Only a Theory: Evolution and the Battle for America's Soul,   ISBN:9780143115663

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I find it laughable that the ID reviewers of this book claim it is full of "misrepresentations" and "misquotes." Miller has explained the theory of evolution plainly and truthfully why exposing every fanciful ID concept presented at the Dover trial as the unscientific gibberish it is. I had the experience of paging through one of Behe's books and was disgusted with the sheer volume of misrepresentation and misquotes of Darwin and other scientists. Most ID proponents simply don't understand the theory of evolution and scientific method. However, I believe Behe and his friends at the so-called Discovery Institute have the mental capacity to grasp both. Rather than misunderstand it, they are threatened by it. Their fundamentalist Christian beliefs (that's right, I used the "F" word) can't cope with the concept that the world may not revolve around humanity. For them to deliberately misrepresent evolution, pervert science in general, and build a publicity campaign to malign truth as they have is absolutely despicable.

In this book Miller walks through the details of the Dover trial where it was shown plainly how Behe and his cohorts had indeed launched this public relations campaign to replace scientific theory which has been tried and true for over 150 years with their fundamentalist christian belief system. I'm amazed how supposedly educated people can turn their backs on vast amounts of empirical evidence and embrace a literal translation of the Bible. But as a believer in God myself I am disgusted with people who would subvert the truth and claim the religious high ground at the same time.

Miller warns of the dangers of ignoring evolution and the life sciences. And these dangers don't stop at severely compromising our ability to combat disease based on constantly evolving microbes and viruses. Science as a whole would be stifled and discovery (real discovery - not the perversion of the word as used by the "Discovery Institute") would stagnate. If we allow someone to subvert the truth in the science class with their own agenda, then what is there to stop that same party from rewriting history books or burning literature. If the ID agenda comes to fruition we not only lose our future, but we could lose our past.

Miller also explains the beauty of the reality that the theory of evolution teaches us. We have a common ancestry with nearly every living thing on this immensely biologically diverse Earth. So far despite grim odds, among the numerous species to walk this planet, we are counted among the less than 10 percent to avoid extinction. And we are the sole species to develop the intellectual capacity to discover and understand these truths. The ID proponents need to feel they have a stamp on their foot from God that says "You are special above all others, and I have a plan for you - a destiny." Well no individual and certainly no species has a destiny. Rather than a source for despair, evolution shows us how awe inspiring our existence today is. As for our destiny as a species, that is entirely in our hands.

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I highly recommend this book. Accessible and understandable for a reasonably educated reader. Coherently and convincingly argued. Portentous. A good book that leads a reader to further questioning and exploration and extrapolation.

In the last chapter, Miller regales the story of a high school trip to Wall Street. There in the chaos of "the floor" a certain order of efficiency was being fashioned. Miller uses this analogy to evolution, in which during the seeming chaos of reproduction, mutation, and selection through improved survivability, life forms develop and improve.

However, Wall Street has also recently produced a disaster for the economy. Miller's subtle tip of his hat to the unbridled market seems to need a check. Just as life forms such as humans can be invaded by cancerous cells, so can a market system go amok.

I found fascinating Miller's treatise on the motive and strategy of Intelligent Design to bring down conventional science and replace it with ideological politico/religious pseudoscience. Bringing Intelligent Design onto the table on a par with evolutionary science in effect weakens and discredits all science and scientists. I am currently reading James Hansen's "Storms of My Grandchildren," his treatise on the science of Climate Change and its perils. The Climate Change deniers appear to be using the same tactic as the Intelligent Design adherents, namely to foist on the public an alternative and contrasting viewpoint. Even though neither Intelligent Design nor Climate Change deniers are able to produce any peer reviewed supportive studies of their own,in the mind of the public, true science has doubt cast upon it. Even a stalemate produces a political victory for the Intelligent Design folks and the Climate Change deniers...probably in many or most cases the same supporters.

Miller does not say it, but science is already a political football. The Bush administration was especially egregious in this respect. And meaningful climate policy is doubtful due to vested economic interests taking precedence over science.

Finally, just to mention, I am an evangelical Christian. (although in writing this book's endorsement some evangelical camps would have me booted out)

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I first heard about Kenneth Miller while reading about the Kitzmiller V. Dover case. Miller is a principal author of the Biology textbook used in many high schools today. The book is so popular among science teachers that he's sometimes asked to autograph their copies, and after reading Only A Theory, I can understand why - the man is a gifted author. In this book, Miller makes the important point that it's all too easy for the defenders of science to dismiss Intelligent Design and other forms of Creationism as non-scientific, but they often fail to explain to the public why that is. He says I.D. should be taken seriously, and that only by doing that can we begin to battle the myths being spread by it's adherents.

This is precisely what Miller does - he takes the arguments "for" I.D. and shows why they fail as science, and their arguments against evolution and does the same. But he then goes on the reveal his own wonder at the way the universe seems specifically "designed' to create life, holding out the hope that perhaps, in a way the I.D. folks never imagined, we are indeed quite special.

I highly recommend this book.

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Kenneth Miller is a professor of biology at Brown University and also gave testimony in favor of evolution at the well know federal trial in Dover, Pennsylvania in 2005. The trail came about because the school board had decided that Intelligent Design (ID) had become a credible and scientific theory and should be made available to students. Miller believes this is just an example of a broader attack on evolution and scientific reason in general thus the "Battle for America's Soul" in the title.

Miller begins his book discussing the various reasons why evolution is an established scientific fact. He demonstrates how the fossil record supports descent with modification starting with the earliest fossils of single celled bacteria and algae. He presents an interesting example of the equine fossil record and how this would be difficult to explain using ID.

There is an in depth discussion of some of the items the ID movement uses to support intelligent design such as the flagellum and the blood clotting system. In these discussions, Miller tries to show how they could be explained in evolutionary terms. He gives several examples of an evolutionary process today such as the Pseudomonas bacteria experiments done by researchers at Osaka University.

Miller presents a number of interesting examples of evidence of an evolutionary process such as:
* The manufacture of Vitamin C in mammals and the GLO gene.
* Hemoglobin and the beta-globin gene.
* "Molecular scars" in the DNA.
* An explanation for why humans have 46 chromosomes while the other great apes have 48.
* The significance of Hox genes.

In the latter part of the book, Miller digresses into the issues surrounding the increasing popularity of the ID philosophy and what he sees as the broader assault on scientific reason which he argues is a threat to our "scientific soul."

Overall I found this book very interesting. I learned much from the discussion of the evidence for evolution and the current trends in society today in this regard.

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Having read Dr. Kenneth Miller's wonderful book "Finding Darwin's God", I had high expectations for this book---and I was not in the least disappointed! I have already decided to purchase copies for my 3 sons, just as I did of "Finding Darwin's God". Having studied biology at MIT, and having taught college-level biology for 30 years, I found "Only a Theory" wonderfully interesting reading. It describes the intellectual/spiritual battle between "intelligent design" and evolution, reveals the weaknesses in ID's theory of "irreducible complexity", clearly presents irrefutable chromosomal/genetic evidence linking gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans to a common ancestor, and so much more! Dr. Miller's well-chosen examples and clearly-written explanations make it possible for anyone to understand the overwhelming evidence for Evolution, and yet he leaves open the possibility of faith.