“We stop looking for monsters under our beds when we realize they are inside us.”
From the educational to the awe-inspiring, books on evolution help teach us readers more about who we are, where we come from, and how the world around us came to be. With life on Earth tracing its roots back over 3.8 billion years, the first theories on evolution upended long-held religious and societal attitudes towards the Earth, its inhabitants, and the wider universe, drawing in plenty of resistance and challenges in the process. Thankfully, through the investigations and discoveries from the likes of Lamarck, Comte and Darwin, we now have an ever-expanding, compelling and credible portrait of how life is constantly able to find a way. Join us at What We Reading as we present the best books about evolution!
Why Evolution Is True – Jerry A. Coyne
Jerry A. Coyne expertly and impassionately kicks off our list of the best books about evolution with his acclaimed 2008 work, Why Evolution Is True. In it, the professor of ecology and evolution explains precisely how evolution is more than a scientific theory; it is a fact.
Coyne starts by explaining what evolution is. He then guides readers through some of the most common myths surrounding evolution, debunking ideas such as it being merely a ‘theory’ or contradicted by religious beliefs. Finally, he breaks down these misconceptions by taking readers into the heart of the evidence that dismantles arguments against evolution, such as how complex beings can’t evolve from natural selection. The final result is an excellent scientific resource that tackles everything from fossil records to DNA comparisons, showcasing exactly why evolution is one of our most important breakthroughs.
The Greatest Show On Earth: The Evidence For Evolution – Richard Dawkins
From The Blind Watchmaker to The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins has established himself as one of the most acclaimed and successful advocates for evolution on the planet. The Greatest Show on Earth, his 2009 book, is a stunning counter-attack on creationists, believers in intelligent design, and all those who still doubt evolution as a hard scientific reality.
Dawkins masterfully weaves together the overwhelming case for evolution, blending plate tectonics, clues in fossilized records, molecular genetics, and real-world examples. The Greatest Show on Earth sees Dawkins at his sparkling best, powerfully demonstrating the critical importance of understanding evolution, all while letting his overwhelming love for science and our home planet flourish.
Charles Darwin: A Biography, Vol. 1 – Voyaging – Janet Browne
No list of the best books on evolution would be complete without a homage to the founding father of the study. Charles Darwin lived one of the most interesting – and mysterious – lives in history. In the first of two compelling biographies of one of the nineteenth century’s most enduring scientists, Janet Browne chronicles the life, career, and discoveries of Darwin.
Drawing on a treasure trove of previously unpublished material, Browne’s first volume on Darwin documents his formative years and the first five years sailing around the world on the HMS Beagle. She offers insights into the origins and inspiration for what would become the Origin of the Species but also paints the portrait of an energetic and inquisitive Darwin, a man who would rise to challenge the long-held basic principles of science and religion of his day.
Darwin Comes To Town: How The Urban Jungle Drives Evolution – Menno Schilthuizen
In Darwin Comes to Town, Menno Schilthuizen takes Darwin’s evolutionary ideas and places them in the middle of our concrete jungles. While many books on evolution focus on survival in the wild, evolutionary biologist Schilthuizen firmly directs his attention to the urban environments many of us call home.
Schilthuizen explains how urban developments are speeding up the process of evolution, pushing back against the long-held assumption that it is a slow and drawn-out experience. From carrion crows in Japan using traffic to open nuts to Puerto Rican lizards developing feet better suited to concrete, Darwin Comes to Town is a stunning and eye-opening insight into the resilience and adaptability of the natural world, ensuring readers will never look at their surroundings the same way again.
Evolution: What The Fossils Say And Why It Matters – Donald R. Prothero
Professor Donald R. Prothero’s Evolution: What the Fossils Say is a book about evolution from the perspective of palaeontology. In it, he argues how fossil records have become one of the strongest lines of evidence for evolution, revealing some of the most jaw-dropping discoveries unearthed thanks to them.
A compelling combination of firsthand observation, scientific discovery, and trenchant analysis, Prothero’s work is a tour-de-force through history, covering everything from the development of the backbone, the reign of the dinosaurs, the mammalian explosion, and the leap from chimpanzee to human. Prothero also explores the ‘missing links’ in our fossil records and the debates between biologists over the true driving force behind evolution, making for one of the most comprehensive and acclaimed books on fossil study.
The Incredible Unlikeliness Of Being: Evolution And The Making of Us – Alice Roberts
Alice Roberts, the presenter of the BBC’s The Incredible Human Journey, imparts a compelling look at the miracle of life for every one of us in her book on evolution, The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being.
Through the cultivation of the latest scientific discoveries, Roberts takes readers through the entire process of a single embryo developing into a complex human life, demonstrating how our bodies are a fascinating mix of old and new glitches, imperfections, and instances of genius, all of which come from our ancient ancestors. Accessible and awe-inspiring, it is one of the best science books for developing a stronger understanding of what makes our bodies, how they have developed over time, and how they could have turned out so very differently.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
