By reading "one" book. No. Waidaminute. It was a trilogy. 4 books. Yeah, that's it....
Incidentally, I'm introducing a whole new generation to the wonders of Douglas Adams -- I've got a big, "storybook" edition of the trilogy to give my son for Christmas. Steven Montgomery wrote: > It is! How did you find out? > > -- > Steven Montgomery > > At 12:31 PM 11/8/2002, you wrote: > >He did. And I couldn't supply "one." > > > >It's kind of like saying that the answer to life, the universe and > >everything is 42. > > > >Steven Montgomery wrote: > > > > > I thought John asked for a "single best" source on the subject, both pro > > > and con? <grin> > > > > > > -- > > > Steven Montgomery > > > > > > At 10:43 AM 11/8/2002, you wrote: > > > >Strictly speaking, I honestly don't know, because I don't consider > > > >evolution to > > > >be a moral issue which one is "converted" to -- it's just a toolset for > > > >approaching one question on how the physical world works, like any other > > > >theory. > > > >You probably suspected I'd respond that way, but it's true. Also, it's > > > >difficult > > > >to give a succinct summary of such a complex theory in this kind of > > forum -- > > > >there's just too much that has to be taught in terms of principles, and > > > >I'm not > > > >sure I'm up to it. But in the *spirit* of your request... > > > > > > > >I wouldn't suggest this for a beginner, but the best and most up-to-date > > > >general > > > >actual textbook, meant for university courses, is probably the > > relatively new, > > > >but very long book that Stephen Jay Gould published just before he > > died, "The > > > >Structure of Evolutionary Theory." (see > > > ><<http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/item.asp?Catalog=Books&Section=Books&Ca > > >t=&Lang=en&Item=978067400613&mscssid=7EWCQDA2HCDH9N0KVA6BR44QDALM242A&WSID=12118329ED39C4EC4ACA9E25931C6F6D34DA1308>> > > > >for a description). I believe it's used at BYU for Zoology 475, which > > is the > > > >evolution course taught by Drs. Whiting and Jeffery this semester, > > from what I > > > >understand. (For the course's web site, from which you can also get > > the BYU > > > >package, see http://zoology.byu.edu/zool475/) > > > > > > > >If you're interested in "apologetics" in the sense of > > anti-creationism, the > > > >talk.origins website is one of the best on-line resources that I know of. > > > >http://www.talkorigins.org/origins/faqs-qa.html -- they have some good > > FAQs on > > > >various topics. > > > > > > > >The best LDS book I've read, which has the advantage that it doesn't just > > > >cover > > > >evolution, but other scientific topics, including the Big Bang, is Clark, > > > >David > > > >L.; ed. Of Heaven and Earth: Reconciling Scientific Thought With LDS > > Theology" > > > >(Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998). I have a review and some > > > >excerpts at: > > > >http://www.members.shaw.ca/mschindler/A/Of Heaven and Earth.htm > > > > > > > >There are two good books by non-LDS on the topic, and they have the > > > >advantage of > > > >being inexpensive paperbacks and not overly long and not overly technical: > > > > > > > >(Gould, the late well-known Harvard palaeontologist, described himself > > as a > > > >secular Jewish agnostic, but he's the one who coined the term > > Non-overlapping > > > >Magisteria (NOMA). He was not the first to refer to the concept, > > however -- I > > > >have citations from a RC cardinal who tried to help Galileo (who was > > his own > > > >worst enemy in many ways), and also, intriguingly, the 1931 letter from > > > >the Heber > > > >J. Grant 1Presidency to all GAs which is quoted in the article "Evolution" > > > >in the > > > >Encyclopedia of Mormonism. Miller is, I believe, Catholic, but > > definitely a > > > >believer. He's also a biochemist). > > > > > > > >Stephen Jay Gould, Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness > > of Life > > > >(New York: Ballantine Books, 1999). I'm reading this now and will post a > > > >review > > > >to my website when I'm finished. > > > > > > > >Miller, Kenneth. Finding Darwin's God: a Scientist's Search for Common > > Ground > > > >Between God and Evolution (New York: HarperCollins, 1999). (I have a > > review of > > > >this, along with some excerpts, on my website: > > > >http://www.members.shaw.ca/mschindler/A/miller.htm > > > > > > > >For an interesting essay by a Latter-day Saint on why some GAs have taught > > > >against evolution, see: > > http://www.whyprophets.com/prophets/evolution.htm (I > > > >like this because he agrees with me :-)). Seriously, he says there's a > > common > > > >conception of evolution which lay people have which is wrong and is a > > > >straw man. > > > >The GAs arguments have been, by and large, against this straw man, but > > Chris > > > >Tolworthy makes the argument that prophets can't always afford to let > > > >themselves > > > >get bogged down in detail and have to make a "clear statement," and I > > > >agree with > > > >this (this is the flip side of being resistant to what I consider > > > >over-literalistic interpretation; it also allows me to incorporate things > > > >which > > > >might at first disturb me, like what I saw to be the "flat-out > > ignorance" of > > > >Pres. Smith's Man: His Origin and Destiny, as I put it to my senior home > > > >teaching > > > >companion at the time.) > > > > > > > >Ironically, one of the best lay explanations of evolution, although > > it's a bit > > > >outdated, was actually in an official Church magazine. You may recall that > > > >before > > > >the correlated new publications of Ensign/Liahona/New Era/Friend came > > out, the > > > >Sunday School had their own monthly, called The Instructor. Harrison, > > > >Bertrand F. > > > >"The Relatedness of Living Things," The Instructor, July 1965: 272-276 > > is an > > > >explanation of how evolution works. I have it online at: > > > >http://www.members.shaw.ca/mschindler/A/eyring_11.htm > > > > > > > >And Pres. Stephen L. Richards refers to the inspiration which guides all > > > >scientists, including Darwin, in a letter to college students that was > > > >published > > > >in The Improvement Era (predecessor to the Ensign). Again, I have this > > > >online at: > > > >http://www.members.shaw.ca/mschindler/A/eyring_12.htm > > > > > > > >And finally, if you can hang tight, I might have another resource. I've > > > >had the > > > >idea for an article accepted by a well-known LDS publication (not > > Dialogue or > > > >Sunstone), and a draft has been submitted. I can't reveal which > > > >publication yet > > > >because nothing is finalized yet, but I actually had in my mind, while > > writing > > > >this, several "virtual personalities" to whom I "addressed" the > > article. They > > > >include you and my younger son (who's at the opposite end -- he's a > > 3rd year > > > >astrophysics student at our counterpart to MIT and is agnostic, more > > or less). > > > >Even if it's not accepted, I'll post it on my website. I have an essay > > > >there now, > > > >called "eppur si riconciliano" (thanks again, Stephen, for the help > > with the > > > >title), but the essay isn't very well written, frankly. I think my new > > article > > > >expresses my thoughts much better. > > > > > > > >Hope that helps as a start. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >"John W. Redelfs" wrote: > > > > > > > > > Marc, > > > > > > > > > > Who in your opinion presents the best, book length, argument in > > favor of > > > > > evolution? And who in your opinion best presents the best argument > > against > > > > > evolution? I ask these questions so that I might systematically > > study both > > > > > sides of the issue to see who has the better arguments using the > > criteria > > > > > that are important to me. I ask you because you seem to be the > > resident > > > > > expert on this topic. > > > > > > > > > > Incidentally, I am not asking for a book list, not even a short one. I > > > > > want your evaluation, your carefully considered opinion on the best > > > > > argument for each side. > > > > > > > > > > John W. Redelfs [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > =========================================== > > > > > We tend to scoff at the beliefs of the ancients. But we > > > > > can't scoff at them personally, to their faces, and this is > > > > > what annoys me. --Jack Handy > > > > > =========================================== > > > > > All my opinions are tentative pending further data. --JWR > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > > > > > /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > > > > > /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > > > > > > > > > > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > > > > > > > > > > > > >-- > > > >Marc A. Schindler > > > >Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada -- Gateway to the Boreal Parkland > > > > > > > >"Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he > > > >will pick > > > >himself up and continue on" Winston Churchill > > > > > > > >Note: This communication represents the informal personal views of the > > author > > > >solely; its contents do not necessarily reflect those of the author's > > > >employer, > > > >nor those of any organization with which the author may be associated. > > > > > > > >/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > > ////// > > > >/// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > > > >/// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > > > >/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > > ////// > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Steven Montgomery > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > <HTML> > > > <BODY> > > > <a href="http://www.getusout.org";><img border="0" > > > src="http://www.getusout.org/images/guolink.gif";></a> > > > <P><P><BR> > > > </BODY> > > > </HTML> > > > > > > > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > > > /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > > > /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > > > > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > > > > > > >-- > >Marc A. Schindler > >Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada -- Gateway to the Boreal Parkland > > > >"Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he > >will pick himself up and continue on" Winston Churchill > > > >Note: This communication represents the informal personal views of the > >author solely; its contents do not necessarily reflect those of the > >author's employer, nor those of any organization with > >which the author may be associated. > > > >///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > >/// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > >/// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > >///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > > > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > -- Marc A. Schindler Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada -- Gateway to the Boreal Parkland “Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on” – Winston Churchill Note: This communication represents the informal personal views of the author solely; its contents do not necessarily reflect those of the author’s employer, nor those of any organization with which the author may be associated. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ==^^=============================================================== This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^^===============================================================
![http://www.getusout.org/images/guolink.gif"](http://www.getusout.org/images/guolink.gif"){kind=link}