Download Biology: A Search for Order in Complexity fb2

Old 1977 text, outdated. This was not what was pictured or described. This is no good to me and was a useless purchase. Please learn by my lesson and ensure you are purchasing exactly what is pictured:-(

This is the "science" textbook that was put forward in the 1970s (primarily by "young earth" creationists) as a viable choice for Christian schools or even secular classrooms, that would enable a "two-model" theory to be taught. (This was all prior to the 1982 "McLean v. Arkansas U.S. District Court"---known as "Scopes II" in the media---and the 1987 Supreme Court "Edwards v. Aguillard" case, and the 1999 Kansas State Board of Education case.)

Not surprisingly, the book is not very effective in terms of being "balanced"; in the Preface, its initial discussion of "The Evolution Model" contains many derogatory comments, such as "Support for Predictions Only Apparent," and "Prediction Denied by Basic Facts," etc. By way of contrast, "The Creation Model" is presented in glowing terms. They admit "it is explicit throughout the text that the most reasonable explanation for the actual facts of biology as they are known scientifically is that of biblical creationism."

They state, "Historically the point of view that 'life comes from life' has been so well established through the facts revealed by experiment that it is called the Law of Biogenesis. This law clearly allows no alternative means of generation of life, insofar as present scientific laws are concerned." (Pg. 74) They say, "Also, some variation ... is simply an expression of the Creator's desire to show as much beauty of flower, variety of song in birds, or interesting types of behavior in animals as possible. It would be a monotonous world if all roses looked alike, or if all birds sang like the meadowlark..." (Pg. 147)

"There are two other possible explanations: 1. Archaeopteryx was ancestral to modern birds that later lost the wing claws and teeth and long tail by mutation. 2. This genus was a separate and peculiar type that left no descendants. Authorities agree that no transition has been found to link feathers and scales." (Pg. 253) They add, "While it is true that the upper bone of the fins of this fish resemble the upper bones of the legs of land animals, it is equally true that the 'hand' part of the limbs is quite different. Such pictures are based on opinion and do not meet the standards of scientific evidence." (Pg. 264)

They suggest, "The presence of such extremely SIMILAR patterns in such very DIFFERENT groups is evidence for creative design. Perhaps the Creator used similar patterns in widely different groups just as manufacturers use wheels as parts for such very different vehicles as tricycles and trucks." (Pg. 393) They contend, "The Grand Canyon is a good example of this. Many geologists have interpreted that it was cut over millions of years... A better explanation according to creationists is that it was formed rapidly as water cut through not yet consolidated material that had been deposited by the flood of Noah's time." (Pg. 422)

They conclude, "On the basis of these facts, some creationists believe that most fossil men were simply men of slightly different varieties from those living today." (Pg. 449) They add, "Creationists do not deny that natural selection occurs, but they explain results of natural selection processes differently from the evolutionists." (Pg. 453)

Read the book for yourself and form your own opinion.

I was looking for a science book not a bible.... This book has way to many unscientific things thrown in just to be godly. For example when talking about how we have made cures for things the line "God created men with the capacity to reason and to do scientific research" had to be thrown in to explain why we found the cures. Other things are stupid too like how they say "success in arriving at correct conclusions unmixed with error requires a disciplined mind guided by gods work". I would highly recommend a book that doesn't have the author putting his personal beliefs in at every possible opportunity and that just has real unbiased facts.