Intelligent and readable

A lively and accessible guide to its subject. Simply and clearly written, illustrating its points with examples from popular culture, Winston's book is an enthusiastic starting point for the study of a fascinating area of human philosophy and psychology

'A great present for anyone contemplating a cat on the basis that they're less trouble than a dog'

A lovely mixture of bizarre facts, nice arguments, clever insights into the workings of evolution and a quality of writing that can make your skin prickle... Gould has given us a feast

Rather than serving up his science cold, Gould invariably puts a spin on it, taking his readers down the innumerable byways of history, literature and personal anecdote along the route to his theoretical conclusions

Reading Gould is not merely a pleasure but an education and a chronicle of the times

The most readable of scientists

One of the best essayists in the business. He uses his wide background knowledge as a bridge to entice non-scientists into sharing the excitement of scientific discovery and the curious, convoluted path of new ideas through history

Few writers of popular science have given more pelasure to more readers than Stephen Jay Gould...He packs a clout few science writers can match

Who could resist a title like that - and knowing the author, who wouldn't surmise that Gould...demonstrat{es} that five fingers and five toes are not the primordial/canonical mammalian standard...Essays that reveal Gould in midlife, as passionate and articulate as ever, but older and wiser

Like the master, Darwin, [Gould] has a gift for metaphor

An engaging and, at times, moving read.

A terrific book . . . once you start it you'll be hooked.

Brimming with excitement . . . This is a rewarding tale of courage, determination, and the possibilities of science.