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Cameron M. Smith

Autor von Anthropology for Dummies

7 Werke 225 Mitglieder 4 Rezensionen

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Cameron M. Smith is a prehistorian at Portland State University's Department of Anthropology and a popular-science writer. He is the author of The Top Ten Myths about Evolution (with Charles Sullivan) and, in addition to his scientific works, he has published articles in Scientific American Mind, mehr anzeigen Archaeology, Playboy, Spaceflight, Skeptical Inquirer, and the Writer. weniger anzeigen
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I liked the premise of this book. Approaching space colonization through anthropology and evolutionary history (rather than pure technology) seemed like an interesting and original endeavor. But I was disappointed by how little the authors actually make of it. The first 200 pages focus on evolution and anthropology with little reference or relevance to space travel. Anyone with a little bit of familiarity with these subjects will have read the same things before. The last 60 pages of the book finally get closer to space colonization, but the arguments remain vapid. The authors don't manage to make any good use of the preceding evolutionary presentation. All they have to say is that humanity should colonize space to ensure the long-term survival of the human species, because species tend to become extinct sooner or later. And we should begin colonization as soon as possible because civilization sometimes disintegrates.

These simple conclusions are an insufficient yield from a book of this length. My expectation was that this book would offer anthropologically or biologically informed speculation about how social relations and human life might develop in space colonies, but the authors don't seem to have enough imagination to take their analysis beyond the self-evident arguments. Perhaps evolutionary biology and anthropology really can provide valuable insights for space travel plans, but if so, the authors of this book failed to identify them.
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thcson | Jun 29, 2014 |
The title is almost a challenge to the scientific reader, as it sounds like a creationist title, but in fact is defending evolution from attacks by those who claim it to be a myth. If I were selecting a book to recommend to my students, this would probably not be it, because overall they are much weaker in their arguments than many other authors. Stick with Jerry Coyne.
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Devil_llama | 2 weitere Rezensionen | Apr 25, 2011 |
While not the most exciting book I have found on evolution, it is a good basic introduction for those who have preconceived notions of this controversial topic. Also has good explanations of the basic concepts-natural selection, "fittest" ect.
 
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smilekb17 | 2 weitere Rezensionen | Jun 26, 2007 |
From the publisher: “In this concise, accessible, ‘myth-buster’s handbook,’ educators Cameron M Smith and Charles Sullivan clearly dispel the ten most common myths about evolution, which continue to mislead average Americans. Using a refreshing, jargon-free style, they set the record straight on claims that evolution is ‘just a theory,’ that Darwinian explanations of life undercut morality, that Intelligent Design is a legitimate alternative to conventional science, that humans come from chimpanzees, and six other popular but erroneous notions. Smith and Sullivan’s reader-friendly, solidly researched text will serve as an important tool, both for teachers and laypersons seeking accurate information about evolution.”… (mehr)
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NCSE | 2 weitere Rezensionen | Jun 11, 2008 |

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7
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225
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#99,815
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3.8
Rezensionen
4
ISBNs
27
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3

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