Book Reviews by Stephen P. Smith, Ph.D. (Part II)

Review of Suzan Mazur's Book by Stephen P. Smith: The Altenberg 16: An Exposé of the Evolution Industry

Abstract: Suzan Mazur describes the evolution industry in crisis, given an apparent emptiness in the neo-Darwinian account. Mazur interviewed many world-wide scholars, and not just those that attended the 2008 meeting in Altenberg, Austria. Stewart Newman, Antonio Lima-de-Faria and Lynn Margulis provide among of the most interesting and credible accounts of an evolution that is not stuck in a dogmatic and hopeless neo-Darwinism. This is not to say that most scientists don`t still over prescribe Darwin`s simplistic theory, and some of these folks are interviewed in Mazur`s book. See: http://scigod.com/index.php/sgj/article/view/51

Review of Jerry A. Fodor & Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini's Book by Stephen P. Smith: What Darwin Got Wrong

Abstract: I agree with most of Fodor and Palmarini`s analysis. They ask what kind of "theory is natural selection?," and write the following: "The same kind as Skinner`s theory of operant conditioning. With, however, the following caveat: all that`s wrong with Skinner`s story about filtering of psychological profiles is that it is a variety of associationism, and quite generally, associationism is not true. But Darwinism has (we`ll claim) no analogous story about the evolutionary filtering of randomly generated phenotypes. In consequence, whereas Skinner`s theory of conditioning is false, Darwin`s theory of selection is empty." See: http://scigod.com/index.php/sgj/article/view/52

Review of Amit Goswami's Book by Stephen P. Smith: Creative Evolution: A Physicist's Resolution between Darwinism and Intelligent Design

Abstract: Goswami's book is worth five stars, and his view of evolution is almost the same as my own; and I have studied evolution for years now. I present the following quotes. For example, Goswami write: "Any organizing principle that is nonmaterial is automatically excluded from science by definition. However, mainstream scientists themselves, biologists included, have a fundamental but unproven metaphysical assumption behind their work called scientific materialism." See: http://scigod.com/index.php/sgj/article/view/53

Review of Michael J. Behe's Book by Stephen P. Smith: The Edge of Evolution: The Search for the Limits of Darwinism

Abstract: Michael J. Behe, in "The Edge of Evolution", shows himself to be an evolutionist. He believes in common descent, but he questions the limit of Darwin's theory. Behe sees Darwin's theory as describing only micro evolution. See: http://scigod.com/index.php/sgj/article/view/54

Review of S. Conway Morris' Book by Stephen P. Smith: Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe

Abstract: Simon Conway Morris in "Life's Solution" makes his point. Evolution does seem to be going somewhere, and human-like intelligence is along the way (not to be confused with the endpoint). Morris is less convincing with his belief that we are alone in the universe. To collect convincing data we need to travel to distant corners of the universe, and see for ourselves. But such a hypothetical adventure is out of the question, at least today. See: http://scigod.com/index.php/sgj/article/view/55