Evolution: What Every Teenager Should Know
Why would a Professor of Biological Sciences and Anthropology plaster his evolution book’s cover with astronomical images?
Evolution: What Every Teenager Should Know
Why would a Professor of Biological Sciences and Anthropology plaster his evolution book’s cover with astronomical images?
@Nathan – because he can? Doesn’t mean it makes sense or anything. But what does that matter?
I guess evolution takes place in outer space.
It’s been 50 years since I was in high school, but as I recall our school covered evolution in biology class. We musta bin backerds or sumtin.
What every TEENAGER (specifically) should know about Evolution? I am BEYOND intrigued by that title! Must go read the blurb…
Wow. REALLY? Even the POLITICIANS of America won’t embrace Evolution as an Actual Thing That Happened? Mr Stanford, you are painting a very scary picture of your country – is that what it’s really like in the US of A right now? If so, I hope all those teenagers (AND a lot of adults) read your book, regardless of what’s on the cover.
Hum well, Wendy, I’m sad to say that’s pretty much what’s going on in the US these days… Creationism is taught as a scientific theory in many US schools…
You know . . . the moon evolves around the earth, the earth evolves around the sun, billions and billions of suns evolve around the black hole at the center of the Milky Way, etc.
Don’t they teach science any more now that NASA has discovered Photoshop?
Maybe this teacher wanted to make sure his students knew that the Earth was round?
Reading the author bio, and seeing he has two books that from their description have good potential (the other a genetic engineering SF-apocalypse novel that he has an unique perspective on as a scientist working in the field), I find I have to wonder why these books are not published by major publisher. Perhaps he wanted to try publishing them himself, in which case I wonder why he used such poor text effects and such an awful image on this one, but it’s possible they are just awful despite his body of publications and credentials.
I see many reasons as to why he tried self-pub:
1) He tried trad pub and was rejected, or asked to dilute his content. In view of the political and religious ambiance in the US these days, it might be very difficult, if not impossible, to find willing publishers when approaching as controversial a subject as evolution. Publishing is quite political in the US and many states are forcing schools to teach creationism as a valid scientific theory.
2) He was tired of giving away his royalties. And since schooling isn’t free, or cheap, in the US and this guy is on the young side, he still might be paying his student loans…
3) Trad pub is not what it used to be: to be published an author has to come to the publisher’s table with a fanbase and has to promote his book by himself, while losing all control over the content, the packaging, the target market, and the selling price. And for what in return? Peanuts.
On the other hand popular books on evolution aren’t exactly rare. In fact it’s a pretty crowded field (the “similar books” for this book
http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-What-Fossils-Say-Matters/dp/0231139624/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413292258&sr=1-1&keywords=donald+prothero
runs 17 pages) and there doesn’t seem to be a dire need for a new one at this point.
Yup, you’re absolutely right, Ericb. That’s another good reason.