Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17373 in Books
• Published on: 2009-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 624 pages

Customer Reviews

Best new book for understanding ID
This book is a most welcome addition to the growing literature on Intelligent Design, and should be read by all who have any interest in the subject.

We use words analogically, and 'design' - in its most generic form - means 'non-random', or 'other than by chance'. Classical Darwinian theory sees biological complexity arising from a combination of random mutations and non-random 'natural selection'.

But the question remains 'how did the very considerable level of complexity necessary to enable natural selection to start working arise in the first place?' It is questions such as this - which neo-Darwinism cannot answer - that give ID some purchase.

Though the ID movement has gained a lot of attention [and notoriety] in recent years, the problems which it seeks to address were recognised long ago - even in Darwin's day. But they have become much more acute since the extent of just how much information is required to assemble even the simplest cell has become better understood. As long ago as 1968, Michael Polanyi's landmark article, 'Life's Irreducible Structure', signalled a seismic shift in our thinking about these questions.

Stephen Meyer's new book 'Signature in the Cell' goes into a great deal of detail about the extent and implications of biological complexity. And though it may not add a great deal that is new to the debate, it certainly marshalls a huge amount of evidence, and gives a very thorough analysis and discussion of the still-outstanding and increasingly acute philosopical problems which NDE has not solved, and seems increasingly unlikely ever to be able to solve.

Meyer also makes it quite clear that the questions of how life arose in the first place, and how it developed subsequently, cannot be divorced. Any new synthesis that aims to replace the current paradigm must hold the two together. He also shows [pace its many detractors] that fruitful lines of research can be - and have been - opened up by allowing the legitimacy of approaches that would be outlawed by much current scientistic dogmatism. The debate is not over yet!

A must read for serious students of the science of origins
This is an outstanding book that presents an formidable case for intelligent design based on hard scientific evidence derived from the complex information contained in DNA. If you are used to hearing the facile dismissal of Intelligent Design as nonsense or worse, you should read this. Dr Meyer understands scientific method much better than most of the critics of ID. If you are serious about the study of the science of origins at any level, you must read this. I'd be surprised if it does not challenge your presuppositions.

A death blow to Neo-Dawinism and Richard Dawkins!
This book by Dr Stephen Meyer, is simply excellent. His expertise in the philosophy and history of science is evident from the start - as well as his lucid writing style which has turned what could have been a bit dull, into a rivetting good read.
I've always enjoyed reading Dawkins' books (even though I don't agree with him) as he's been such a good science writer... This book by Meyer, pushes Dawkins aside, in more ways than one!

Best of all, his overall thesis in my view is correct. The scientific evidence is overwhelmingly supportive of intelligent causation - and the book persuasively argues for this case by looking at the complexity and information found in the cell.

The book is fairly substantial (over 600 pages overall), but don't let that put you off! It's got a crisp flow and is excellently illustrated. The stories and analogies are also really good.

In twenty chapters, Dr Meyer progressively builds a stronger and stronger case for intelligent design from early history (with a particularly good story about Watson and Crick) right the way through to "Why It Matters" - which although the outcome has philosophical consequences - it is important to understand that the conclusions are drawn from the evidence which is purely scientific.

Coming on the heels of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th year since the publication of the 'Origin of Species' (to give it its short title), this book, Signature in the Cell, is a 'must read' for any thinking person.

What I personally also liked was the many links in the book to Cambridge in the UK, where many of the famous scientists had studied - in my home city - and where also Stephen Meyer was inspired to take up the investigation into this important topic.

Dawkins once said, in The Blind Watchmaker, that "Darwin made it possible to become an intellectually fulfilled atheist." Stephen Meyer's book demonstrates that this view is not tenable, based on the scientific evidence.

Move over Dawkins - a paradigm shift is breaking through!