David Berlinski - crafted rhetoric, muddleheaded science
"And yet, from the perspective of Darwinian theory, it is chance that plays the crucial -- that plays the only role in generating the proteins. Wandering the surface of a planet, evolution wanders blindly, having forgotten where it has been, unsure of where it is going."
"... appear far too weak to have brought about the remarkable structures evident in living creatures."
David Berlinski
an extraordinary piece of work that will come to be regarded as one of the most important books ever written about Darwinian theory.
David Berlinski on Darwin's Black Box
If I were a connoisseur of poetry or a devotee of James Joyce, I might feel qualified to judge Berlinski's writing style. Since I am neither, I will keep an open mind and give him the benefit of the doubt. But as a fan of mathematics and good prose, I do feel qualified to say that Berlinski's style is wordy and digressive, and that while this style may add literary pleasure to the subject, it does not add clarity. If you are looking for a calculus primer that does not require Cliffs Notes, try Thompson's Calculus Made Easy.
Steven Mason on A tour of the CalculusBio, Bio at the Discovery Institute, at wikipedia
David Berlinski
Berlinski reviewed
The Deniable Darwin - Jonathan Witt interviews Berlinski
The limits of Darwinism - Berlinski speaks
A scientific scandal - The vexing eye
Dennett on Berlinski
Various on Berlinski
Darwinian doubts (3/9/05)
