It is so satisfying and rewarding to be able to dig a little deeper beneath the simple appreciation of bird calls, fall colours and yes, even marauding raccoons, to see what makes them tick and how they all connect.”
—Jay Ingram, host of Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet and former host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks“Demonstrate[s] the interconnectedness of all life on Earth and how evolution fits into a scientific understanding of this. Observations of nature surrounding [Rogel’s] cottage in southern Quebec are used to lead readers to an acceptance and comprehension of that message, without too much off-putting scientific jargon. The narrative skips between first person and familiar tutor, avoids dogmatism and preachiness, and the chapters are stand-alone essays that can be read in any order.”
—The Georgia Straight“The book has great merit and could be of real practical use as a contemporary text in a school curriculum.”
—The Rover“Rogel enlists his second home in Quebec’s Eastern Townships as a lens to view nature, a passage through evolutionary time in which the reader learns some fascinating facts about the loon (Gavia immer), moose (Alces alces), polar bear (Ursus maritimus), chimps (Pan troglydites), red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) and, in the process, us (Homo sapiens).”
—Literary Review of Canada“The book is both deeply personal and highly informative as Rogel entwines personal anecdotes with scientific facts. Each chapter feels like a highly entertaining lecture from a cool university professor.”
—Green Book Reviews“Books that claim to present a coherent view of the natural world are often too simple, suitable for a curious high school student, or far too technical for anyone other than an expert to appreciate. But Rogel, a French science author/journalist based in Canada, accomplishes this elusive goal, and he does it with wit and style.”
—CHOICE
