The Flamingo's Smile: Reflections in Natural History

Is there any other type of modern biology? Evolution is so deeply interwined in today's biology that it almost seems a tautology to classify this book under Evolutionary Biology. Gould's reflections are masterpieces of rationality and logic heavily supported with facts and exposed with an uneven grace and uniqueness. This, as a lot of other Gould's books, is a collection of essays that don't need to be read in order since they are not chapters, their organization obeys the main subject of each essay, not a unique plot developed along the book. This is an easy and incredibly interesting journey inside reason and natural science, please don't hesitate if you want to be taken by the hand of one of the greatest zoologists of the twentieth century.

The Flamingo's Smile: Reflections in Natural History by Stephen Jay Gould is a collection of thirty essays with a varied scope, but the contents is encompassing. Bringing history with each essay is the hallmark of Gould and he will not disappoint you here. This is Gould's fourth in a series of books that are collections of his essays that were found on the pages of "Natural History." These essays bring us life that is a product of a contingent past, not just a timeless law of nature. Gould brings meaning to his essays through an extensive history and a calculated musing to seemingly contradictory themes.Dinosaurs and the astroid, Hottentot Venus and even baseball are in this book. Gould brings us lucid, cogent commentary and a writting style that will educate you gracefully. Gould has an ability to bring the scientific knowledge to the layperson with erudition and understanding.Read and enjoy this book... complete with just a little quirkiness and a sense of humor.

When I first cracked this book as a graduate student, I had little idea of what I was in for: sure, I expected a little on Darwin's theories and some history, but nothing else. What I found was an astonishingly rich panorama of issues connected to Darwin, the nature of science, and of course its misuses. From the trials of the Hottentott Venus to the mistakes of Audobon, Gould has fascinating and humorous perspecitives to bring. It was the ideal diversion - procrastination can be sooo delicious - from the dessicated economics and statistics that I had had to read and the start of a great love affair with this author, one of the finest writers alive.Gould writes with the most astonishing lucidity and the most elegant style that I have ever read in a science writer. Indeed, those who disagree with him or look down on him - and there are many at Harvard - sarcastically cite his writing talent as the "reason" for his enduring success! Well, I would hope so. If they could write as well as Gould, then perhaps they could advance their opposing views, like, more effectively.Highest recommendation.

This was my first introduction to Gould. I think any of his Reflections in Natural History are the best place to start because of the multiple essay format. I read with strange amusement another review about how p.c. Gould is. Ignore him. You will learn a lot about both scientific history as well as basic principals of evolution

The Flamingo's Smile, The Panda's Thumb, and the Dawkins books (principally The Selfish Gene, which has a lot of useful information among the "meme"-pushings) are a wonderfully readable discussion of how evolution came to be the accepted theory of the origins and development of life. If you don't want your scientific world-view enhanced, avoid reading these books, and don't whine about them if you _do_ read them. If you are truly curious about why the vast majority of scientists who study evolution find it the most consistent and believable explanation for how we got here, these are the classics, and entertaining to boot: read! Enjoy!