The Joy of Science - An Examination of How Scientists Ask and Answer Questions Using the Story of Evolution as a Paradigm (Hardcover, 2007 ed.)

This book, by a practicing and successful scientist, explores why questions arise in science and looks at how questions are tackled, what constitutes a valid answer, and why. The author does not bog down the reader in technical details or lists of facts to memorize. Instead, he places the questions in their historical and cultural context, ranging from the earliest intimations that the earth had a long history to current controversies, even describing the origins, challenges, and promises of modern molecular biology. The book should provide an antidote for students who have suffered through science for non-scientists courses that were long lists of names to memorize; and it should prove enlightening for any citizen who has been perplexed by the meaning, relevance, and moral or political implications of scientific headlines or commercial efforts, or anyone who has cast or will cast a vote influenced by a scientific presumption.