Evolution and Belief

Robert J. Asher is a vertebrate paleontologist, specializing in mammals, and since 2006 has been the Curator of Vertebrates in the Museum of Zoology, Cambridge. Over the past two decades, his work in paleobiology has taken him to Argentina, Britain, Canada, Kenya, Madagascar, Mongolia, South Africa, Spain, western USA and Venezuela.

• Acknowledgments; Prologue; 1. Science and religion; 2. Evolution as a science; 3. Characters and common descent; 4. The fossil record; 5. The roots of mammals; 6. A brief history of elephants; 7. Whales are no fluke; 8. Creationism: the fossils still say no!; 9. DNA and the Tree of Life; 10. DNA and information 'creation'; 11. Biology and probability; 12. Evolution, education, and conclusions; Bibliography; Index.

'Evolution and Belief is a great read. There is a lot of serious science, there is sensible thinking about religion, and above all there is a humility before the big questions that comes from strength of intellect and purpose. I recommend it strongly.' Michael Ruse, Florida State University and author of The Philosophy of Human Evolution and Science and Spirituality: Making Room for Faith in the Age of Science