Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation

This is an elegant presentation of one of the most solidly supported theories in science. "The Science Guy" shows us clear, objective, abundant evidence for evolution, despite the often hostile rejection of these truths by much of American culture. It is as beautiful and awe-inspiring a story of the origins of life as those found in any mythology or religious doctrine.

Nye's arguments from homology and the fossil record used to support common descent could just as easily be invoked to support a common Designer! When you look at the similar designs of an Apple iPad and an Apple iPhone and Apple iPod touch, we immediately assume a common designer that used the same design because it works.

Nye does highlight evolutionary changes in trilobites going back 300 million years. But the whole time, the trilobite was still a trilobite.

From Casey Liskin: "Nye cites Tiktaalik as a “‘fishapod’ (transition between fish and tetrapod, or land animal with four legs)” that is a fulfilled “prediction” of evolution because of when it was found in the fossil record. Nye is apparently unaware that this so-called evolutionary “prediction” went belly-up after scientists found tracks of true tetrapods with digits some 18 million years before Tiktaalik in the fossil record. As Nature put it, Tiktaalik cannot be a “direct transitional form.”

Neo Darwinian evolution powered by natural selection is the only game in town if you don't believe in ID, but that doesn't change the fact that the evidence is not nearly as decisive as some suggest.

I do think Bill Nye is right that it is dangerous and irresponsible to genetically modify food that has DNA from more than one species.

Bill Nye does point out that we don't have much in the way of archaeological evidence for Noah's flood, and I do wish we had more. But we also need to remember absence of evidence doesn't always mean evidence of absence. We're still looking.

Plus where there's smoke there's fire. The proliferation of flood folktales spread throughout the world suggests that there was some sort of catastrophe that caused people to remember it in antiquity.

I have seen Bill nye the Science Guy on TV and enjoyed him but never read any of his books. This book is beyond fantastic. He talks about evolution as no one else I have ever read does. Reading this book is like sitting in an easy chair in a cosy room. Just Bill and I and he is talking to me. You really should read it if science means anything to you and you like a good book. Joan D

An excellent book, well written. The author gives a number of different reasons why evolution makes sense, and is so far the only truly scientific explanation for life on earth in it's many different forms. I'd expected it to be a point by point rebuttal of the claims of the exponents of "Creation Science", but it isn't - I suspect this is because there really isn't anything there to disprove.

We need to stop teaching our children about magical sky fairies and start educating them on the realities of geology, paleobiology, and developmental biology. It's damn near child abuse to force children to believe in myths rather than hard facts such as evolution and we as Americans will fall far behind the rest of the world in the STEM programs the way the Arabic countries did if we don't stop promoting the garbage.

Bill Nye lives up to his fame as a great science communicator. He takes real science with complex ideas and puts them in layman's terms. Evolution really is undeniable once you understand its scientific backing.

This book is really intended as an introduction to evolution for people who have trouble understanding the basics. If that is you, this will be an engaging and quick read.

I was very disappointed in this book. He never CLEARLY takes the side of creationism! I always saw him as more of an Old Testament type of guy. No worries. Who needs a bunch of eggheads boring us in heaven anyway.

I love science, and I adore Bill Nye. Due to the fact that I've shown his science videos so many times to my students over the years, I could hear his voice inside my head while reading his most recent book. Of course, I recommend the book. I knew I'd love it before I opened it.

Excellent explanation of the theory of evolution and refutation of Creationism. Mr. Nye's writing style is conversational making it seem that he is sitting across from you. I found his point of view compelling and well supported by substantial evidence.

His charm, wit, and intelligence come through. He explains things very well and his metaphors are perfect. This book won't convert anyone, but it shored up my beliefs even more firmly. I enjoyed reading it.

Bill Nye is an entertaining writer and quite crafty when it comes to intertwining humor into scientific jargon that in the hands of another author could run the risk of being dangerously boring! Kudos to you Mr. Nye and thank you for the journey you took me on when reading UNDENIABLE - Evolution and the Science of Creation. BTW, in a future edition I believe the "Science Guy" should use his last name in the title such as: Unde(NYE)able. Take it or leave it. Looks kind of weird now that I typed it out, so nevermind.

I recommend this book to everyone. Regardless of background in faith, scientific interest, or level of evolutionary understanding; Bill Nye does a good job outlining a niche in the evolutionary community that any reader could comprehend. I for one do not agree with his overarching and quite spiritual concept of evolution, but I feel at times he can get quite scientific if he chooses to back away from inference and inaccurate facts. One major lack of credibility I constantly found with this work revolved around the absence of source material. Not to take away from the whimsical demeanor and candid likeability of Mr. Nye's writing style, but as a reader I longed for a reference every once in awhile. In short, for being a "Science Guy" this book is not very scientific. Undeniable is filled with stories, analogies, and claimed facts that Bill Nye beautifully unfolds page after page in the total absence of their... dare I say... origin.

When reading a book that has "the Science of Creation" in the title, many assumptions are made before the hardcover is opened. Personally, I was expecting a cross-comparison of sorts. A list of claims from both sides and then some sort of scientific approach to outlining the falsifiability of the previously mentioned claim(s). Another assumption would be that a working definition of Creation and Evolution would be outlined and then a conversation of how one or the other can or can not be actually observed, tested, repeated, and verified by means of empirical experimentation. Bill Nye did none of these. What he did do was throw all theists into the same boat as Ken Ham and chat offhandedly about how dumb he is and that the clear winner of the lengthy debate was himself, the "Science Guy". As a reviewer of Undeniable, I am not claiming that there is or is not science to Creation, what I am saying is that the title is misleading.

Having a working definition for evolution could have really helped Mr. Nye when crafting such a manuscript. It felt, on several occasions and in varying chapters, that he himself has a cloudy understanding of what and how evolution actually works. The "Science Guy" also gave the impression that he has actually never even read the works of Charles Darwin. For example on page 7, Mr. Nye says: "the Origin of Species remains a remarkable and remarkably readable book, readily available in hardback, paperback, and online a century and a half later. In it, Darwin gives us example after example of evolution and explains the means by which it happens, providing both the facts and the mechanism in one volume."

As an actual reader of Darwin, I know for a fact that in his book the Origin of Species, Darwin actually does not give any examples of evolution. In fact, he never uses the word evolution even once. Another proponent of evolution, Jerry Coyne writes in his book WHY EVOLUTION IS TRUE, "A better title for The Origin of Species, then, would have been The Origin of Adaptations: while Darwin did figure out how and why a single species changes over time (largely by natural selection), he never explained how one species splits in two. Yet in many ways this problem of splitting is just as important as understanding how a single species evolves. After all, the diversity of nature encompasses millions of species, each with its own unique set of traits. And all of this diversity came from a single ancient ancestor. If we want to explain biodiversity, then, we have to do more than explain how new traits arise - we must also explain how new species arise. For if speciation didn't occur, there would be no biodiversity at all - only a single, long-evolved descendant of that first species."

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Bill Nye and I believe he has branded his own fun and exciting approach to science that has educated a generation in this country, but some of the stuff in this book doesn't make sense. When speaking of chance and how natural selection works, Nye writes on page 23: "Evolution is not random; it's the opposite of random." Ken Ham would have had an interesting rebuttal if this statement was made in their big debate, because the opposite or antonym of "Random" is "Methodical" or "Planned". Just a tip, this statement causes confusion and ads fuel to the fires of folks like Ken Ham.

Mr. Nye will continue to mystify his readers by saying many other unintelligible things like:

"The exquisite variety and balance that we see in nature is the result of nature itself." His passion for nature and evolutionary thought is astounding, but this kind of statement is so not scientific. It's like saying: "The exquisite variety and balance that we see in CABERNET SAUVIGNON is the result of CABERNET SAUVIGNON itself." or "The exquisite variety and balance that we see in ARCHITECTURE is the result of ARCHITECTURE itself."

"When we're talking about evolution, the expression `a long time' is an understatement." Then later he'll throw out this comment when speaking of human evolution: "We've been changing faster than ever over the past ten thousand years, and probably up through the past few hundred years."

And on page 123 he writes: "The missing nature of missing links is actually further proof of evolution. It's just what we expect to find out there in nature. If the fossil record were perfect - now that would be a mystery.
By the way, while I'm writing here about the incompleteness of the fossil record, keep in mind that the incompleteness is becoming less and less incomplete."

I know I've made some serious suggestions, so here's a silly one. This kind of talk from him makes me think he should change his stage name to Bill Nye the "Circle Guy". This is double talk. Let me get this straight, missing links prove evolution and with every fossil discovered the record becomes less incomplete, but more mysterious? I love ya Bill, but man I am worried about you. When speaking of Neanderthals and Cro-Magnon man, Bill Nye said: "They almost embraced the same worldview that we have with the same suspicions or beliefs about a life after death." This is when source material would be very helpful, because this sounds very unscientific.

When philosophizing about the future of human evolution, Nye says: "Is there a Homo superius just around the next deep-time corner, waiting to take our place? Let's think about what it would take: If we were to give rise to a new species, something would have to happen to us to create a bottleneck or isolated place for a founder-person and her or his mate to show up and get separated from you and me and our offspring. In the modern world, that is very unlikely. We have airplanes and ships and the Internet.... Without geographic isolation, I am not sure we can get a new species of hominid, not ever. But that is not the same thing as saying that humans are no longer evolving, because we surely are."
Once again, Bill Nye the "Circle Guy" is brandishing a stunning display of double talk. He says that we can't evolve in our modern society due to all of the freedom to travel and interbreed. So, are we humans currently evolving or not? My head is spinning.

All and all, I give UNDENIABLE - Evolution and the Science of Creation the most stars I can because this book is highly readable and quite entertaining. If I were a scientists or anyone in the field of evolutionary biology, my number of stars might be different.

For more on this subject and a different niche of the debate, read my book. I believe in Jesus & science: is that possible?

This book really spoke to me in such a logical, free thinking way. Being from the deep south, indoctrinated with Christian Theology since an early age, it has been a refreshing awakening to read books with such clear Scientific explanations for everything. Mr. Nye wasn't arrogant in his rebuttals (he mentioned the debate often), but was clearly frustrated with the ignorance so prevalent in our society in regard to Science! I loved this book and highly recommend it!

I thought it was the clearest discussion of evolution by natural selection that I have read. I
also thought that his allusion to the fear of death as central to the call of religion is a point
that deserves further attention and clarification.

I am a big Bill Nye fan, so I'm rather primed to like this book from the start. I am finding to be highly readable and engagingly written. Do not be afraid that the author has written above your level. You don't need a science background to fully appreciate and enjoy this book. Mr. Nye patiently goes through a number of common talking points creationist like to make that supposedly falsify the theory of evolution. Being a science educator, he does a nice job explaining where creationist arguments go wrong scientifically.

I would say that the book is written for people who have a minimal background in science and evolution. That being said, those of us with more advanced knowledge should still enjoy the read. I'm enjoying it because it is simply a fun book and hard to put down.

The one critical comment I would make is that the narrative does not always flow smoothly. Even though Nye had an editor help him, the sometimes choppy style suggests the book was written fairly hastily and rushed to publication before the Nye vs. Ham debate faded too far into the past and people lost interest.

Bill Nye has proven once again that he has a firm grasp of science and evolution. His writing is clear and straight forward. It should be apparent to anyone who reads this book with an open mind that he makes many valid arguments in support of evolution. He has considerable skill as a writer and an explainer of science. The book is an easy read and full of facts that challenges one to think about how evolution shaped the world we live in..

A great book by Bill Nye. Very thankful for those people like Bill who think enough of mankind to share their wisdom for all to read.

Keep up the good work Mr. Nye. We need more people like you!

I have been a fan of Bill Nye since I was a child watching his tv show. The ability to take a complex subject and explain it in an easy to understand way makes this a great read for anyone. I would recommend the book to anyone who has an interest in the subject of evolution and our place in the universe.

I love this book! For one it showed up right one schedule! This book is so intriguing, brilliant, and well written, it feels like you're having a conversation with Bill Nye or listening to a lecture. Love it and I really do recommend this book.

I enjoyed reading this book, but I believe it is at a ninth grade level, so a general audience will understand some of the basic concepts of evolution and how all life on planet Earth evolved from a common ancestor. It is also obvious that Bill Nye is a mechanical engineer, not an evolutionary biologist. He makes a classic blunder by saying that there is no such thing as race, that race is not real. I would direct Bill Nye to read a book titled, "Beyond the Body Farm", by Dr Bill Bass and direct him to chapter 10: The Professor Versus The Computer: Harnessing Software To Determine Race and ID a Victim. Whenever a human skeleton is found in the woods, or along a road, a physical anthropologist is called in, and after a matter of minutes, the race of the skeleton is determined. So, race is real and does exist, since the University of Kentucky specializes in the revolution of forensic science and race determination by examining bones of the victims. Bill Nye is pitching his tent in the camp of political correctness concerning evolution and race. This is not the proper science attitude to take, when clearly evolution is showing us the differences in human races on a genetic level. A perfect example is the genetic variant that lets Tibetans live at high altitudes. This has been discovered in the last 3000 years. Because of this genetic variant, Tibetans are better than others at living at high altitudes. Is this racism? Let's look at the Olympics - since 1980 every finalist in the men's 100 meter race has come from or has West African ancestry. Is this racism? Bill Nye was admonished by many of his peers to stay away from the debate with Ken Hamm. Bill Nye is clearly no biologist, and his performance (debate) was mediocre at best, but I give him credit for being an advocate for science in general, and I give him credit for writing a book geared more towards a general audience, than writing no book at all.

As a child, Bill Nye was the reason why I fell in love with science. His whimsical nature and enthusiasm makes science much more exciting and interesting than it already is. I started listening to the audiobook version a few days ago and just finished it earlier today and I have to say that in almost every regard, it's almost as if you're sitting in an auditorium watching Bill present the facts, rather than as if he were reading from a book. It's entertaining, informative, and most important of all, the biological information he provides is grounded in science.

Anyone that has taken a college level introduction to biology course or even high school biology should understand exactly where all his points are coming from. Bill Nye has always been exceptionally good at presenting science in a way for the layperson to understand. Throughout the book, Bill presents very basic concepts of biology, ranging from DNA to Evolution to Genetics. All the information that he presents can easily be found in a 10th grade level textbook and in cases when he has a particular opinion, such as on how GMOs should be dealt with, he states very clearly that these are his opinions. Every time Bill states his opinion throughout the book, they are in regards to matters of ethics which no doubt makes sense because ethical beliefs vary from individual to individual. He does a very good job distinguishing that there is no such thing as an OPINION ON FACTS.

Long story short - read the book knowing that Bill Nye comes from a scientific background. Read it with an open mind knowing that if you are deeply religious, he may say somethings that will offend you, not because it is his personal opinion, but because his beliefs are very heavily grounded in science.

It was alright. I dislike that he takes the ultimate stance that "theology is wrong," because there are a fair amount of scientists and Christians that believe in theistic evolution. Nevertheless, it builds a great basis for the fact of evolution for people who have no background. Which brings me to my next point: Who was the intended audience of this book? The data was very introductory, his arguments broken down for individuals who are theists and completely uninformed about science. Granted, I was never given a proper scientific education in primary school, so I did benefit from the broad overview, but I don't imagine there are many ex-homschoolers out there looking for this. Maybe I'm wrong?

An excellent book that I would recommend to anyone with an interest in science. Bill Nye presents his case for Evolution in a an easy to understand manner, and completely dismantles the creationist argument.

Bill Nye at his finest in my opinion. He does exactly in this book what he does best, and that is to teach and inform. Instead of drilling his points of view into the readers head, he does his best to explain and really get you to understand where he is coming from.

I've always enjoyed Bill Nye, the science guy. I like science and am grateful for it. That I am alive is due to scientific advancements. I watched Nye's debate with Ken Ham and thought Nye tore him to shreds. Ham is an advocate of creationism, specifically the view that the God created the world in seven days, six if you leave out a day of rest. Although I am a believer, I reject the six day creation as outlined in Genesis. I am a supporter of science. Mr. Ham doesn't seem to be. First, the term day can be translated as period meaning a period of time. The Creator could have used evolution as a tool in the creation of the Earth. I do not believe the Earth is a mere four or seven thousand years old. I believe it took millions of years. Nye makes a compelling case for evolution. I enjoyed reading it.

Unfortunately, Nye makes several mistakes. First, he classifies all creationists as six day creationists like Mr. Ham. By doing so, he also implies that one cannot be a believer and a scientist. That is simply not true and is Mr. Nye's propaganda. Half of all scientists are believers in some type of religion. I suppose that of this half, few if any believe in a six day creation.

A few of Mr. Nye's fallacies are as follows. I had made every effort to quote him in context:

"...(creationism) cannot be tested or challenged with reason...it cannot lead to new discoveries, new medicines, or new ways to feed us all. (pp. 5)"
With that assumption, Nye tosses out the contributions of all religious people. He must feel that a scientist who is religious has never made a scientific discovery and that is just not true.

"I feel bad for creationists. They have been left out of the wonderful process of science and its ability to reveal so much about nature (pp. 22)."
Agains Nye implies that no one who believes in a creation can be a scientist. Simply not true.

"The evolutionary pressure to have stronger necks was PROBABLY stronger when food supplies were scarce,"
The use of the word "probably" takes us from the the realm of science and into the world of speculation and hypothesis.

"But with generation after generation certain animal necks got longer. (pp.53)
Question: What happened to those animals before their necks got longer? How could they survive?

"...sex became popular among living things...(pp.58) I would certainly hope so!

"If there was a designer, why did he or she create all those fossils of things that aren't living anymore? (pp. 78)
Obviously Nye is countering the six day creation model, but in a creation model which allows for millions of years of the creation process, the answer is that they got stuck in the mud. Why did the dinosaurs disappear? I don't know, science has some good ideas, but no one knows for sure. There is not enough evidence.

"...I see no evidence that that there was a super power...running the show here. (pp.136)
The evidence (no proof) for a creator is in Nye himself and in every person reading his book and this review. The human body is a complex organism. It is more sophisticated that anything humans have ever created. The mere fact that our bodies function at all compels the case for a design. I cannot believe we simply evolved with no guiding plan. Nature is not that sophisticated. For all the wonder of nature, nature has not yet evolved a Golden Gate Bridge or an Empire State Building. The human body is much more sophisticated that those. Belief in Christ Buddha, or Confucius makes much more sense to me that the idea that we merely evolved into what we are today. If there indeed is evolution, there is an intelligence behind it. That's is my opinion. Many will disagree and I honor their right to do so.

One page 175, Nye discusses fear of death as a reason for belief. That of course is only his opinion, not science. It's his book and he certainly has the right to express his opinion as do I, but let's not confuse science with personal opinion.

On page 212, Nye suggest we find altruism in animals. Whether it is evolution or they were created that way, animals do not have the motivation to be altruistic. It is merely an instinct. It is not the same as human altruism. That is one of his weakest points.

"...no one in any church would even be able to assert that an egg is viable or not were it not for the scientists with microscopes who studied the details of human eggs and the fertilization process. (pp. 241)"
I certainly agree with that statement, but does Nye want to admit that many of the scientist who studied human eggs and fertilization had been attending church? To deny that would be unscientific.

Mr. Nye has written a good book, but the discerning reader should watch for what is fact vs. what is the propaganda that wants to discredit a belief in creation. Mr Nye does very well with the former, but shows his personal prejudices in the latter.

Wow. Bill Nye. What an outstanding human being. His prose here is VERY easy to follow and he is quite comical throughout the book. He keeps making references to "my old boss" and I really want to know who he's talking about. Others that have read the book will know what I'm talking about...
This book delves into the facts behind the politics of the evolution/creation debate. A brilliant read for anyone who wants to have a somewhat intelligent discussion on the matter.

Having had devoutly Christian parents and having attended Christian schools for my entire education, schools where evolution was treated with the same contempt as taro card reading, this book opened my eyes to the real story of where we came from. I would implore anyone who has been brainwashed from preschool on with the literal interpretation of the bible, please read this book with an open mind, it may change your life. If you appreciate this book another worth reading is "The Selfish Gene".

The audience for the book is really Ken Ham and his like-minded followers (that's what sparked the book in the first place), and Bill Nye spends the entire time explaining how science can debunk many of the beliefs of the Young Earth Creationists. Though I was not the appropriate audience (I believe the evolutionary theory), I thoroughly enjoyed the thorough examples and simple explanations Bill Nye presents. It was just like watching Bill Nye the Science Guy as a kid, but with far less zany sound effects. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn the science supporting evolution in a simple way.

I love Bill Nye, and have read much of his work. This however was a bit confusing and often got off topic. Some scientific factual errors caused me to question his editor. Humans don't have 15 phalanges in each hand (3X5 fingers) We only have 14 (3X4 fingers and 2 in our thumb) He needs to spend more time researching Creationists beliefs. Some of his arguments such as "If there were a God, why did he make such inferior creatures?" is explained away by Creationists by sin (and inperfection) entering the perfect world through Adam. All of the wonderful examples he gives of inperfections will be discounted by Creationists. His argument may sway non-fundementalists, but wouldn't impress Ken Ham. Overall, it added much more depth than his debate with Ham did, and he is persuasive. He has the right arguments, just needs to simplify some things to convince a wider audience.

Evolution is a fact. Evolution in the slow ponderous process envisioned by Darwin; not enough time to explain biodiversity. Alt theories... PunkEek being amongst the more popular, and frankly more interesting, fail to explain biodiversity. The problem with the huge leap.. Mount Improbable vs slow hard climb envisioned by Darwin.... also are fatally flawed.

But, if you enjoy children's science programming and are repulsed by the notion that something greater than ourselves exists and instead embrace the notion of materialism.... This is the book for you.

Should you read it and wish to discuss it's ideas with me please note that fact; so I may (hopefully) dismiss you as a consumer of children's "science" programming.

Do not read this review to be advocacy for creationism in whatever format Materialist Darwinists choose to vilify it.

What I would offer is that the true question..... what/how/when origin of life is a necessary first step to this debate and no one has crossed that threshold... Nye being and embarrassing "least of which."

It's a very informative novel, and I would of rated it four stars maybe even five, but Bill Nye's constant and repetitive attack on Creationism becomes tiring. All though I'm not a Creationist myself, I don't feel as strongly as Mr. Nye does when it comes to the "threat" they pose on future generations of America. Granted, I live in Kentucky, and although Creationism is a popular belief in the area I live, I still meet young teens who've never even heard of this inane theory. The truth of Creationism is this: just as people refused to believe the world was round, after generations have passed on by Creationism will become a minute piece of fiction along with mythology and Scientology. However, this novel was very informative and I did learn a lot about the Theory of Evolution and its real world applications.

The book is well written & has a lot of humor. Sadly it is supposed to be a great defense of evolution. I am no scientist and am a staunch creationist (the group the book was written against) and yet I can refute all of his supposedly "scientific evidence." A lot of speculation is in this book and the last chapter is really wild. Is he serious? Psychobabble!

Nye's book is a gentle, very funny introduction to a science-based, rational worldview. He guides the reader through the reasons why creationism is nonsense and evolution is not only true but supported by massive amounts of evidence. Yes, if you've read Dawkins, you've probably heard most of this (and in greater depth), but for the vast majority of the American public, this is a very appealing, non-judgemental, eye-opening answer to Ken Hamm, Ray Comfort, & Co.
Bottom line: if you have a fundamentalist relative/friend whose pastor has taught him/her that accepting evolution means that abandoning faith in God and replacing it with blind faith in science, the theory of evolution teaches that chimps give birth to humans, etc, pick this up and give it as a gift (or if you fall into the described category, read it yourself). Nye is not nearly as strident as Dawkins and presents his work in a delightful, humour-filled yet informative and insightful manner. Highly recommended.

There are not many scientists who make science fun reading. Bill Nye ignites the imagination and creates a reverence for the scientific method. I hope that many young people read this book and are drawn to the sciences. Lord knows, we need them to do so.

In this immensely readable and engaging book, the author, a well-known science educator, discusses the Theory of Evolution. In fact, just about anything and everything that one (or, at least, I) can think of that is related to evolution in some way is touched upon here (and even more). The author’s very friendly, witty and chatty style makes reading this book a real pleasure and it’s written to be highly accessible to a very broad readership.

Now, from the book’s subtitle, I was expecting a near equal representation of what the creationists profess to believe along with much-anticipated scientific refutations. Unfortunately, there was very little of that; just a few comments interspersed here and there, along with a very brief account of a debate that the author had with one of the leading creationists in America (well, in Kentucky, anyway). In a way, that was disappointing for me since I was looking forward to reading about the best arguments used on both sides – especially the creationists since I know so little about them.

Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the book very much and I certainly agree that it makes a major contribution to science literacy in the world. Although I found a few passages to be a bit technical, I am certain that everyone can learn a lot from reading this wonderful book.

The book being reviewed is "Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation" written by Bill Nye. This book is written for the average reader and contains a great deal of fascinating information. Most of the book is concerned with the science of evolution, although Bill tends to stray into other areas, like GMO,s and planetary science.

Bill Nye takes on the creationists like no one has before him. How you accept Bill's arguments may depend upon where you lie on the science-to- religion mixture spectrum. Everyone operates with a mixture of religious conviction and scientific rational thought, but It seems to me that the die-hard creationists represent the extreme end of that spectrum. They go to great lengths to cling on to the idea of creation and a 5000 year old world despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. They have the age of the Earth wrong by 4.5 billion years. Bill Nye and I are probably at the other extreme where science fact trumps revealed knowledge in every case. The rest of the population lie on a spectrum somewhere between these two extremes.

Although I am a big science buff, I can't recall ever watching his TV show, "Bill Nye, the Science Guy". My familiarity with him comes from news clips over the years, where he was trotted out to explain scientific news events. Bill tends to write in a chatty style often invoking personal stories into his scientific narrative. So reading this book was like spending a vacation listening to him tell personal stories. I feel like I know him pretty well now, although I still wonder how a mechanical engineer, trained to be pragmatic, became an avid scientist. Bill said that he worked at Boeing Airplane Company in the Seattle area at one time. Like him, I worked as an engineer there on the 747 and other planes. I wonder if our paths ever crossed. I also didn't know he is the protégé of Carl Sagan and the current CEO of the Planetary Society.

I bought this book because of my interest in evolution, a topic that became my hobby of learning about when I retired. I knew most of the information that he presented already, but not all. Comparing my reading knowledge with his presentation make me say that Bill has an excellent grasp on a wide variety of scientific knowledge. I didn't expect to learn many new things from the book, but I was very curious about his presentation of evolutionary information and how he handled the controversy with the science deniers. His style is not my style and that presented a learning opportunity for me. Bill doesn't dwell on a topic very long or get into it very deeply. I assume this style is a result of talking to numerous non-scientists over the years and shifting the conversation before their eyes glaze over. The points he has skipped seem to get explained in another part of the book eventually.

One area where Bill and I might have a lively debate is his adoration of Stephen Jay Gould and total failure to acknowledge Richard Dawkins. These latter two individuals have been prolific authors of evolution for popular audiences. As an example, Bill introduced Gould's concept of Punctuated Equilibrium in his book as though it was an important basic concept. Jay Gould with Niles Eldredge observed in marine sediments , that species have long periods of staying the same (Stasis) and fast periods of evolutionary change leaving none-few intermediate fossils. Some anthropologists find this to be a big deal, whereas I do not. Richard Dawkins, on the other hand, has written important evolutionary books teaching basic evolutionary principles and Bill Nye never mentioned him.

I also thought that Bill Nye would have had a better, easier to understand book if he had used more illustrations. His attempt to make an image of an amino acid using only words bewildered me and I am a chemist and know what amino acids are. He only had a few illustrations and he had hand drawn them. Come on Bill, hire an illustrator and give the readers a break.

All in all, I recommend this book to everyone. I think you will gain a lot of understanding from it.

Ralph D. Hermansen, April 28, 2015

This is an entertaining, well-written and well-researched book. Nye maintains a charming and engaging tone throughout.. A great topic, the grand theory of evolution and how it shapes our lives. Nye debunks many lies portrayed by creationists, like the second law of thermodynamics. "The Second Law applies only to closed systems, like a cylinder in a car engine, and Earth is not even remotely a closed system. Transfers of matter and energy are constantly taking place. Life here is nothing like a perpetual motion machine, but neither is it like a ball rolling inexorably downhill."
Nye also does a wonderful job of describing how evolution works. "Nature is self-organizing. That's another way of defining evolution: Nature builds ecosystems, in all of their complex glory, from the bottom up."
Nye even takes on poor "design". "Your windpipe (trachea) is right next to your food tube (esophagus), making it easy to choke. What's up with that? Couldn't that have been improved?"
One negative of the book is that Nye doesn't explain some of the scientific principles very well and some of the scientific principles are difficult to understand without formal training in the biological and physical sciences.

In summary, this is a wonderful book on the grand theory of evolution. Inspired by a debate with creationist Ken Ham, Bill Nye the Science Guy takes the reader on a delightful journey through popular topics concerning evolution and along the way teaches us the importance in understanding it. A tad on the accessible side of the equation but a wonderful book nonetheless. I highly recommend it!

The author, Bill Nye, was inspired to write this book from a creation debate he had with creationist Ken Ham. While reading the text I felt as if it was glaringly obviously that the author was inspired and even voraciously committed to increasing the scientific literacy of the public. Many (a majority) of the chapters (there was a lot) ended with a rather inspiring concluding statement and proposition. Usually it urged for public awareness and commitment to inquisition and research. I feel that this is extremely important but also reinforces would I have previously stated. Coming from a scientist who is not only just scientifically literate, but has a broad scope of knowledge, you can sense the inspiration and appreciate how most of the facts are explicated in a congenial manner for those who aren't scientists or might not have any in depth knowledge of evolution or natural selection. Nye's appreciation for science is contagious. And it is this appreciation that makes you trust him on many things you couldn't research yourself (e.g. Half of Rubidium-87 decaying into Strontium-87 in 49.9 billion years). As you might expect from a good public speaker and teacher, the author has a very good sense of humor which enables you to read the text conversationally. By the first joke of his old boss, I was not amused and found it a little cliche. By the 3rd and 4th joke of his old boss I was laughing pretty hard. You can only imagine what he said =].

My takeaway: As an evolution book per se, I thought it was decent or pretty good. A solely evolution book would have been more encompassing. But the fact of the matter is that it takes more of a juxtaposing stance, putting up scientific facts to refute creationist ideology. Chapters are "bottled" as the author called it, meaning that there was a plethora of them and they were short and to the point. I give this book a 4.5/5 because Bill Nye is a very good teacher, he's very candid, and this is a very good book.

I read Nye's book with a theological perspective, and appreciated many of his insights. However, he surprisingly fails to acknowledge some modern scientific advances that have rendered aspects evolutionary theories very questionable. (Such as the fraud of Haeckel's embryos, the faults in Miller's atmosphere experiment, fossil record timeline inconsistencies, Cambrian explosion, etc.) He assumes evolution is fact, and then uses 'evidence' to build upon this idea rather than using unbiased evidence to prove that evolution is fact. He also makes harsh assertions against creationists, like saying that their children will never feel the joy of discovery, etc.
Overall, very educational and good to read to learn about the cases scientists make today to support evolution. However, I advise readers to take everything with a grain of salt.

I own works by such impeccable authors as Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Richard Dawkins, Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawkin and now Bill Nye's excellent book on Evolution. I did not watch much of his PBS show "Bill Nye The Science Guy" back in the late 80s (and I regret it wholeheartedly!), but I am glad I bought his book, just to explore his own take and perspective... and boy did it pay off!!! I purchased the book last week at a local B&N and I already have read over 3/4 of it. Nye not only elaborates on Evolution and all which it entails, simultaneously questioning Creationism at every corner, but his approach is magnificently entertaining. One major highlight is how he challenges the various biblical notions such as the development and age of our Earth, with swift efficiency. The further I go into this outstanding work, the more it systematically places the bible on pretty much the same scale as the Mother Goose book of fairy tales! This is one book I found difficult to put down! Overall, an EXCELLENT READ!!!

Love Bill Nye, and I bought the book because I am a fan. However the book was tough to get through. For most of the first half of the book he tries to be too cute with a running gag about his old boss at Boeing not being evolved etc. The chapter about GMO's finally grabbed my attention Up until then, I almost put it down, but kept reading it for the same reason people pick up "Readers Digest". In the introduction he said that he was inspired to write a book after his debate with Ken Ham. It's as if it is just a bunch of his post-debate thoughts on "I should have said this, I should have said that..." High school reading level.

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"Creationism strikes me as an astonishing waste of time and energy. I would love to be able to ignore it and focus on the real science, but creationists work very hard to disrupt science education and force their weird worldview on our students.

So let's make the best of an unfortunate situation, and use the creationist attacks as a learning opportunity...

[When it comes to attacks on evolution as proposed by Charles Darwin], please: think BIG, and think CRITICALLY."

The above comes from this well-written book by Bill Nye. It was inspired by a debate that Nye had with creationist Ken Ham in February 2014.

Nye is an engineer, science educator, comedian, and inventor. He obtained his science degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University where he studied under the great Carl Sagan. He created and hosted the Emmy award-winning PBS/Discovery Channel show "Bill Nye, the Science Guy." Nye holds six Honorary Doctorate degrees.

For a book that explains evolution, this book is remarkably easy to read. As you would expect from Bill Nye, it is quite funny in spots. The science is well-explained. Even some essential history is included.

Creationism is mentioned only when it contradicts established evidence and facts.

This book explains such things as:

(1) Deep time
(2) Biodiversity
(3) Fossils
(4) Mass extinction
(5) Microevolution (change within a species) and macroevolution (new species formation)
(6) Altruism
(7) Genetically Modified Foods
(8) Human cloning (not cool)
(9) Race (why it really doesn't exist)
(10) The new search for alien life (including aliens right here on our planet)

Finally, the only problem I had with this book is that it has no notes and/or references. Nye does tell the reader in his acknowledgements section that he had a "fact checker" for parts of this book. However, I felt, for a book of this type, that notes and references are imperative.

In conclusion, Bill Nye empowers the reader to see the natural world as it is, not as some would wish it to be!!

(First published 2014; 37 "bite-size" chapters; main narrative 295 pages; acknowledgements; index)

<<Stephen PLETKO, London, Ontario, Canada>>

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Bill Nye the Science Guy is a trained engineer and natural teacher able to explain complex concepts in an appropriate tone while inciting curiosity and inspiring wonder. This book is divided into very short thematic chapters. The initial chapters put evolution in conversation with creationism. Nye asserts that creationism is unsatisfactory because it is “static” and “cannot be challenged or tested with reason;” and “…because it cannot make predictions, it cannot lead to new discoveries.” The rest of the book demonstrates through delightful facts and factoids all of the ways that evolution can do those things and the point is crystal clear.

He presents the most intriguing aspects of Darwin’s 1859 Origin of Species, its precursors and successors, and the ways we can observe it in action even now. Mosquitoes living in the London Underground have already differentiated into a separate species unable to regularly reproduce with surface dwelling mosquitoes, for example, a phenomenon that has developed within a few decades.

Nye asks some questions that we wish had occurred to us, like Why not have more than two sexes in order to ensure greater mix of genetic material? Why hasn’t the windpipe evolved to be further from the food pipe to prevent choking?

Finally, Nye turns his attention to the future, our evolving ability to understand our planet (notably the possible role of thermodynamics in igniting life from the primordial soup of amino acids) and those beyond through astrobiology. He describes transpermia, the way that planets exchange material, and the way it can send life across interplanetary space. We can’t help but share his excitement in pondering the revelations that are to come.

This is highly readable, engaging and neither condescending nor academic. Recommended for adults and young adults who haven’t lost their ability to wonder.

I enjoyed Bill Nye's book and would prefer to have given it 3.5 stars. As he always does, he provided lots of little known and cool science facts with a gentle humor. I wanted to know a little bit more about the details of evolution and the book helped with that. It didn't rate more stars because I felt like the information was a little disjointed and his reading of his own book came across a little flat. I'm a fan of Bill Nye, having grown up with him and still enjoyed it very much but to my surprise, it came across as a bit self promotional at times with lines like, ". . .my father, a decorated war hero," or "when I was working at Boeing, making small improvements to the Boeing 747." Please don't get the idea that the entire book was laced with them. I think I just have a low tolerance level. It was more the WAY he did them, I guess.

There is no graphic sex or harsh language but obviously if you are a CREATIONIST and not open to assaults on your own beliefs, stay away.

I listened to this on audio from the store, that I got for free through my library.

There are many who believe that Bill Nye, who trained as an Engineer, should keep his nose out of Biology. I am not one of those people. This book is a product (according to Nye) of both his childhood interest in science and his more recent public debate with Ken Hamm (of Creation Museum fame).
Bill brings an educated "outsider's" view of evolution. This makes for a very coherent, well explained set of topics. Because he isn't a biologist by training, Nye has a good feeling for what it is that non-biologists need explained.

The reason I give this four stars instead of five is because of a few minor errors (X-shaped and Y-shaped chromosomes?) and some idiosyncrasies in the narrative that would occasionally take me out of it.

As a science educator, this is a book that I wish was required reading for all students at some point late in their high school career to help lead the students into a scientifically literate future.

A majority of the three star and lower reviews are related to what they perceive as a lack of scientific explanation. Here's the thing, if you buy this book expecting an in depth explanation of the mechanisms of Evolution, you will come away disappointed. Nye is a science educator, and a popular science writer. In writing this book, he was attempting to give straightforward yet easy to understand answers to the topic of Evolution. This was not meant to be a science text book. Bill Nye, while still a scientist, is not an Evolutionary Biologist. He's an engineer. This separation between the subjects was the sole reason for his acceptance of the debate with Ken Ham. He stated that biologists, astrophysicists, etc. don't typically do a great job debating creationists because of the immense detail that goes into their answers. He also says that (rightfully so) scientists are glad that they do not know everything, but the second they admit this during a debate, the creationist audience members take this as evidence against Evolution, the Big Bang Theory, or even a 4.5 billion year old Earth. This book is meant to be an easy to read popular science book, not something that you would find in a biology classroom or written by Evolutionary Biologists.

I had the chance to hear Bill Nye himself talk about this book, and we as a country desperately need to step away from primitive bronze aged fables and join reality. The fact that we have people who take advantage every day of the benefits we have received fro our understanding of evolution nearly causes my irony meter to break. A rational person should evaluate data and evidence (as long as they understand what constitutes evidence), and based on that should change their views. I think the final question in the Nye/Hamm debate summed up the situation perfectly.

Question: What would cause you to change your mind?
Nye: Evidence.
Hamm: Nothing.

That right there shows that creationists and their ilk are not at all interested in truth, but just promoting their fable over others, and that they have such a deep seated fear of facts that they simply ignore everything around them.

This book came out of a debate between the author and a leading spokesperson for creationism. In layman's terms Nye presents a vast array of evidence to support the rational logic of evolution. Things like how did the ark have enough plants for all those animal's unique diets?. Then after the flood was over how did those plants grow so fast to feed the myriad of species? Also, how did animals like the platypus and koala bear get the whole way to Australia? Nye ponders many other things like life in outer space and cloning. He handles everything with wit and enthusiasm in a very understandable way.

I bought this as an audiobook (Audible) and absolutely love it! Bill's presentation makes one wish they had him as their science teacher. He lays the information out for you and builds it out for you in a logical and easily comprehendible manner. The title is somewhat misleading - in no way is he saying there is a 'science' in the creation myths that some believe in; rather he moves you through scientific thought and knowledge to illustrate to believers in 'magic ghost in the sky' that there are far more likely reasons for the way things are in our world. This book should be read (or listened to) by as many people as can get hold of it.
I just bought an audiobook of it for my girlfriend and sent it as a just because gift. I know she'll enjoy it.

Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation by Bill Nye

"Undeniable" is in outstanding book in defense of science and the grand theory of evolution. It's a love of science and his quest to spread awareness of the ways evolution impacts our lives and what is at stake for all of us. Mechanical engineer, science educator, and Emmy award-winning TV personality Bill Nye the Science Guy provides readers with a gem. This enjoyable 320-page book includes thirty-seven chapters that cover a wide-range of topics pertaining to evolution.

Positives:
1. Entertaining, well-written and well-researched book for the masses.
2. A great topic, the grand theory of evolution and how it shapes our lives.
3. A charming and engaging tone throughout.
4. This book oozes of love for science and the admiration for one of the greatest theories ever devised. "Evolution is one of the most powerful and important ideas ever developed in the history of science. It describes all of life on Earth."
5. Bill Nye is an educator at heart and he is concerned for the well-being of our planet. This sentiment shines through clearly as the following statement illustrates when discussing the attack on reason. "This attack on reason is an attack on all of us. Children who accept this ludicrous perspective will find themselves opposed to progress. They will become society's burdens rather than its producers, a prospect that I find very troubling."
6. Debunks many lies portrayed by creationists, like the second law of thermodynamics. "The Second Law applies only to closed systems, like a cylinder in a car engine, and Earth is not even remotely a closed system. Transfers of matter and energy are constantly taking place. Life here is nothing like a perpetual motion machine, but neither is it like a ball rolling inexorably downhill."
7. Does a wonderful job of describing how evolution works. "Nature is self-organizing. That's another way of defining evolution: Nature builds ecosystems, in all of their complex glory, from the bottom up."
8. Keeps even the most complex topics accessible for the public. As an example provides an enlightening chapter on how to determine deep time. "It's just a little over a century since the French physicist Henri Becquerel discovered radioactivity, and with it the key to unlocking deep time."
9. A very good explanation on why the inheritance of acquired traits was wrong and what Lamarck actually got right. "Evolution happens as each generation of living things interacts with its environment and reproduces. Lamarck got at least that part of it right. Those natural designs that survive to reproduce pass on their genes. Those that don't successfully reproduce disappear; their genes disappear as well. It's survival of the hang-in-there's, or the made-the-cuts, or the just good-enoughs."
10. An interesting and even humorous look at sexual selection.
11. A look at artificial selection. "Darwin coined the phrase `artificial selection' to describe what human gardeners, farmers, and horse and dog breeders had been doing for centuries: creating better or more useful varieties of animals and plants."
12. Provocative but never disrespectful. "How can you take the lack of evidence of a plan as evidence of a plan? That makes no sense."
13. A fascinating look at biodiversity. "The areas of Earth with the most energy input are also the areas with the most biodiversity."
14. Explains why most living things never get fossilized.
15. A look at mass extinctions. "Industrial emissions are one way humans are changing this planet, but not the only way. We are also directly killing countless species at a rate that dwarfs the rates estimated in the previous Big Five extinctions. We are killing them mostly by destroying their habitats."
16. Geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky's influence. "Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution."
17. Many examples of poor "design". "Your windpipe (trachea) is right next to your food tube (esophagus), making it easy to choke. What's up with that? Couldn't that have been improved?"
18. Does a commendable job of explaining micro versus macro evolution. "The processes of microevolution and macroevolution are fundamentally the same, only the scale is different."
19. Many examples of the importance of understanding evolution. "For instance, we've discovered that cancer evolves. Cancer cells can mutate in the body of a patient, so that malignant cells find new ways to get a supply of blood and become resistant to our anticancer drugs."
20. An excellent chapter on genetically modified foods. It's one of my favorites. "So for me, evolutionary theory informs our decisions about GMOs."
21. A great chapter on skin colors. "In general, the closer people live to the equator, the more ultraviolet exposure they receive and the darker their average skin color."
22. Much more...

Negatives:
1. There are more substantive books on evolution (see my further recommendations) but few as charming and enjoyable to read.
2. A few sketches but overall lacking in visual content (graphs, timelines, and diagrams).
3. No notes.
4. No formal bibliography.

In summary, this is a wonderful book on the grand theory of evolution. Inspired by a debate with creationist Ken Ham, Bill Nye the Science Guy takes the reader on a delightful journey through popular topics concerning evolution and along the way teaches us the importance in understanding it. A tad on the accessible side of the equation but a wonderful book nonetheless. I highly recommend it!

Further recommendations: "Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction" by Eugenie C. Scott, "Why Evolution Works (and Creationism Fails)" by Matt Young, "The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution" by Richard Dawkins, "Evolving out of Eden: Christian Responses to Evolution" by Robert M. Price, "Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body" by Neil Shubin, "Understanding Evolution and Ourselves" by Dennis Littrell, "Why Evolution Is True" by Jerry A. Coyne, "The Rocks Don't Lie: A Geologist Investigates Noah's Flood" by David R. Montgomery, "What Evolution Is (Science Masters Series)" by Ernst Mayr, "Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters" by Donald R. Prothero, and "The Making of the Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution" by Sean B. Carroll.

I enjoy listening to Bill Nye and have great respect for his understanding of science. As I was reading, however, I kept wondering who his audience would be. It would have been too simple for most adults who understand and accept evolution and would have been too difficult for many who question evolution because of their religious beliefs because he seems to constantly be putting them down. I hope that some found it helpful. I'm just not sure who that would have been.

Having grown up with Bill Nye's TV show and his continuous contributions to the scientific community by helping to educate the public at large this book continues that legacy if illuminating where once was dark.

This is a fascinating and entertaining read. Done in true Bill Nye fashion he explains often complex and intimidating ideas offering the reader a bigger picture in understandable language. Evolution, GMO's, climate change are all concepts thrown around with little to no understanding of what they are or what the consequences are making them even more so fearful - this book however does a fantastic job demonstrating how all these things work.

In addition to his fantastic narrative, Bill also expounds upon his arguments from his notorious debate with Ken Ham. If you have seen it you'd understand the debate offered little to no room to explain ideas ( that should have been understood by the opponent) yet still required Bill to offer point for point arguments ( which he did and brilliantly so.). However this offers a bigger picture of how and why what arguments can and can't work and in non-adversarial terms.

The edition of Undeniable that I have also has a new chapter where he revisits his original concerns with GMOs. While GMO's are still a big controversy he addresses his original concerns at breadth and explains why they were either unfounded or there was already evidence proving otherwise. Bill includes information from his visit to Monsanto and scientists there as well as their work and a thorough breakdown of what exactly goes into genetically modified crops and their design to aid farmers and bring more food to the grocery store.

Undeniable will make your world bigger and provide solid stepping stones in which to further explore all these issues. This book does a great job of not simply appealing to the lowest common denominator, but raising it.

It is rare when a nonfiction book delivers exactly what you want to know. Undeniable does that.

Bill Nye’s title may be a bit overreaching – I don’t yet find the evidence for evolution to be unassailable, but even so he makes a good case for his beliefs. In a series of short, funny essay-like chapters, he assembles a comprehensive overview of everything the scientific community believes about the origin of the universe.

He draws from all fields of science—astronomy, archaeology, geology, genetics, biology, physics, paleontology, botany, and zoology. His data is current (the book was published in 2014) and his examples are written for the lay person.

He takes on most of the significant creationist arguments against evolution:

• Illustrates that the 16 million known animal species today could not have descended from a group of 7,000 animals on an ark 4,000 years ago.
• Explains how evolution does not violate the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics
• Explains how polystrate fossils can cross geological strata within a single bed of rock
• Advances several examples of inefficient, just-good-enough behavior in nature that would seem to contradict the presence of an intelligent designer
• Explains the Cambrian Explosion in the fossil record and how it could not have been created by a worldwide flood
• Explains punctuated equilibrium and why this means humans will probably never evolve into a new species, at least not here on Earth

As a counterpoint, I also read Refuting Evolution by Jonathan Sarfati, as well The Creation Answers Book. It was fascinating to delve into both sides of the argument.

My only complaint about Undeniable was that at times I wanted Nye to provide more scientific detail, even if it was in an appendix. For example, in his discussion of bacterial evolution in chapter 25, he says:

“Over just a few years, genes that conferred resistance to the drugs were randomly created or acquired.”

This is an important statement that needed to be explored further. While creationists would agree bacteria can acquire drug resistance through acquired genes, they would also argue that new genes cannot be created through mutation. Most of the time, bacteria develop resistance when they lose highly sensitive protein receptors. This represents a net loss of genetic information through mutation, not a gain. True evolution requires an increase of information over time.

This is a quibble, though. I wanted to understand the fault lines in the intelligent design vs. evolution debate, and this book was an enjoyable and effective tool for helping me do that.

The text is extremely well written, well meaning but lacks substantial scientific sophistication. But then I doubt Nye wrote the text for the choir. Nye was trained as an engineer and so was my father. In my reading of the text I discovered those little quirks that distinguish the engineer from the scientist. But never fear this is a plus. The text reads as a free flowing explanation of the elements of Evolution without the pretentious detailed explanation of the scientist.

There are several errors of statement in the text which surprised me and are noted by more critical reviews; those need no restatement here. They have no effect on Nye's writing but I hope in subsequent editions Nye will address these issues and either elaborate his ideas or admit a misstatement and offer a correction.

I read the text to see if Bill after his debate with Ken Ham would choose to go on the attack but Nye's nature only allows a gracious, polite, never offensive individual who firmly states the scientific data as they are known. (I randomly fact checked several of his statements using texts I have at home and sure enough his statements appear accurate.) Of course this is Bill Nye and the subject material is Darwinian Evolution so some will take offense with Nye's text even if they read the text backwards. Nye implies throughout this book it is these minds he hopes to have a conversation but I fear his desire is only but a hope.

Speaking of hope possibly schools in the United States, perhaps starting with forward looking Kansas, will stock their library shelves with a couple copies of the book. For the restless adolescent mind contemplating an empty pantry, "Undeniable ..." serves up a mind filling meal and can serve as a step for further exploration. The rest of humanity will find Bill Nye's "Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation" is a thoughtful accurate discussion of Biological Evolution, a read well worth their time.

Undeniable is a book about evolution but it is not another-book-on-evolution. I bought it after reading the first pages and so long as I was slowly and naturally converging to the breaking hamletian point: buy it or not to buy it. And, yes, I decided to buy it and continue the reading which was the best decision I could made.

If you read the table of contents you'll see that Bill Nye covers everything that causes an argument or a difference with both the deniers or the skeptics about the theory of evolution but also with the proponents of alternatives way of explaining why we are here. So this book is more than a descriptive work, it is a discussion. In fact, it begins discussing an assertion about bees appeared in the "'Ripley's Believe it or not,' column in The Washington Post" when the author was seven years old.

Thus, every chapter discusses some topic and the style --not necessarily unscientific-- of the author works very well. He is convincing by being open and clear. I'd say that even you can retain your original opinion if you are not completely agree with him which, by the way, is not an easy task. But he is convincing also because of the foundations over which he builds his narration. You can pick, for instance, chapter 20, "What good is half a wing" or chapter 22, "Evolution is why we don't believe in evolution," to recognize the consistence of a work that transmits what others have discovered and that Nye himself has discovered during his long and fascinating trips around the world.

I'm a Chilean reviewer so I don't know how famous is he in the U.S. If you see Wikipedia, it says that he is "an American science educator, comedian, television host, actor, writer, scientist and former mechanical engineer..." so it is clear enough that he posses the authority to talk as he does and with the sympathy of a guy who welcomes whoever wants to learn about what he can teach. In other words, he is entertained and, at times, he makes you roar with laughter.

Really? Oh yes!

More than a nice book, more than an entertained book, it is a plus for everyone interested in learning a little bit more about this "dangerous idea."

I was born into the Jehovah's Witness religion. I had twenty-nine brain washing indoctrinating years until one day I woke up and somehow saw "the matrix" for what it was and started thinking rationally while questioning the religions references and methods. I finally came to the realization that my religion was a cult. I am now thirty-four years old. In the short time that I have walked away from that "Faith", I decided to go to college and pursue degrees in things that always interested me. In a short sporadic 2.5 years, I attained an Associate's and Bachelor's degree while raising a family. This is a big no-no in that religion. Jehovah's Witnesses look down on education and even though they don't say you can't go to college, every time it is brought up it is in a bad light and described as a worldly place where bad association exists. College is for lovers of money and the greedy. Some go for two years for a technical degree which is almost shameful to other members.....if you go for four years...OH MY, you are never coming back!

Jehovah's Witness are taught to believe that EVERYTHING in the bible is to be taken literally. They even have their own book promoting Creationism titled, "Life--How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation?" The liberties, lies, and misquotes the religion took when writing this book are mind baffling. Richard Dawkins, Carl Sagan, Darwin and many more were grossly misinterpreted many times to make the organizations case for creationism look correct. All it takes is a quick google search to find the references to these atrocities.

In the time I have been out of organized religion, I have opened my mind and have been trying to seek answers that do not rely on faith but on concrete evidence. What I have learned in the last four years is astonishing. I now have a greater respect for my life, others, and all of my surroundings.

Bill Nye is an advocate for educating the young (and old), and we need more like him. Today's youth will eventually be making the big decisions that will affect the future of our planet. In my opinion, Mr. Nye's book is a great stepping stone to help others that might have been in similar shoes as me. It takes information that is sometimes hard to process and hones it enough that anyone "nine to ninety" can learn the basics of why creationism is laughable. Nye does it in a way that is heartfelt and nonjudgmental. I wanted to thank Mr. Nye for taking on this touchy subject and giving believers in creationism a healthy dose of SCIENCE!

Bill! Bill! Bill !

I was hoping this was a scientific review of evolution, with an emphasis on refuting the young earth creationist arguments. It had some of that. But it also was an attack on Christians - from a not very scientific basis. For example, Mr. Nye states that some Christians say they have no fear of death, but still will pull back from a ledge. He is confusing a conscious thought with instinct -- and I assume he does so deliberately.

What I get from his book is that Mr. Nye believes that science is the foundation of all truth. I consider this to be a very limited viewpoint, as it leaves out philosophy, art, beauty, love, God, virtue and many other areas of human life. Nye seems, in my opinion, to believe that man is nothing more than a highly developed animal. Believing that man is so limited takes faith, as science does not prove it.

Granted I am reluctant to read a book by engineer whose only connection to science is an outdated class taught by Carl Sagan. Astronomy has moved way beyond the propositions of the astronomy of Carl Sagan to what are the requirements for living systems to exist anywhere in the universe. Darwinists have relegated science to suppositions without proof, and science without solid experience. Bill Nye built a name on TV appearances, makeup, and white lab coats. The stuff of popular media not rigorous research, academics, and testable criteria. Cosmology, Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Micro Biology are not usual academics required for engineering. Bill's book is based on the bias he's already been fed. Read more controversial stuff. Bill was used as expert on TV at the last solar eclipse, what basic level way of covering an event. Really, absouletly no knowledge of astrophysics and astronomy. Expertise only a TV news reporter could appreciate. This book is being billed on the prestige of the author’s media appeal not on his academic achievements.

I do not think that any creationist nor any semi religious person would touch this book with a ten foot pole and their eyes would glaze over by the end of chapter 2. Having said that the book doesent serve much of a purpose. I found it entertaining and infromative, but i also think he should have continued explaining much of the science/ his ideas further in some chapters. Thanks Bill!!!!!!!!!!!!

*NOTE: This is my husband, Seth's, review as he is helping me with my gigantic review tbr.

Consider the following. I can’t help but repeat that phrase. I grew up watching the Bill Nye the Science Guy shows and absolutely loved them. I couldn’t help but snatch up this book as soon as I heard that a copy was available. I was not disappointed in the least by them. In it, he gives a blow by blow on why evolution is a much sounder theory than the theory of creationism. He doesn’t posit that it’s better, he just gives proof, after proof, after proof as to why it is what it is.

I read this book in between my college courses, when I was eating, and whenever I could find a spare moment. I’m not entirely certain how long it took me to read, but I do know that it will be on my to read when I’m bored list in the future quite often. His demeanor from the show carries over almost flawlessly. He doesn’t condescend, instead he explains the science in a way that I’m sure my neighbor would have found easy to understand. Which to be honest is quite a feat unto itself. This book will fit in on my non-fiction best reads shelf quite nicely.

Next to the Bhagavad Gita, Bill Nye's incredible book "Undeniable" has had a tremendous influence upon me.

Bill Nye elegantly explains the undeniable force of evolution in our world, a mystical 4 billion year journey which
reveals the mysteries of evolution in a clear and precise manner. This work is a masterpiece of scientific thought
which should be required reading for every person on the earth.

Bill Nye has changed my thinking about evolution 100% and I will always be eternally grateful to him.

In this book, Bill Nye explains history of the formation of the planet Earth 4.5 billion years ago and the beginning of life (bacteria) perhaps 2 billion years ago, the existence of dinosaurs perhaps 500 million years or so, with human history just in the last several thousands of years. Darwin developed the theory of evolution just 150 years ago and scientists have been developing knowledge about it with rapid advances made in the last few decades. The ideas are quite complex, but Nye presents the information simply enough that anyone with a high school education should be able to follow this book.

Well I have been reading this now for about 2 months. I have read 3 or 4 other books in the meantime if that tells you anything. It is interesting and I am totally behind Bill Nye's theories but it got terribly slow for me and I can only read a chapter at a time here and there. It has done quite well on the NYT Best Sellers list so I guess a lot of people enjoyed it. I guess I read a lot about evolution and this really did not add too much.

Bill Nye really wants the public to understand the principals of science, evolution and medicine. He tries to make this knowledge accessible to the average lay-person as well as directly to the more adamant and outspoken creationists. I highly recommend this book as a stepping stone into how we came to be, what we are doing, and the possibilities of the near and far future.

In February of this year (2014), Bill Nye the Science Guy debated Ken Ham, a Creationist over the question of evolution. Who won, of course, depends on which side of the question you fall on but one thing was very clear: in his own calm, inimitable way, Bill is very passionate about the subject. This passion comes through in his new book Undeniable in which he discusses evolution and all the ways it matters.

He talks about the scientific basis for evolution including Darwin's theories and what they really mean. According to Nye, it is not as straightforward as `survival of the fittest'. Evolution occurs, mainly, in small increments, some small advantage that, as it is passed down through generations, becomes a big advantage, allowing the offspring to survive when others of the species are lost to history: it is not so much `survival of the fittest' as `survival of the just good enough': the giraffe with the slightly longer neck, the bird with the slightly hooked beak, the group of hominids with a slightly bigger brain in relation to their size. Whatever this small advantage is, over generations, it evolves incrementally within the species. That first giraffe with the slightly longer neck eventually leads to the giraffes we see today with their extremely long necks.

He also discusses how evolution affects us today in terms of science and ethics: cloning, GMOs, and stem-cell research among other issues. He explains the difference between micro- and macro- evolution and how it is happening all around us not to mention to us and has been happening for approximately 3.5 billion years from the first one-celled organism to us homo sapiens and why the idea of different races doesn't exist scientifically - we are all descended from that same one-celled creature that appeared an eon or two ago or, if that's just too far back to imagine, the same pair of hominids who `got it on', 100,000 years ago give or take a millennium.

And he goes further, speculating about what the future holds for future generations as well as what might be out their among the stars waiting for us to discover or perhaps to discover us. He also explains why Creationism fails as a theory in explaining the diversity of ecosystems and species extant today or the discovery of fossils of animals long gone, as well as its inability to predict future possibilities - denying evolution means denying any effect we might have on the planet or that there is anything we can do to change outcomes.

Undeniable is a fascinating read. Nye makes the science behind evolution easily accessible to those of us who don't come from a scientific background. He infuses the work with interesting anecdotes about his own life as well as just a touch of humour to help those of us who never paid attention in biology because boring. So here's to Bill Nye the Science Guy for making it clear why choosing evolution over creationism isn't just a matter of philosophy but that it has real-world consequences and here's to us, the survivors, the 'just good enoughs'.

If you like Bill Nye and I do, you will like this simple explanation of evolution with a little of Bill Nye's humor injected.
No complicated explanations or complex theories contained, just fun information.

If you're thinking of reading this book, I recommend watching the debate between Bill Nye and Ken Ham that precipitated its creation (pun unintended) first to give you some perspective. I made the mistake of reading the book (in which Nye references his debate with Ham many times) first, then scheduling time to view the streaming-during-specific-times debate from the Creation Museum site afterwards. My background is engineering, and I acknowledge and support evolutionary theory. That said, even when Ken Ham was explaining how the earth was only 6,000 years old, I found his passion and belief compelling and I think that if a person who, say, arrived from another planet who knew absolutely nothing about the background behind the two ideas listened to the debate, they might just side with Ken Ham...

Days after completing the book, I ran with a friend who is a Christian. I mentioned the book and the debate and she told me she'd seen it and that she is...a Creationist.
Me: "The earth is only 6,000 years old?"
My Friend: "That's what the bible says."
"What about the dinosaurs?"
"The bible talks about lizards and the word dinosaur means lizard, so the bible mentions them."
"So, the creatures on The Ark had babies, and those babies had sex with each other, and they all produced all of the animals?"
"Yes."
"And all the creatures fit on the Ark?"
"Yes."
We were running when we had this conversation, and I told her I thought she might be the only Creationist I knew. When we parted, I smiled and gave her a big hug. What a country! This experience helped me see that even those who aren't part of the Duggar family can support a literal translation of the bible. I was surprised but intrigued as well.

But back to the book. I found the writing to be easy to follow and fun. It felt like Bill Nye was conversing with me as he might in real life. He would occasionally include some sort of silly pun (which I did not love) or derogatory remark about his old boss who was apparently either dumb or a jerk or both (I didn't love that either), but I like the information he provided in support of evolution that added to the content of the debate. One thing that he mentioned multiple times was that teaching kids creation is bad and that creationists indoctrinate their children with ideas that are wrong which is harmful. Of course, he also shares his worries about problems such as the fact that humans are killing off species every day and the effects of climate change on our planet. Overall, I believe he provided details and additional information about evolution in support of the views he put forth in his debate with Ken Ham in a well thought out, relatively clear format. That said, worst of the book: sloppy hand drawn sketches that could have easily been CAD'd to be clearer and easier to understand and sometimes random-seeming short chapters. Best: information he shares about things like dog species (we think there are many, but there is really only one) and places one might want to visit (the Burgess Shale Formation) as well as the easy-to-follow writing style.

Also excellent: The Good Rain by Timothy Egan, Voices in the Ocean by Susan Casey and Once They Were Hats by Frances Backhouse.

For those of us who grew up in the '90s, Bill Nye was one of the go-to TV science guys. Don't get me wrong, Beakman was great and all, but Nye just had a brand of charm that really made you feel like you were talking to your way-cool, kooky uncle who also happened to be a brilliant scientist.

With "Undeniable," it's like you've grown up with him and reached that point where he can talk to you as an adult instead of a third-grader who's a total dinosaur nerd. For anyone who's ever hoped or dreamed of getting coffee or a beer with the guy, this might be the closest most of us will ever come.

Nye's debate with Ken Ham — the ark-building, Bible-thumping, vegetarian-dinosaur-theory supporting Aussie — just began to expose the surface of the details discussed in this book. That might sound intimidating if you're interested in a deep discussion on evolution, but just as he did with the show we grew up with, he breaks it down enough without dumbing it down. That's a careful balance difficult to achieve with anything in science.

While Darwin's ideas were talked about to some detail in sophomore biology for some of us, "Undeniable" goes a long way to modernize information from the CD-ROM era (and that's if you were lucky, with a school district that updated books more than once a decade). The considerations on top-down versus bottom-up structure, the fossil record and how sex evolved are key points most of us probably never thought of in high school. He also touches on concepts of abiogenisis and panspermia. Look those up if you haven't started to already.

The discussion and information sits at a comfortable level and never trips into "wait, I've gotta read that chapter again" territory. Nye's treatment of the subject matter remains as accessible as his show was for our generation, but maybe this can inspire a whole new one to pursue more understanding of science. After all, we're better for it, right?

I don't need a book like this to solidify the theory of evolution (be sure to read up on what the word theory means). I listened to it on audible. I always wanted to know why we don't have much hair like the chimpanzees and what's the deal with people's pigmentation and large breasts. Geez, he should have discussed who's going to evolve in the future since he's talking about evolution (see next sentence because he talk about that some). But I think there's something else here about the future...is it going to be the religious people or the other homos :) that advance? I haven't listened to the last 2 chapters yet but I want to know if my genes will win out over the religious genes. Let's check in 10 millennia or so. Some type of human will be around to explain the results. I've enjoyed Bill's book but the beginning of the audible book almost made me stop listening. His British accent needs work. Other than that, I, and my kids, watch the Science Guy on youtube!

A great book. Bill Nye explains the universe and evolution in ways that everyday people can understand and relate to. He has a knack for making people excited about the scientific view of the world. From beneficial mutation to the dawn of man. A highly recommended read.

The "Science Guy" is the perfect person to write a book about the wonders of evolution. It is a nontechnical, easy to understand explanation of how the human study of evolution debunks the "creationists." Nye is not condescending to nor does he belittle creationists, he just shows how the "theory of creationism" is all wrong.

In 'Undeniable', Bill Nye presents a solid, evidence-based defense of the evolutionary narrative in a way which is understandable to the general public. He adds his own character to it, offering insightful personal experiences to help explain concepts, or sometimes corny jokes.

My largest criticism of this book is that Nye also includes, in a few chapters, his opinions which are *not* scientific in nature but rather philosophical or political. He discusses his views, namely on God and abortion, which themselves are not objective scientific conclusions. Now, I have no problem with someone writing about their views, even if I disagree with them - but these topics seem outside of the field of the book, which presents itself to be an approachable but objective discussion about life science. Perhaps more importantly, if Nye wishes to reach the creationist community with his message, I'm afraid this error could be costly. Creationists are commonly taught that the scientific community is overrun by immoral, secular forces, and that evolution degrades Christian values. By placing these beliefs alongside the presentation of evolution, Nye is only going to reinforce this view among many interested creationist readers.

3.5/5

This is an entertaining and easy-to-understand explanation of something most people misunderstand. This should be required reading before people engage in an evolution-related argument. Ignorance is going away!

While I was reading this I got the feeling that I was not in the intended age group. The writing was laid out simply and was very entertaining (unlike my last boss), very reminiscent of Stephen Hawking and Neil DeGrasse Tyson. It brought back so much nostalgia and I read the book in Bill Nye's voice. I definitely got some new perspectives from the book, but I was a little disappointed in the Creationist bashing. I am definitely not a Creationist, by any stretch of the imagination, but I was hoping for a slightly less obvious bias while giving a scientific explanation.

Still, thoroughly enjoy it and I hope Nye continues to write books for the coming generations.

I've had the opportunity to meet Bill Nye as part of the Planetary Society, and this book shows off all the positive things. His passion for Science, his grasp of complex ideas, and his ability to explain them to anyone willing to listen.

Wow...what a mind stimulating treat...thought provoking book, that uses common sense to explain in an easy to follow language concepts and misconceptions. Very well structured, this book offers with the use of arguments and evidence why science is the future, and a means of trying to organize/offer answers to where we came from and what the future holds. This book should be read by all the people that have an open mind, are in search for answers and are not afraid of the truth: religion is preventing human kind from advancing.
Only one downside: I wish there were more photos to illustrate some of the species/organisms presented throughout the book.

This was a great book for someone who is not a scientist and wants to understand a bit more about the science behind evolution and how it applies to the discussion of creationism and evolution. Bill Nye does a fantastic job of explaining these complex concepts in a way that is understandable to someone who is not fully educated in the field. I would recommend this book to anyone on either side of the debate who wants to educate themselves on the science behind evolution.

I did get a bit annoyed by how often Bill got back on his soap box about how humans need to take care of their environment because we are destroying it. I understand why he was on that topic and how it connects to the topic of the book, but I felt it was off topic and detracted from what I perceived to be the message the book wished to convey. I mostly agree with Bill's view point on this topic, but I worried it was an idea that would detract from the primary message and and might turn some people off.

The narration of the book was fantastic and appreciated the pace.

Have this book on audiobook for iBooks. It is a real good way to see some of the science behind how we know a lot of stuff we know. Good book to trch you the history of us humans and our planets timeline based on peer reviewed science and not "the folklore from parents".

Wonderful read. If you loved bill Nye before. You'll love him even more after this. Combines his own personal sense of humor and showmanship with the reading of a scientific book. Much is speculation based on all sorts of research that you can find in 10 seconds of a google search. But Bill's insight and belief is what gives me hope for the advancement of science in the human race.
Beware creationists. It IS about evolution. So don't expect to be debated.

Simply a book that everyone should read. No matter where you stand on this issue, it is better to arm yourself with knowledge.
And knowledge this book is brimming with. Infectious knowledge. Stemming from the attitude of it's author, it is obvious in the writing and speech of this book. It is a testament to his teaching style and desire to influence others that Mr. Nye was able to keep this book both under a thousand pages and at a level that most anyone can understand. Now there are some parts where the science just simply outruns the ability to make it digestible to the layman. But through examples and anecdotes, we are able to glean the ideology if not the mechanics.
While this is a book about evolution, it isn't just about his debate with Creationists. Topics range from race, to human cloning and stem cell research, and genetically modified foods.
I was never exposed to Bill Nye: Science Guy while growing up, and my grade school science teachers never had a drop of his enthusiasm. While I'm not going to rush out an grab my Doctorate in Science, I am going to read and explore more of the topics covered in this wonderful overview.

I got this book as a gift. I had no intention of getting it for myself because I figured it would be more of a, "for beginners" kind of book and I believe I have a firm understanding of evolution. It was quick and easy read and it is more for beginners but I was delighted to pick up a few new knowledge nuggets, so I guess it's not just for beginners.
P.S.
I find it interesting how religious people accept some sciences yet deny others. The science that keeps your airplane flying or cell phones working, good science. All the sciences that refute your goofy religion, bad science.

Comprehensive summary as well as in depth support for the science of evolution. Bill sticks to facts and evidence. What I appreciated about his debate with Ken Ham was although Mr. Ham is clearly misguided in his understanding and beliefs, Bill allowed the facts to stand on their own. There are no personal attacks or degradation of character, just a very straight forward defense and counter attack of evolution and creationism. The fact that this book is #1 in Christian books focusing on creation and creationism is hopefully a sign that at the very least those held in religious dogma are on their way to rational, evidence based ideas. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

So many thanks should go to Bill Nye for this extremely informed discussion about evolution. It's given hope to people like me who have always managed to squirm about people who want to push creationism off on others... like me. Before it used to anger me that at least one of the people I know who falls in that camp wouldn't even deign to listen to any comments about I made about evolution. Now I feel armed with the best explanations and knowledge science has to offer. The book also makes me feel less like hiding within the system of my own values and outlook, and that I am equipped to feel comfortable engaging in cogent conversation on the topic. If science teachers in our public school systems would take the time to understand the topic more fully and reliably, perhaps there would be more hope for our school students.

Bill Nye is to science what Jesus is to Christians. His background is as impressive, working at NASA as a contractor. He graduated with a B.A. in mechanical engineering, and he is viewed by millennials as a living, breathing god. The subjects in this book are have been taught by Richard Dawkins for years. If you want a watered down and autistic version of Dawkins, look no further than Undeniable by Bill Nye. I would look no further than Nye if you had not graduated from primary school and would like to use this publication as a starting point in biology as a hobby, otherwise, it is a paperweight. My recommendation: buy Dr. Stephen Jay Gould Wonderful life or Dr. Sir Richard Dawkins: The greatest show on earth.

No offence to Bill, but his political motivations on the people he influenced (Millennials) far skews reality with ambitions making generations far left activists and no viable (Economic and technically) solutions. One could assume that the LGBT community could be cured by injecting viral infection in the body as a way to cure gays and does not account for nurture aspect of being gay. Would it be morally acceptable to research a cure for this disease of random genetic mutations that cause people that are gay or lesbian in life a vaccine?

This is an excellent book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, but am disturbed by it's ramifications. It is a unique anomaly how the most technologically advanced country on the planet, in a great age of information no less, has given rise to such a large swath of unthinking, uncritical simpletons who shun evolution, without really understanding it. Fact is, you can believe in a superior being AND evolution. The 2 are not mutually exclusive. The whole world laughs at us, as fundamentalist, fanatical religion has succeeded in 'dumbing down' millions in the USA!

This book was an amazing read! I loved every bit of it. Bill always kept me intrigued in each chapter, and his wit and personality was in each page. Definitely recommend for someone who is skeptical or someone like me who wants to further their love of evolution and science.

There aren't many compelling arguments in this book I hadn't already considered but for what there is and even for just hearing Nye deliver the same arguments, it was a pleasure to read. The world needs more curious people like Nye who won't be satisfied by any other explanation than the one with the most predictive power.

Thought provoking and entertaining at the same time. I listened to the audiobook and loved hearing him narrate it. His passion for science becomes contagious. His explanations are clear and easy to understand.

I'll be candid with you, okay? I thought this book would be a waste of time. I mean, it's a simple primer on evolution. This is the kind of book you read when you're beginning to wrestle with the idea of educating yourself on a large and complex subject. If you're like me you flip through the book looking for crazy equations, wild diagrams about cells and their unfathomable workings, and dense descriptions. And, if you're like me, when you find these things, you put the book down and begin to rub out the cramps in your ego.

UNDENIABLE is not this way at all. But here's the thing. I read a lot about evolution. I'm no expert, kid, but I just couldn't see how this book would be helpful to me. I've read THE BEAK OF THE FINCH. I've read WHY EVOLUTION IS TRUE. Ken Miller's books? Read 'em. It goes on and on. This was a book to read so I could point to a calm place along the shore that would invite timid people into the vast ocean of knowledge. At least this is what I hoped.

Well, I got that, and a whole lot more. This is a terrific introduction to evolution. Here's what I mean by that. This book should strike a spark off of your brain that you fan into a roaring fire of curiosity in the pursuit of knowledge. It's supposed to get you in the game, and I think that's exactly what it does.

It also (rightly, I think) goes after Creationism in a very kind, but direct way. Nye makes no bones about the fact that Creationism isn't worth a fart in a windstorm. I do wish, though, that he had talked about Intelligent Design and how it's nothing but Creationism in a top hat and tails, but he could only do so much.

Here we have a book that I, in my arrogance, felt the need to look down upon as something better suited for someone just begining to understand what evolution is and how it works. UNDENIABLE sadly shook its head at me and looked me in the eye. Then it began to speak and my joy and amazement grew; the fire burned brighter, reaching higher into the sky, illuminating the dark corners of my ignorance to show me the humility in what I can learn if I just get out of the way; to show US the humility in where we come from and the wonders that await the absence of stubbornness in thought and troubling adherence to religious ideas.

Who is this book written for?

Everyone.

Even me.

Even you.

Having visited the Creation Museum and waited eagerly to visit the
ark… whenever it gets done (Check the website and become a substantial donor.), I greatly enjoyed the reminisces of a debate with Ken Ham, an apparent Australian evangelical who somehow is involved in the construction and CEO of the tourist site, perhaps aided by the state of Kentucky. Some say yes, and some say no.
Both claimed debate victory.
On page 265, Nye says, in our evolutionary world, good enough is as good as it gets. This is a simple statement, which explains a lot and is well worth the price of admission.
The last few chapters drift almost to dystopian science fiction. From his previous chapters, I would suggest we not bring anything back from outer space or attempt to bring life to the supposedly barren planets, and to beware of “aliens” bringing gifts.
The text is, for the most part, fairly easy reading and apparently humorous in spots.
Nye has great arguments on his side, but each and every argument is easily refuted by my acquaintances that say, and I quote, “It don’t wash.”
The author is preaching to the choir.
The Moral of the story: Beliefs will override facts almost every time.

This book is a quick, light read that includes cogent and convincing arguments regarding the merits of the Theory of Evolution and many fascinating tidbits of science. It comes across much like Bill Nye's popular TV program: simplistic, but enjoyable and basically sound.

Detracting from this are Nye's relentless preaching and unrestrained self-importance. He purports to be deeply concerned about our nation because some fraction of Christians resist science and continue to believe the stories of their own scriptures. Nye wastes a lot of ink making good arguments against Creationism, but to what end? Christians don't come to their beliefs via rational analysis, and they won't be dissuaded by scientific arguments. Even if it was possible, scientifically disproving Creationism, or any religious belief, would not bolster the case for Evolution. The effort comes across as petty and personal. For some reason it is only Christians that seem to vex him. Fundamentalists of every other stripe get a free pass. One has to wonder why.

His argument that we are somehow handicapping ourselves as a nation by allowing a fraction of our population to disbelieve evolution goes beyond silly and begins to rub up against fanatical. Does Nye have any idea how many people really believe in evolution? I sure don't know, but I suspect it's a fairly small fraction of the population of the U.S., and an even smaller fraction of the rest of the world. This is not because they are under the spell of radical fundamentalism, but because they don't care enough to have a strong opinion one way or another! One needn't believe in evolution to make A's in school, to get a good job or to marry a smokin'-hot spouse. There are lots and lots of accomplished and successful scientists and engineers that couldn't care less about Evolution (or The Big Bang, or Plate Tectonics) because it has absolutely no practical impact on their lives. And there are even more lawyers and accountants and mechanics and plumbers and...almost everyone else on Earth...who feel the same way.

There are relatively few of us who honestly and aggressively seek deeper truths, and it's not clear that that few includes most scientists. The great majority of scientific and technological progress has taken place without any understanding of, much less devotion to, the Theory of Evolution. I suspect that will continue to be the case looking forward.

I share Bill Nye's fascination with the workings of nature, and feel the satisfaction that comes from understanding. I even share his frustration with belief in religious myth. But he needs to climb down off his high horse and get in touch with reality. The world doesn't need to Believe in Evolution, and it certainly doesn't need another priest demanding that the masses genuflect--to God or Science!

This book is enjoyable and sometimes humorous, but with only a few exceptions the science and logic are rigorous. The title says it all... Nye argues that evolution is undeniable and he presents excellent reasons why. Anybody who understands evolution reasonably well will not learn much from this book. It is not written for the scientifically literate but for those who due to the cultural controversy (not any scientific controversy) were never educated on the theory in school. Towards the end of the book Nye veers off the "undeniable" track and into some of his personal ideas and politics, but for at least 3/4 of the book it is simply excellent at its purpose - the undeniability of evolution.

Highly recommended.

Nye begins by reminding us that for about 12,000 years, humans have utilized evolution to modify plants through artificial selection (aka breeding). Evolution describes any system in which things compete with each other for resources - even software programs in a computer. Unfortunately, a great number of Americans are hostile to the idea of evolution, with some wanting to suppress its teaching or to cast doubt on the science that supports it. State education standards allowing the teaching of fictitious alternatives to evolution in Texas, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Nye wants us to realize our understanding of evolution came to us by the same method of scientific discovery that led to printing presses, polio vaccines, and smartphones, and that evolution has essential practical applications in agriculture, environmental protection, medicine, and public health. The assault on evolution is an assault on science overall, and undermines America's leadership in discovery and innovation.

Continuing, Creationism's claim that the Earth is only 6,000 or 10,000 years old, as well as that there were 7,000 kinds of animals of Noah's ark (eg. kangaroos supposedly made it down from 17,000 foot-high Mount Ararat and hopped over to Australia), are an assault not just on evolution but on the whole public understanding of science. Unfortunately, at least one Creationist leader (Ken Ham, an Australian-born evangelical) also claims we shouldn't be concerned with climate change; worse yet, that 'nothing' would change his mind because he has a book that 'provides all the answers to any natural science question that could ever be posed.'

Bill's Science program was great for kids, unfortunately, he steps into NeoDarwinian Dogma droppings here as he adopts the old train of thought that mere random mutations occurred that somehow led us from a primordial mix of chemicals to the extreme complexity observed at the subcellular level. Computer scientists, engineers, statisticians, molecular biologists not steeped in the religious fanatacism of evolution as currently being promoted freely admit that the odds of a purposeless, undirected process accounting tor the emergence of the complexity at the nano level present in our living world are zero, to say nothing of the perfection of astronomic constants required for Earth to exist as it does. It's too bad Bill Nye has become a preacher for the blind materialist's cause.

I loved this book. It is written with intelligence, wit and charm. Author Bill Nye does what he does best, communicate science with enthusiasm in plain English. Importantly, Nye does not disparage religion, he instead targets science denial. Even though there were certain discussions I didn’t agree with, such as those on GMOs and exobiology, I couldn’t put the book down and this is after having read other great books on evolution such as Last Ape Standing by Chip Walter, Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin, Darwin's Ghosts by Rebecca Stott, The Selfish Gene and The Greatest Show on Earth by Richard Dawkins, and Why Evolution Is True by Jerry A. Coyne. It is because of Nye’s enthusiasm and skill as a story-teller and that I recommend this book for everyone.

(NOTE: This is a review of the Audible audiobook).

First, let me say that I loved this book, and listening to Nye narrate his own book was a treat. He is a fantastic narrator, and he breathed a lot passion, charm and humor into his words. His criticisms of Creationists never sounded mean-spirited or condescending. He always displayed a kind of warm, fatherly concern for people who reject evolution, and always put his criticisms in a positive context (for example, that young people embracing science will strengthen the American economy).

Unfortunately, I believe the book is a missed opportunity. First, Nye focuses exclusively on the minority of fundamentalist Creationists who have the most extreme views about things like the age of the earth (no more than 10,000 years old). Most Christians today believe in (or are open to the possibility of) an "old earth", even if they don't fully embrace evolution, so I think Nye's focus was too narrow. At the same time, his focus was much too broad. If I had to describe this book in one sentence, it would be: "The interesting musings of Bill Nye on evolutionary biology, earth history, and other related stuff." Which would be fine if it wasn't presented as a book defending evolution against creationists like Ken Ham. Such a defense needs to be tightly focused and interact more with the actual arguments that such creationists make. When Nye does respond directly to creationist arguments it's usually far too brief. And he repeatedly made very weak assertions such as: "I suspect people don't like evolution because they're afraid it means humans aren't special." That may be true, but it's speculation (with just a dash of ad hominem) and it's not likely to convince a creationist anyway.

All of the issues toward the end of the book, such as GMOs (which Nye has recently changed his mind about), human cloning and astrobiology were fascinating, and Nye has an interesting perspective on all of them (though again, I think this broad range of topics detracted from his mission of converting creationists. By this point in the book, Nye is taking evolution for granted rather than explaining to creationists how evolution would help them to better understand and think about issues such as GMOs and cloning).

I hope I'm not being unfair to Nye. The entire time I was listening to this book, I just kept thinking of Francis Collins' excellent book "The Language of God." In my opinion, Collins is much more effective at arguing the case for evolution to a specifically religious audience, and addressing their concerns in a more organized and sustained way. Even though I personally enjoyed Nye's book, I wouldn't immediately think to hand it to a young-earth creationist friend with questions about evolution. I would probably give them Collins' book instead.

Still, if you are simply a lover of science and curious about the topic of evolution, regardless of your religious background/beliefs, then you will definitely enjoy this book (and seriously, you have to get the audio version because Nye is an amazing and entertaining narrator).

As always, if you feel this review is unhelpful, please leave a comment and let me know how it can be improved. Thanks!

if you choose to decline reality, you will hate this book.
so in the real world, bill brings massive facts, tried and true to help a person like me understand how this world really works.
everything my high school never taught. not by today's religious manipulation, but by teachers only interested in cashing a check.
it is entertaining, educational AND FACTUAL.
thank you!!!

This isn't exactly a review, but I am a high school student that is passionate about science and I loved this book. Bill Nye explains a confusing idea like evolution (for some) with vernacular vocabulary and humor. He isn't only a great scientist, but apparently with this book, he is also a great writer. If you desire to learn REAL things, read this book, read it twice.

Only about 2/3 through, and I love this book already. It works on several different levels. Fun, well-written and educational. Stimulating and challenging. And of course it is an excellent counter to the ridiculous nonsense that "creationists" try to call science. Mr. Nye makes it clear early on that he is not attacking anyone's beliefs, he is simply pointing out that science is one thing and religious faith is another and it is highly inaccurate, irresponsible and dangerous to pass one off as the other. To do so is at best it is a distracting waste of resources. The book is not even saying that religion and science can't coexist, in fact quite the opposite. The book is clearly written out of love and compassion for all, and written with warmth, humor and genuine curiosity about the human species and all of life. If a book like this is politically subversive, it is only so because of the creationists, which is quite ironic. If not for the creationist argument, guys like Nye would just be writing and talking about science, albeit in a fun and creative way.

But as an amateur naturalist/birder/nature nerd, I'm mostly just enjoying a great read about life on earth and how it developed.
People like Bill Nye and Neil Degrasse Tyson are making an enormous contribution these days-sharing useful insights in a way that is also entertaining and fun. I'm currently watching Tyson's "Cosmos" series while reading this book and find that they effectively reinforce each other, making it more likely that I actually retain some of this stuff. Good reading to all who pick up this book...

It may be educational, but it doesn't read like a text book. I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading this book. Bill Nye uses his own unique brand of storytelling to take the reader on a journey through time, from Earth's beginning, all the way through to the present day, and into what the future might possibly hold. All branches of science are explored from the perspective of evolution, because it is this perspective which has allowed scientists to make the connections from one branch to another. It is because of the theory of evolution that we are able to postulate how we got here, and where we are headed. It's mind-bogglingly fascinating, yet written so that it can be understood by the average person. Bill Nye's passion for science is evident from the first page to the last, and it is highly infectious. This book has reignited my love of science. I would recommend it to anyone who has ever wondered about Earth's history, how we got here, where we are headed, life on other planets, how everything in science and nature is connected, or even anyone who grew up watching Bill Nye the Science Guy.

As an Engineering student, and a science advocate, I must say that this book is amazing. I will put this between Pale Blue Dot and The Origin of Species. This is a perfect example of modern, accessible and scientific writing.

For the most part it was a layman course in evolution by natural selection, with emphasis on debunking the talking points of creationists. He refers to his debate with Ken Ham often, as you'd expect. The whole book is sprinkled with Nye's endearing, geeky humor and I laughed out loud many times. My favorite bit was the chapter regarding altruism and the evolutionary motivations in our psychology. This aspect of evolution has been intriguing me more over the past couple years.

It's not a very long book, but it covers lots of topics in clean summaries. The terminology is simplified, and nothing is presented in a way that would intimidate a person who's newly curious about evolution. I'm saying it's a great beginner course for creationists or the undecided. Also, it's an ideal rebuttal mine for those who are interested in engaging in dialogue with creationists. It's definitely not The Greatest Show on Earth (Richard Dawkins). Although that is one of my favorite books, Dawkins doesn't hold back any detail or 10 syllable word on behalf of his reader's comprehension level.

Aside from evolution Bill discusses GMOs, religion (briefly and non-judgmentally), space and astrobiology, ethics, human cloning, some scientific history, and personal anecdotes.

I have been anticipating Nye writing an adult book for a while, and he didn't disappoint me after the wait. If you begin the book keeping in mind his token Science Guy humor and manner of presenting complicated matters in ways that are accessible to most education levels, you'll probably enjoy it too. Definitely lend it to a creationist friend when you're finished.

If you're a mean, smarty pants who eye-rolls at dad-jokes, maybe it's not the book for you.

My favorite quote from the book: "If you're like me, and I know I am..."

(This review is based on an advanced reader’s copy obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.)

Bill Nye’s latest effort in bringing science to the masses probably could not have released at a more important time. Recently, Pope Francis made (non)news for affirming his belief in reality (with a few caveats, of course) by stating that evolution is real (something the modern world has known and recognized since Darwin's theory was published in 1859), even while at least a third of the United States rejects evolution and GOP ignoramuses work to force creationism into public school science classes. In February 2014, Nye squared off against Ken Ham in a debate that put fact vs. fiction on the front-lines. That this debate was even held in the first place, nearly halfway through our second decade in the 21st Century, and with the alarming segment of the American public that rejects scientific fact in favor of magical fantasy, proves that there is quite a long way to go in educating the populace and that proper scientific communication is perhaps more necessary now than ever before.

Nye wastes no time in tackling and discrediting the misinformation campaign of creationism, sometimes known as Intelligent Design, and laying out crystal clear details to illustrate the scientific reasoning in support of evolution while also punching many holes in the claims made by Ham and his disciples.

The writing is crisp and concise, with Nye’s brand of humor on full display and his “voice” ringing through each word. He’s able to present a layman’s view of the scientific evidence without bogging reader’s down in the minutiae. You won’t find paragraph after paragraph of Latin names and dense atomic nomenclature. Instead, Nye spends his time using fully relateable concepts to ground the sometimes heady topic of evolution, while canvasing the importance of transitional fossils like tiktaalik and ambulocetus, and how dinosaurs turned into birds, and why birds, and bats for that matter, are not so terribly different from you and I (organizationally speaking, at least). He also touches upon a few other topics that are tied directly into evolution, such as GMOs and the search for extraterrestrial life.

Throughout the book, Nye showcases several perfect examples of evolution in action, in both historical and present-day models, such as the evolution of a new breed of mosquitoes in the London Underground that is quite distinct from its above-ground brethren, and how bacteria and viruses evolve over time. Whether or not they admit it, or are conscious of it, people who get a flu shot are obviously believers in evolution. I’ve often joked, particularly during those weeks of seasonal change, that people who believe in Intelligent Design have obviously never had sinus infections or allergies.

Nye does a terrific job showing the natural process of evolution, and the deficiencies inherit in creationist arguments. Really, all one needs to do is critically examine the human body and all its flaws, or even just compare features of our anatomy, say the eyeball, to that of other creature’s, like an octopus or hawk, to see the imperfections and utter lack of planned, elegant design. There is no “creator,” and with the process of evolution, there is no need for one, either. It works just fine on its own, through adaptation and selective gene flow. Evolution gives lie to the creationist claims, and Nye expertly explains that evolution is not so much a method of perfect design so much as it is a system of simply being good enough.

Undeniable, however, is much more than merely good enough – it is, in fact, truly excellent. This is a necessary book, one that should be on the bookshelves and e-readers of anyone looking to expand their horizons with thoughtful scientific insight and an explanation of the natural world around us. Highly recommended.

[Note: this review has been slightly edited to correct a mistake in my accounting of elapsed years following Darwin's work, where I incorrectly stated it has been more than 200 years since the Origin of Species. Many thanks to the readers who caught this!]

I like Bill Nye, but I didn't know he was into leftist cool aid. When he sticks straight to the facts he is spot on. When he drones about unsubstantiated beliefs he loses me. I read the whole thing, but I could have spent my time on other things.

Full disclosure: I work for Bill at the Planetary Society, so I was lucky enough to read an early draft several months ago. I speak only for myself when I say that this is a wonderful exploration of the backbone of biological science. I thought I knew evolution. Turns out, not nearly as much as I thought. And the book is every bit as entertaining as you'd expect from the Science Guy. It also contains science and science-based speculation that directly intersects with my lifelong interest in astronomy and space exploration, including astrobiology, the concept of panspermia, and the mildly impressive fact that the universe is billions and billions of light years across, not 12,000.

Bill wrote this welcoming book for the tens of millions in the USA and elsewhere who don't know who to believe. He doesn't bash believers in creationism or creation science. He simply collects the overwhelming and undeniable evidence that the story of life on Earth is far, far richer, more wondrous, and more inspiring than the stories told by ancient religious texts, should you decide to take those stories literally. Move over, Pope Francis! You have a friend in Mr. Nye.

In Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation, Bill Nye examines the theory of evolution with the excitement and enthusiasm which he brings to all of his work. He describes the evidence and processes of evolution from the earliest microorganisms 3.5 billion years ago up to modern Homo sapiens, outlining the story of life on Earth in a logical, highly-readable form. From the beginning, he explains that evolution, like gravity, is a scientific theory and that, unlike the vernacular use of the term, a theory in science denotes something that has continually stood up to repeated testing and can be used to predict future outcomes. He respectfully addresses the problems inherent in creationist ideology, explaining how, beyond providing a useless answer which can offer no use as a predictor of future outcomes, it fails to explain the diversity of life today or the observable processes in nature. My only complaint is that he is perhaps too respectful in dealing with an ideology that revels in and celebrates willful ignorance. Undeniable is a wonderful book for explaining evolution and his discussion on race offers insights that, taken to heart, could help people put an end to their racial biases. Truly, one of the best books about science of the past decade.

Failed to convince me. The arguments just didn't cut it. Man still can't answer where we came from. Both positions- God/Creation and Evolution- are totally based on faith. People see what they believe beforehand. Neither side can prove their case. Give us a break.

As a kid, I enjoyed both Bill Nye the Science Guy and evolution vs creation discussions. As an adult, I still do. And I am happy to report that I now I have them both in the same book. :)

Of course, each chapter was preaching to the choir of one, because I believe in evolution and think that the idea of a 6,000 year old earth is silly at best and very dangerous at worst. But it was very interesting the way it is laid out: basically a long-form reaction/rebuttal to Nye's fascinating debate with Ken Ham.

I wish my kids were old enough to read it, because it is just so great - funny, exciting, educating. Someday. For now, we will watch the TV show.

At the suggestion of response to the 1 star review, I am going to follow this up with "Among the Creationists: Dispatches from the Anti-Evolutionist Front Line", to get a different perspective. I'll take other suggestions on this topic as well. :)

Bill Nye is a good reporter and a not bad writer but perhaps he needs a new editor. He boldly states [on page 29} that evolution is not random,and later shows just how random it is. After a good chapter on Lamarck he demonstrates the randomness of evolution with a chapter on dogs. Sorry Bill That just shows that the dogs that are friendly to humans were not planned,but came about by chance. Sure evolution is a sieve,but only after the randomness has produced something to select. We presume that not every conceivable dog was produced. Did one that could fox-trot also come about? Evolution is,repeat is, random because Lamarck was wrong and as of now there is no predicting just what will be created. That is what is undeniable.

Disclaimer: I agree with Bill Nye on the large question of evolution vs creation. I therefore assumed that I would like Undeniable based on Nye's reputation as an edutainer. However I cannot recommend this book.

The writing is poor and sophomoric. The book is full of weak "proofs" to explain the existence of various species, with a throwaway "or else they wouldn't be here" to clinch the deal. I have not read any of Nye's previous books, so I don't know if this is his problem or that of his co-author here. A lack of editing to clean up the shared effort probably didn't help.

Furthermore, the book seems written down to a young audience. It's overly folksy, with plenty of Nye's own propaganda thrown in for good (bad) measure. It's also filled with conjectures: Global warming will turn Earth into Venus?

Nye's sense of humor is questionable, too: "As troubling as it may seem, your parents had sex--at least once. If you have brothers and sisters, more than once...One shudders to think of it." I am shuddering because of that stupid line. There's also repetitive demeaning jokes about his ex-boss.

Worst of all, Nye makes assumptions and speaks for the reader. He claims that everyone--bar none--has wondered about life on other planets: "If you meet someone who insists that he or she has not wondered about our being alone, they're lyin'." He later makes the same impossible generalization about death: "From time to time, I meet someone who will say something like, 'I am not afraid of dying.' I don't buy it." How does Bill Nye know what's going on in the mind of every single humanoid on this planet? Maybe HE is god? /sarcasm

There's also some truly WTF moments, like when Nye lumps in the anti-vaccine movement with creationism. Or when he goes rogue during a cloning discussion and starts crazy-talking about surrogate mothers: "I've read articles about women carrying other people's babies for around the price of a luxury automobile." WTF?!

The end of the book is better, particularly chapters 32 to 34, where Nye's natural curiosity is in fine form. Apparently, he is better at asking questions than answering them.

I shouldn't care a whit about celebrity endorsements, but the glowing reviews on the back cover are outrageous in their effusiveness. Several compliment Nye's "clear" explanations which are anything but. Finally, Bill's own sketches are childlike and not very good.

[The reviewer was provided with a complimentary copy of the book.]

This is a fantastic book! I watched his television show while growing up, so for the sake of nostalgia, I decided to order this on my Kindle. I am very happy I did! His tone is very conversational and logical. If you have a general interest in science or are curious about evolutionary sciences, I highly recommend.

Darwin said, in a famous letter to Harvard's renowned botanist, Asa Gray, that he, Darwin, had two major theories: Natural Selection and Divergence. "Divergence" is not mentioned in Nye's book. "Character displacement" is a near synonym for "divergence"; but this term is also not mentioned; nor is the related term "adaptive radiation". Darwin [ along with, perhaps, Wallace], was both the father of evolution and the father of ecology: So Darwin [perhaps with Wallace] was the father of "Ev-Ecology". [Wallace also wrote upon "divergence".].
The nature and even the validity of "competition" is inseparable from the Theory of Divergence.
Also, the entirety, as well as the details, of ev-ecological history cannot be properly conceived of without "divergence".
To be fair to Bill Nye the neglect of "divergence" is widespread, even predominant, even amongst PhDs in biology. For a clue as to why this sad state has persisted for about a century: Study the history of Capitalistic Fanaticism, which is by no means limited to Monsanto's pogrom-programs.

This is a good general introduction to evolution, for somebody who has never read, and will never again read, another book on the topic. Although the coverage is good, the writing is absolutely sophomoric. Much of the text is not too far removed from such expressions as "Golly, gee" or "Gee whiz." I think I moaned audibly on several occasions while reading. I am surprised (and disappointed) that luminaries such as Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Michael Shermer and Eugenie C. Scott would give such glowing, unqualified testimonials.

Great Book! I am a big fan of Mr. Nye. Everybody should read the book to see the REAL world. This book should be required be very school in the country, so our kids get their science education right! Very well written to understand.

Nye has written an accessible, easy to read primer on the basics of evolution. There’s not much new here – what more could be said, really? – but he presents the facts in a fun and appealing way. The book is divided in to bite sized chapters of ten or so pages that focus on one facet of evolution and can easily be read straight through in a couple of nights.

He presents the material in a loose sequential pattern, with each idea building on the next. This works well for evolutionary ideas as they are a bit like math with each building block resting firmly on the one under it. He takes time to outline the history of evolution and uses that as a platform for explaining the basic and seminal facts. Unlike more detailed books the real value in Nye’s approach is that he keeps the over-arching themes of evolution before the reader as he fits the puzzle together.

He doesn’t come right out and say it but the title hints at it – The Science of Creation. The book reads as one long argument against creationism and ID. It seems that this is Nye’s hobby horse these days. Oddly – to me – he adds a chapter on astrobiology and another on GMOs that add no substance to the book. My humble opinion.

Undeniable is a fine book presented by a man who has become for many a source of solid science information. Readers already in the know or in the fray will want something more substantial. Readers who argue for ID, creationism, or the hand of god will likely not be convinced. But to me there is no question of the tremendous value in outlining the facts one more time.

Three stars.

This is nothing but a coattail book with no content. A mention of prisoner’s dilemma here, red queen there, altruistic cousins, Miller-Urey experiment, etc., is all old hat. Sure there are a hundred or so “Bill Nye” the science guy fans raving about how good this book is but lacks passion, depth, and for a book that seemingly is on “God vs Evolution”, he skips over all the meat of the debate, mentioning “god” on but one page (282) of the book, seemingly thinking that he shows a creationist a few shale fossils and counts some tree rings, they will be like “oh yea … I see now, you are right!” I doubt he would even get a publisher for this book if he sent it in anonymously. Don’t get me wrong, I commend him for stepping up to the plate to do battle with so-called better half of America, but this book was page fluff.

His whole “be considerate of other people’s faith” MO, specifically: “I emphasize that I did not disparage anyone’s religion. I did not mention anything about the Bible. I had no reference to Jesus. But I was concerned with the extraordinary claim that the earth is 6,000-years-old, which is an assault not just on evolution but on the whole public understanding of science” (pg. 9), doesn’t float anymore. What we need are more Sam Harris’s, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens, and more importantly some of great “extreme atheist materialists” of history, such as Baron d’Holbach, Julien la Mettrie, Ludwig Buchner. I also think it should be a requirement of the 2,350 member of the US National Academy of Sciences to pen a statement of their belief system as pertains to the intersection of religion and science. Until this starts happening, I guess people like Nye or Lawrence Krauss is the best we’ve got?

I haven't finished it yet, but I can't stop listening! Bill's writing style is superb in the "normal human conversation type" way. Not only is the writing style great but Bill Nye is an awesome narrator! I hope he writes more books, and reads them, in the future. Great Job!

Great book! Some people complain it doesn't have footnotes and references and such but it's a book, not a textbook or professional journal publication. It's meant to be read as a normal book. For me it felt like watching his Bill Nye the Science Guy episodes from childhood - educational and easy to understand. If you were hoping for a more in - depth academic approach watch his debate, it's amazing. All the one and 2 stars reviews must be from creationists.

I really can't recommend this book. There are many better books on evolution around, such as Jerry Coyne's 'Why Evolution is True' and Richard Dawkins' 'the Greatest Show on Earth', not to mention many others.

Its 37 chapters are very variable in quality. Many are very good and succinct, such as the ones on punctuated equilibrium and extinction. Others are just too long, taking too long to reach the point as Bill Nye attempts to adopt an informal style.

And many chapters just shouldn't have been included, such as the chapters on genetic modified food, human cloning and astrobiology (no evidence that extraterrestrial life exists, although it certainly does based on the probabilities).

There's also no reading list (a must for readers for whom this book is intended). Or endnotes. There are also errors (typographical?) such as when the genetic bottleneck that Homo sapiens went through was given as occurring 40,000 years ago (it was 70-75,000 years ago with the eruption of Toba in Sumatra before the migration of H. sapiens out of East Africa). 40,000 years ago was around the time the Australian Aborigines were reaching Australia.

He also missed opportunities, such as when he mentioned the volcano under Yellowstone being the cause of the death and later fossilisation of nesting Maiasaura dinosaurs. The volcano under Yellowstone is due to a fixed hotspot in the Earth's mantle, which periodically erupts through the overlying North American tectonic plate, which is moving. With large and violent eruptions, it forms large craters (calderas) transforming the landscape. Maiasaurus lived around 76 million years ago. The oldest trace of the Yellowstone hotspot eruption is 70 million years old, in the Yukon (owing to the glacial drift of the plate).

The point is - there are other hotspots. Such as in Haiwaii. And in the Galápagos Islands. Both creating a chain of islands, with the youngest being actively or recently volcanic near the hotspot and the oldest being furthest away from the hotspot, heavily eroded and about to disappear under the ocean. Which is proof that the Earth is much older than Ken Ham's less than 10,000 years.

Young Earth Creationism is such an easy target. Evolution is a fact - species change over time. Evolution is also a theory - it's an explanation of how it happened. Unfortunately, the book doesn't touch Intelligent Design. As Ken Miller put it God (sorry - the Intelligent Designer) could be a constant meddler on Earth. Not only a serial creator, but also a incompetent serial creator, designing new species and then allowing them to go extinct, before replacing them with new species which are often very similar (The Intelligent Designer's Punctuated Equilibrium perhaps? Although, as Bill Nye correctly notes, punctuated equilibrium is just an artefact of allopatric speciation).

Intelligent Design not having a mechanism isn't really a problem. Darwin didn't have a mechanism in 'On the Origin of Species' either, just providing evidence that evolution had occurred and providing analogies from artificial breeding. As an analogy, Wegener's theory of Continental Drift was doubted because the mechanism was highly implausible, despite the overwhelming evidence that it had happened.

If there's overwhelming evidence that something happened, then it happened, and you (as a scientist) should be looking for the mechanism, which was finally shown to be tectonic plate geology in the case of Continental Drift.

Stephen Meyer has recently published a book "Darwin's Doubt" (and an earlier video "Darwin's Dilemma") using the Cambrian 'explosion' as evidence of Intelligent Design, claiming that all the Cambrian phyla arose within only a few million years, representing an enormous injection of novel genetic information, transforming unicellular life to multicellular animals within a figurative eye blink).

Good evidence, if it happened. The Cambrian 'explosion' is better described as the Cambrian 'slow fuse' (Bill Nye writes that it occurred over a span of 20 million years, which is an underestimate) or Cambrian Radiation (similar to the mammalian radiation after the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs at the K-Pg event 65 million years ago). The origin of the Cambrian phyla actually goes deep into the Ediacaran over a total period of 70-100 million years. Plenty of time for diversification to occur as shown by the snapshots of Cambrian life shown by local catastrophes such as shown by the Burgess Shale fossil bed.

There are better books on evolution around than this one. Save your time and money and read them instead.

The problem with this book is that Bill is focused on disputing God. I found it unnecessary and distracting. Evolution isn't about getting rid of religious beliefs (in fact, religious beliefs are probably due to evolution. Animals without consciousness don't have a religion!) If you are interested in learning more about evolution, skip this one (would anyone have read it anyway if Bill Nye wasn't a celebrity?) and read Daniel Lieberman's The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease, a much more riveting look at how human beings became who we are today. His thoughts on where we're going next were interesting as well.

I am a fan of Bill Nye. He has a way of explaining complicated and sometimes boring subjects in a way that makes them seem both simple and fun. At its best this book does that with the subject of evolution. However, Mr. Nye is also part journalist. He uses the journalist's trick of stating theories and opinions as though they were fact. Not all of what is said in this book is factual. There are many theories, some quite good, that are passed of as scientific fact. One must be careful to note the difference when reading this book.

The worst part of the book, however is Mr. Nye's treatment of religion. It is obvious that the author doesn't think much of religion and that is fine with me. Unfortunately Mr. Nye uses this book not just to put down religion, but to ridicule it. That is completely unnecessary. If he had simply laid out the facts and theories in a thoughtful manner most people would reach the conclusion that creationism is nonsense. Instead, Mr. Nye goes well past that in openly mocking religion, Christianity in particular. This ridicule acts as a drag on what would otherwise be a very good book. It is sad to see such a well respected author and scientist sink to such a low level to push his agenda. Shame on you Mr. Nye.

Watching Bill Nye as a child enthralled me. I promised to devote my life to science and scientific phenomena.

Fast forward twenty years (and some too-technical Molecular Bio courses), and I'm an equally impassioned English teacher. I will read anything I can get my grubby little hands on, so I bought this immediately.

It is well-written, funny, and accessible to novices like me. I only wish it were longer! I owe thanks to my childhood hero. Even though I gave up my dream, I can lose myself in a few billion years of evolution and a few hours with this great book.

Absolutely astounding. It's obvious it was written with the science-deniers in mind, but I found it to be a really fun read as well. Highly recommended, buy it for your religious friends, get the conversations started about science and evolution!

I am an avid reader of all viewpoints concerning the science of origins, and I crave open and sincere debate. I did not find it here. Instead I found the same tired ad hominem attacks, strawman arguments, repeated assertions, and studious avoidance of evidence that challenges the author's beliefs.

I honestly do not understand why Mr. Nye persists with the notion that creation science denies evolution (and therefore science). I know of no theory of biology that denies evolution. Creation science, intelligent design science, neo-Darwinianism, and the dozen or so non-Darwinian materialistic theories all acknowledge evolution and study it. Creationists can see it in the fossil record and in the lab. What they do not accept is the set of inferences that Darwinism proposes--that evolution created new body plans and complex information. I was hoping Nye would offer serious comment on this debate, but instead he reclines into the emotionally rewarding but intellectually bankrupt attacks on Christians. Bleh.

As a non-professional student of the nature sciences, I didn't pick up this book to learn anything specific or newsworthy but simply to see how well Mr. Nye could convey the same intriguing approach to science in a book as he had previously accomplished with his television program.
He can't.
This wreck is full of awkward sentences, condescending prose, sophomoric grammar, paragraphs that should have been foot-notes (or end-notes, which by the way there are none at the end of the book... neither are there any source references), and ill-defined science terms.
For instance, if you were to look up the definition of bio-diversity, you would read "diversity among and within plant and animal species in an environment." However, according to Mr. Nye, bio-diversity can also include differences in age of any one particular life-form. Supposedly, you could have a whole field of nothing but GMO corn, but if they were of dissimilar years, you would still have a bio-diverse piece of acreage.
Uh, no... your wouldn't.
Or how about this... "You can run a classic experiment ... demonstrating... osmosis. If you dissolve the shells of uncooked eggs..., then place an intact egg in distilled water and another in salt water, you'll observe the water molecules slowly passing through the membranes to the saltier environment."
Huh? How does the water molecules referred to (I assume they're from the container of the distilled water with egg) pass through which membrane(s), out of its container, and enter the other container?
Maybe I just interpreted this mess incorrectly. But if I have, whose fault is that? Mine, or the author in being so abysmally inarticulate?
I can only be glad that I had previously read many other books based on the various science disciplines that deal with evolution; otherwise I would have thrown this dereliction harder on the floor.
Mr. Nye has gone on record lamenting the shameful ignorance of so many Americans in regards to science: how so many still don't give the proper credence and respect to the fact of evolution... over a century-and-a-half after Darwin's publication of his 'On The Origin Of Species'.
I too am appalled by this current obtuseness. (It's even more depressing when actual know-nothing fools have been (and may be again) elected to public office.
But it's just as disheartening to be confronted with such a lame composition as this, written by one of the leading personalities in science media, in order to help overcome such massive American shallowness.
Thanks, Bill Nye... for nothing!

...Because I only read read a few sparse snippets from it;
But my cursory impression was that Bill is a very angry man.
I am not a fundamentalist Christian, and I share Bill's suspicions that if there was a Jehovahian Gawd, the creation story(s in Genesis are overwrought. This does not mean that they're necessarily absurd as an artifact of our living in a screensaver reality, only that an interpretation of our origin myths and explanations require an entirely tangential approach than those currently offered ( !!! ) ?
But this is an entirely obtuse position to jump off from if you're trying to make a strong argument for Darwinian Evolution.
This book really needed a lot more friendly illustrations and photographs to expound upon the many subtle ideas that evolution consists of. This book is rather like the very lazily produced books of Issaic Asimov, in which he wrote many hundreds of paperback books,purely for the sake of writing books, Not to really explain anything or bring forth any new insights.
This book is just an angry rant spilled on a disorganised table of clutter, Aimed at a constituency of very confused people that aren't going to become Darwinian Evolutionists any time soon.
For those of us that would like a more thorough exposition on the genuine weaknesses of D. Evolution, this book is not it.
The Big Overview of D. Evolution is what sells it, but for those of us that believe in a reasonably intelligent designer, or would like some suggestions of supplementary mechanisms to fill in the gaps that D. Evolution fails to address, Bill Nye apparently has no clue as to what this other ( non-anti-fundamentalist-christian ) argument would be ( ? )

Well researched by knowledgeable author, unnecessary to belittle religion while discussing science. Informative reading, author too impressed with self, not surprised that he was disrespectful toward his boss.

I love the fact that "science" and "reason" are always listed together. (Where is that sarcasm font?). As if to believe in a creator is idiocy but to believe an unproven theory makes one truly reasonable. If you enjoy theories knock yourselves out. I'm sticking with the truth. God = truth.

Bill is great at kids shows promoting proven science laws and principles, but terrible at adult-level science. Spontaneous Generation of life, aka abiogenesis and chemical evolution, has been DISPROVEN for over 400 years! As science advances, it only solidifies the fact that life is so complex, it ONLY comes from pre-existing life. DNA codes can not spontaneously generate, cells can not spontaneously generate, proteins can not spontaneously generate... Bill continues to insist that they did and do, because he is an avowed naturalist (atheist). Naturalists require the spontaneous generation of all life in order to keep their worldview alive and well. Sure is bogus science, though.

I am going to write a thorough detail review of the entire book when I am finished (beginning chapter 12 now). However an intriguing thought has been brewing that needs brought to societies attention. After reading Chapters 8 and 9 of Mr. Nye's book it begs one to consider the concept of Evolution pertaining to weak and strong genes in regards to the next generation. If everything things is evolving for the benefit of the more fittest, suited, organisms and life's survival through adaptation, natural selection, mutation, than what if any purpose does homosexuality serve in the grander scheme of things pertaining to human evolution or benefit to mankind. If passing on the stronger more adequately suited genes for survival through reproduction is the point than sorry homosexuality is a detriment to mankind in general. If homosexuals are "born that way" than they are natures biological genetic mistakes! If they are not "born that way" then they are commuting biological genetic suicide! Whether bacteria is splitting to continue to mutate, progress, and reproduce, and mankind and animals engage in reproduction methods from sex to fertilization then what if any does this orientation serve in light of Evolution? Yes we can argue the same for sterile men or infertile women, but let's look at the reality Evolution makes a better case against homosexuality than any religion, psychology, or law firm could! Even Bill Nye's assessment of certain asexual organisms reproduction is far inferior to the "natural" male and female reproduction methods in nature. This idea becomes even more scathing when one realizes how Mr. Nye himself took a shot at Ken Ham on CBS's Morning Show for not hiring homosexuals for Mr. Hams Ark Park when the theory Bill Nye is defending is a more penetrating blow to homosexuality than any theologian could thunder from a pulpit!

What an amateur! A much better book is Douglas Axe's book: Undeniable:How Biology Confirms Our Intuition That Life Is Designed. I grow weary of a non-scientist like Nye, who really only speaks to the uninformed, continuing to regurgitate the old, tired and false doctrines of evolution! Douglas Axe is so much more honest, informed and interesting in his book!

Best piece of fiction I ever read! OK, not really... but a great piece nonetheless. 'Evolution' is the only scientific hypothesis that has never been actually observed, nor proven... this is a scientific fact in and of itself (I myself am a Chemist and Mathematician). All Darwin did was line up a bunch of (now-extinct) different species of animals from the most 'human like' to the most 'monkey like' and erroneously determined that they were all somehow linked.

Why do 'evolutionists' continue to push this non-sense idea? Simply put, they want to control you... if they can get you to believe this one 'untruth' as an actual fact, then they can spin a real tall yarn to get you to believe whatever they want you to believe (think of a building built on shaky ground... wouldn't take much to make it tumble).

I guess I have always been a fan of "Mr. Wizard"... where is his book?
Paul

Bill Nye has built a reputation for himself as an "unquestionable scientific authority," although within the world of real science, he is basically considered an entertainer. Regarding this reputation, he unfortunately gravely abuses it at times. I do not presume to judge his intent, but he desperately needs to learn the kind of humility that comes with being a real scientist. "The Black Hole War," by Leonard Sussekind is an excellent illustration of how two brilliant minds (the other being Stephen Hawking) can disagree on absolutely critical matters for decades, and whenever a "Because I told you so" argument about an unrepeatable (and therefore scientifically untestable) theory is advanced as "Undeniable," one would do well to consider the many major predictive and theoretical errors over the years by brilliant minds at the Royal Society and elsewhere, Lord Kelvin being a noteworthy offender. As for microevolution, I don't think anybody is arguing with Nye that those who play in traffic are unlikely to pass along their genes. However, repeatable and overwhelmingly (at times absurdly so!) reliable fields, such as quantum mechanics present a now very well-known problem of "the first observer." In short, nothing "happens" in our spacetime without the collapse of a quantum (probability) wave function onto orthogonal states or collections of such states, which is mathematically represented by a Hermitian operator with exclusively real-valued eigenvalues, which is why the sqrt(-1) in the Schrodinger equation is very important, but it does not crop up in standard measurements of momentum or position.

This "collapse" corresponds to a probability distribution (or mass function) suddenly assuming a probability of one (unity) for the observed state. which is stochastically (statistically) governed by the Schrodinger equation and the eigenstates of the measurement operator. The collapse only occurs at observation of the event or sufficient data to retrodict the event. Things like "quantum entanglement" are essential to quantum computing and basic routine experiment (ex. "Conservation of quantum angular momentum"), but appeals to Everett/Deutsch infinite-universe tautological arguments fail to explain why any "two universes in the multiverse" are only close enough to affect one another when a conscious observer is making measurements in each universe. (If such a "multiverse" exists, it would need a metric for handling these things, which means that consciousness matters.) Given the mileage provided by Ockham's Razor, that is some considerable unscientific and unfalsifiable baggage just to try to make the claim that "If this nonfalsifiable evidence were true, life isn't that special -- well, oops, actually it is, but only in the metric for a special kind of multiverse you can never really discover anything substantive about. Oh, and even with that, literally nothing happens without life watching."

We have much to learn about life and consciousness, and deluding ourselves into devaluing it -- when REAL science tells us the opposite -- is a dangerous error.

As an actual scientist, I sincerely do hope that Nye realizes that he is calling upon the world to merely have blind faith in him, since he cannot repeat anything but the quantum experiments that contest his claims. Moreover, he employs historiography poorly, since he seems to have mistaken it for science. This is a common but dangerous mistake, especially these days.

Although my perspective is that of a scientist with overwhelming conviction that Jesus is the Messiah, I can support my beliefs with vast stacks of support from scientists who are atheists or agnostics, many of whom are dear friends and others were born in different eras of history. Among these are Newton, Hamilton, Cantor, Dirac, Godel, Feynman, Sussekind, Schrodinger, Einstein, Verlinde, Hawking, and many others. By and large, while these scientists have formed opinions -- a necessary byproduct of actual thought -- they are also humble enough before the material to usually know the limitations and advances of our present scientific understanding, if they possess self-awareness and a memory of the history of science. While, I wish him no ill at all, Nye seems to have missed a critical stage of becoming a scientist: The one where you find out that one of your theories is either falsified or benefits greatly by amendment from another mind in the field with a helpful perspective you missed. This produces the kind of logical open-mindedness that results in good scientific achievement.

Moreover, Nye is arguing on behalf of a well-entrenched "worldview" establishment (and likely compensated accordingly), which often relies on individuals to believe things that devalue their fellow living beings, in order to make certain odious policies palatable. William Shirer's works ("The Nightmare Years" and "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich"), along with "The Man at Mao's Right" and "The Time of Stalin" show how very real these dangers are, especially when advanced by a dominant pological force. I would personally also add "The Cost of Discipleship" and "Tortured for Christ" to this list, as well as "The Diary of Anne Frank." The story of the 20th century is rich in this type of tragedy. In this regard, this specific work of Nye's is not only dangerous, but it either robs or insults a great many people of various faiths, largely by pillorying them for asking a very reasonable question -- at least to anyone who spends enough time around a physics lab (or notices that over 1/3 of the U.S. economy is based upon these quantum phenomena that are absolutely affected by observation by living beings).

If Nye had legitimate, falsifiable science to present, perhaps this work might have some merit in the canon of the debate. However, far greater minds have written outstanding books, from a large number of perspectives, and if one really wants to obtain deep understanding and derive informed hypotheses, popular science books are simply insufficient. This sounds more dire than it is -- once you study the real thing, you don't want to go back to pseudoscience and popularized narratives of dubious validity. I'm not saying to start with A. Zee's "Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell," but both of Leonard Sussekind's "Theoretical Minimum" books (Classical and Quantum) are excellent, and both Griffiths and Shankar cover Quantum Mechanics excellently. I would also strongly recommend reading Feynman's (1986) "Lectures on Computation," which are simply astonishing, especially when thermodynamics becomes involved.

We all have a right to ask questions, even when Nye literally proclaims we do not (given his book's very title), but I am not aware of any specific law of the universe that says we won't have to work very hard to understand the answers to our questions. Given that the stakes here both affect how we treat people at home and abroad, as well as arguably our eternities, please don't fool yourself with an "ego massage" from a pop scientist, one who leaves you with a completely unfounded sense of confidence in principles you truly don't understand. At the very least, study the true masters of repeatable and falsifiable disciplines. Lastly, as a rule of thumb, if a non-falsifiable claim, made under the guise of "science," causes you to treat other people -- especially of different races, faiths, geographic origins, and economic status -- as less than miraculously remarkable, a simple pragmatic argument can be made for discarding the claim, in addition to many logical arguments.

People are certainly imperfect, but we are nevertheless blessed in this life with a privilege of loving and caring for others. Please don't let following this kind of nonsense and its brief "high" of egotistical supremacy ruin the beauty of life for you and those by whom you are blessed to be surrounded. In the meanwhile, if you want the REAL science, the aforementioned truly scholarly books are written, to the best of my knowledge, by people without any pro-spiritual bias, although you may find some wonderfully profound spiritual moments in studying their works. Jesus promised that those who seek will find, but He did not attach a timetable guarantee. If you ask challenging questions, you will likely study challenging material, and I doubt you will regret it.

And for my friends of other faiths, my advice is the same, and please let me thank you for being such a wonderful part of my life and the lives of so many others. Thank you for your sincere searching for answers and for your love for others. You have made my life even more joyful by our late night conversations about God and the remarkable structure we find in our universe, and I am proud to be your friend. May God richly bless you. I pray this for Bill Nye as well, and may he be granted the strength and wisdom to undo some of the damage that his ill-considered words and unsound arguments may cause in the 21st century. The stage is set for some terrible atrocities, unless true men and women of science stand up and speak sense into this kind of specious pablum.

Bill Nye, who is an engineer by education and only received an honorary PhD relies a lot on imagination and assumption. He rightfully makes the claim that nothing that we see that is not of nature is here because an engineer designed yet denies the existence of an Intelligent Designer for all that is natural. He talks about natural selection leading to Evolution when any highschool student recognizes that it is Adaptation. Generally speaking, Bill Nye proves Creation because he cannot prove Evolution.

Ok, I didn't buy the book, but I decide not to based on the audio played. So many non-scientific assumptions in this short excerpt; First is the proclivity to say once we figure something out, demystifying it then that means God didn't create it. Second is that if we can impact something then it's no longer spiritual and solely natural, i.e. domestication, breeding of horses, dogs, or plants for our benefit. Yes, I am a believer in Jesus Christ and that doesn't mean I check in my brain at the door, so why don't others pick up on this problem within so called science writers. Just because we have can discover a thing or manipulate it, doesn't mean that God did make it so for us to have dominion over. Evolution is a religion not a science, because it molds its answer by this construct of disbelief in God based on knowledge and interaction. When a scientist says my conclusion are based on the evidence and then goes on to incorporate his or her belief or disbelief then the conclusions are faulty science. Science has no barring on the spiritual as the spiritual is the realm of the unseen and science is of the empirical testable.

This book is about as scientifically rigorous as a chalk drawing of a mammoth on the wall of a cave. Einstein said that genius requires 1% talent and 99% hard work: I'm pretty sure Nye didn't even supply 1% work, much less talent. This book is good for nothing but confirmation bias and laughter.

Bill Nye, The Science Guy, should know that the human upper limb has 8 carpal bones and 14 phalanges, not 5 and 15 respectively, as he states on page 149 when describing the homologous human upper limb and bat wing. When he makes gross errors such as this, it make one question the truthfulness and accuracy of the rest of the book's contents, and does little to persuade a creationist who is open to considering reason.

I can't believe how a good number of "Christians" are giving Bill Nye five stars for his book when he is a devout atheist. I listened to his book in audio form and found it is roughly 25% actual science observations, and around 75% full of Bill Nyes' biases, interpretations, assumptions, and especially that last chapter, he has quite an imagination! First of all, he is extremely biased and stereotyped in the way he views Creationists. I met a large number of Creationists who are doctors, biologists, and engineers, often with PhDs, including One of them had four PhDs in medical science. Some I met through Midwest Creation Fellowship which include engineer Daniel Currier, Spike Psarris, a former atheist, Bruce Malone, a 27 year researcher with Dow Chemical company, and Rob Stadler with PhD in Medical Engineering who wrote "The Scientific Approach to Evolution". We are not miserable, closed-minded people, but in awe and wonder in knowing God better (instead of mindless molecules). Medical breakthroughs, inventions, and engineering designs have nothing to do with the person's belief in origins. To put it in a nutshell, Bill Nyes tries his best to explain away so cunningly that over a given number of years, everything can create itself, including intelligence, design, and consciousness. Despite all the evidence given, because God does not fit into his boxed interpretations, he decides there is no God. Would he believe if all mammals did not have 7 neck vertebrate and 5 digits on each forelimb? Probably not. He would look for other similarities and other reasons to deny there is a God. It does not sound like the fossil evidence is very reliable either when he says at one point, most animals never become fossilized, but only through rare circumstance. What about all these micro-evolution examples he gave? These are old arguments, and the mosquitoes that changed sounded like a loss to them (biting only humans) not a gain. He also said the people in Noah's day were too "unskilled" to build a huge ark to withstand the Flood. Wait- if people lived hundreds of years like the Bible said, no way they can be unskilled. I gave him one star because I do agree with him when he says all humans are of one race and skin color makes little genetic difference. Science can neither prove creation or evolution, but I am going to have to have more faith to agree with him on everything being self-created through mindless molecules and electrons than believing in a Creator despite the problem of evil. Of course, when he criticized the Creationist viewpoint, he never mentioned also in our belief that this is a fallen world, and that is why creation is not so perfect like he would expect. According to Romans 1:20 in the Bible, Bill Nye is without excuse.

Wow, Mr Nye really had a bad experience in a debate causing him to redeem himself in a book, evidently. This has all the charm of watching a 3 year old stomp his feet and pout. There may be some interesting points in this book but they would be hard to find while slogging through Mr Nye's temper tantrum. There are better sources for information on evolution.

My main problem with this book is the abysmal and inaccurate treatment of the basic concept of the ORIGIN OF LIFE (Chapter 35, “The Sparks That Started It All). More on this later.

Briefly the other serious problems with this book overall are:
1. Nye’s hatred of religion and creationism are so obvious and pervasive as to ruin any efforts he makes to tell his story and the story of science. State your position once (or twice or three times) and then get on with your book.
2. His humor is interesting up to a point, but gets old and tired too quickly. Keeping a book like this “light” is important, but it is above all a science book (especially from the “Science Guy”). Nye is an entertainer first, which is fine on television, but is much harder in a “serious” book.
3. His writing style is often interesting and easy to read, but all too often is also rambling and loses it focus. His chapters and their order in the book often make no sense.
4. Most damning is the feeling that Nye does not really understand evolution, despite all the words. Evolution is change. Natural selection is a simple unpredictable process which drives change. The heart of evolution is variation. The REAL science is understanding what processes produce variability. Until this part of evolution is really understood, we must keep using the phrase “the theory of evolution”, not “the law of evolution”. There is so MUCH to learn but Nye places very little emphasis on the source of variability. I must also say that few people do.

Back to my main problem – the Origin of life (OOL). First of all, it should have been a much bigger part of this book. The title shows two parts: evolution and creation. 95% of the book is evolution. Creation is by definition “how did it start?” There is very little in this book about origins. My worldview is that there is a Creator in the universe, but I am also a scientist and as an organic chemist I can think deeply and comment on the origin of life on many levels. Nye’s chapter on this subject is childish and indefensible. When I first read this chapter, I could not decide if I should laugh, scream or cry - it is that bad! In essence he sees NO DIFFERENCE between evolution and the OOL. Quoting Nye, “Every other aspect of life that was once attributed to divine intent is now elegantly and completely explained in the context of evolutionary science. For me, there is no reason to think that the origin of life is any different.” This is patently absurd. Evolution is about very complicated things getting a little more complicated. The OOL is about trying to create something very complicated starting with NOTHING. An analogy (they are all imperfect): Widget 1 has been made and is quite successful. Your boss says to you “Make widget 2 and you have the entire resources of our company at your disposal”. It may not be easy to make widget 2, but the odds are stacked in your favor. That is evolution! Second scenario: your boss says to you “Make widget 2, but we are in a downturn and you cannot use any of the company resources. I am really sorry, but you are going to have sit in the empty parking lot and make it out of dirt and rocks. You say “WHAT IS WIDGET 1?!!” Boss’s response, “Just take as long as you want”. That is the OOL.
Nye describes in great detail the Miller-Urey experiments, in which simple biomolecules were produced in a simulated early earth environment. According to Nye “The experiments were intended to see if they could make something come alive using nothing but non-living chemicals.” This is completely false and was not the aim of these experiments. Having read hundreds of articles about these experiments, no one else has ever made these claims except Nye! He continues on and on with an overly detailed explanation of the results and then concludes: “It's astonishing. Just five chemical elements, and look at all the living things they create!.” Does Nye know that simple chemicals are not alive?
Nye goes on “It is interesting for me to note that creationists generally dismiss Miller-Urey style experiments, saying that the idea of life arising from chemicals that are not imbued with some divine power is preposterous.” This statement is preposterous. The Miller-Urey style experiments only produced a few simple chemicals, not life as Nye keeps insisting. Creationists are not usually chemists and rarely have little, if anything, to say about chemical experiments.
Next comes a statement that literally blows my mind: “From there, this idea that creationists call molecules-to-man is quite reasonable, because a lot can happen in 3.5 billion years. The process is often called abiogenesis (life from not life), and it is still the leading theory of how biology got started on Earth. Abiogenesis may be what led to you and me.”
1. No one and I mean no one thinks that because a few amino acids were formed in a lab experiment that molecules-to-man (OOL to evolution) follows logically … just because you have 3.5 billion years to work with.
2. Abiogenesis is just a term … the definition of which is: “life from not life”. It is NOT a THEORY at all. Saying that the origin of life is what led to you and me is not exactly a profound or useful statement. Unbelievable!!
Nye then goes through a series of discussions that have little to do with the subject, such as the work of Craig Venter (artificial life), the growth of complex carbon-based molecules in ice, life starting on another planet and the work of physicist Jeremy England suggesting that life may happen automatically, as a result of physics. “The idea is as compelling as it is wild.” says Nye. Unfortunately, my literature searches and personal knowledge indicate this is completely unproven.
A long, long discussion of viruses concludes “Viruses are a very significant part of our world. Without viruses, every living thing would be different.” OK….
In conclusion, there is NO USEFUL DISCUSSION on the OOL anywhere in this book which is ESSENTIAL TO ITS TITLE. Platitudes and ramblings are not science even if they are well written.