Darwin's Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design

The Evidence That Darwin Could Not Explain Charles Darwin knew there was a significant event in the history of life that his theory did not explain. In what is known today as the "Cambrian explosion," many animals suddenly appeared in the fossil record 530 million years ago without apparent ancestors in earlier layers of rock. In Darwin's Doubt , Stephen C. Meyer tells the story of the mystery surrounding this explosion of animal life and makes a compelling case for the theory of intelligent design as the best explanation for the origin of the Cambrian animals and the biological information necessary to produce them. With a new epilogue responding to critics --This text refers to the paperback edition. “It’s hard for us paleontologists to admit that neo-Darwinian explanations for the Cambrian explosion have failed miserably....Meyer describes the dimensions of the problem with clarity and precision. His book is a game changer.” -- Dr. Mark McMenamin , paleontologist at Mt. Holyoke College and coauthor of The Emergence of Animals “Darwin’s Doubt represents an opportunity for bridge-building rather than dismissive polarization―bridges across cultural divides in great need of professional, respectful dialogue―and bridges to span evolutionary gaps.” -- Dr. George Church , professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and author of Regenesis “Meyer writes beautifully. He marshals complex information as well as any writer I’ve read....a wonderful, most compelling read.” -- Dean Koontz , New York Times bestselling author“ Darwin’s Doubt is by far the most up-to-date, accurate, and comprehensive review of the evidence from all relevant scientific fields that I have encountered in more than forty years of studying the Cambrian explosion.” -- Dr. Wolf-Ekkehard Lonnig , senior scientist emeritus (biologist) at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research“Meyer demonstrates, based on cutting-edge molecular biology, why explaining the origin of animals is now not just a problem of missing fossils, but an even greater engineering problem at the molecular level....An excellent book and a must read.” -- Dr. Russell Carlson , professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Georgia and technical director of the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center“ Darwin’s Doubt is an intriguing exploration of one of the most remarkable periods in the evolutionary history of life.... No matter what convictions one holds about evolution, Darwinism, or intelligent design, Darwin’s Doubt is a book that should be read, engaged and discussed.” -- Dr. Scott Turner , professor of biology at the State University of New York and author of The Tinkerer's Accomplice “It is a tour de force…This book is well informed, carefully researched, up–to–date and powerfully argued. It confronts Darwin’s doubt and deals with the assumptions of Neo–Darwinism. This book is much needed and I recommend it to students of all levels, to professionals and to laypeople.” -- Dr. Norman C. Nevin OBE, BSc, MD, FRCPath, FFPH, FRCPE, FRCP ; Professor Emeritus in Medical Genetics, Queen's University, Belfast“ Darwin’s Doubt is another excellent book by Stephen Meyer. Stephen Meyer has clearly listened to the arguments of those who are sceptical about intelligent design and has addressed them thoroughly. It is really important that Darwinists read this book carefully and give a response.” -- Dr. Stuart Burgess , Professor of Design and Nature, Head of Mechanical Engineering at Bristol University“I spend my life reading science books. I’ve ready many hundreds of them over the years, and in my judgment Darwin’s Doubt is the best science book ever written. It is a magnificent work, a true masterpiece that will be read for hundreds of years.” -- George Gilder , Technologist, Economist, and New York Times bestselling author“The issue on the table is the mechanism of evolution―is it blind and undirected or is it under the control of an intelligence with a goal in mind? In Darwin’s Doubt , Stephen Meyer has masterfully laid out one of the most compelling lines of evidence for the latter.” -- Dr. William S. Harris , Professor, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota --This text refers to the paperback edition. Stephen C. Meyer received his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge in the philosophy of science after working as an oil industry geophysicist. He now directs the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute in Seattle, Washington. He authored Signature in the Cell , a (London) Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year. --This text refers to the paperback edition. From the Inside Flap Charles Darwin knew that there was a significant event in the history of life that his theory did not explain. In what is known today as the "Cambrian explosion," 530 million years ago many animals suddenly appeared in the fossil record without apparent ancestors in earlier layers of rock. In Darwin's Doubt Stephen C. Meyer tells the story of the mystery surrounding this explosion of animal life--a mystery that has intensified, not only because the expected ancestors of these animals have not been found, but also because scientists have learned more about what it takes to construct an animal. Expanding on the compelling case he presented in his last book, Signature in the Cell , Meyer argues that the theory of intelligent design--which holds that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection--is ultimately the best explanation for the origin of the Cambrian animals. -- Dr. Matti Leisola , Professor, Bioprocess Engineering, Aalto University, Finland (emeritus); Editor-in-chief, Bio-Complexity --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Read more