“Icons of Evolution” – Book Review

Although we don’t generally publish book reviews in our Fact of the Month, the book reviewed this month is so important in the origins controversy that we are choosing to break our precedent. This book’s complete title is; “Icons of Evolution. Science or Myth? Why much of what we teach about evolution is wrong.” (Illustrations by Jody Sjogren) The author; Dr. Jonathan Wells is a postdoctoral biologist and senior fellow at the Discovery Institute and holds Ph.D.s from both Yale University and the University of California at Berkley. He is a member of several scientific associations and has published widely in academic journals. He lives with his family near Seattle, Washington. The review following is directly quoted from the dust jacket of the book.

What some biologists know… and are not telling you.

In this shocking book Berkley educated doctor of biology Jonathan Wells let you in on scientific discoveries you won’t learn about from college and high school textbooks – and reveals a dirty little secret known only to some of his fellow biologists.

The best known “icons” of evolution from pictures of apes evolving into humans, to comparisons of fish and human embryos, to moths on tree trunks are false or misleading. For decades, biology students have been taught things about evolution that are simply not true.

These icons of evolution appear even in the most recent textbooks, although scientific literature is full of evidence that they are false. Apparently, dogmatic promoters of Darwinian evolution fear without these icons public faith in their claims will disappear, so they knowingly misinform our children and suppress scientific evidence.

In “Icons of Evolution” Jonathan Wells reveals:

*How the textbook version of the origin of life assumes the exact opposite of what scientists now believe was the environment on the early Earth.
*How scientists have long known that drawings supposedly showing similarities between fish and human embryos were faked, yet continue to use them as evidence for evolution.
*How Darwin’s theory of natural selection is illustrated with staged photographs showing moths on tree trunks where they don’t actually rest.
*How the alleged role of mutations is illustrated with artificially engineered fruit flies that show the opposite of what evolutionary theory requires.
*How horse evolution and pictures of apes evolving into humans are used to promote a materialistic philosophy that has no legitimate place in science classrooms.

“Icons of Evolution” is both an eye opening tour of discoveries in contemporary biology and a stirring call for professional and educational honesty. It reveals that Darwinian evolution is a theory in crisis that distorts the truth to maintain its influence over science education. And it is a policeman’s whistle, calling upon scientists to clean house and rid their textbooks of lies.

“Icons of Evolution” is also essential reading for taxpayers who want to know how their hard earned money is being used to indoctrinate children in a myth.

“Icons of Evolution” is published by Regnery Publishing, Inc. and distributed by National Book Network, Lanham, MD (http://www.iconsofevolution.com).