Evolution in Minutes – Book Review

Evolution in Minutes

by Dr. Darren Naish

Evolution in Minutes by Dr. Darren Naish is the very first volume fully dedicated to discussing evolution in my book collection that I've read. There is the Indonesian saying "kecil-kecil cabe rawit," which would translate to something like this in English: "Although small, they're/it's a bird's eye chili". I think this reference to a person's/thing's superb quality despite their/its small size aptly describes what this little book is like – keep in mind that it is composed of over 400 pages, however.

Of course, evolutionary change cannot be detected in minutes since the process is gradual and generational; instead, the title refers to the organization of the book whereby readers can learn about a topic in evolution in a matter of minutes. Evolution in Minutes is divided into 13 chapters, each of them nesting a number of sub-chapters. Personally I love how this book is laid out: the sub-chapters typically consist of a left-hand page for discussion text (3 paragraphs maximum) and a right-hand page for an illustration related to the topic (mostly with a caption as well).

The breadth of the information contained by this book is breathtakingly vast (it even touches the subjects of racism, consciousness, language, and future evolution) and I have acquired a prodigious amount of knowledge about this biological phenomenon through this fascinatingly readable book. Dr. Naish, without a single shadow of a doubt, is one of my most favorite authors. He masterfully crafts this book with easily digestible language yet in an outstandingly elegant fashion – I highly admire his explanatory skills and educational endeavors in science communication. I would hugely recommend Evolution in Minutes to anyone interested in biology, paleontology, nature, (pre)history, and/or evolution. Read this wondrously illuminating book and you'll end up with a much greater understanding and appreciation of the natural history of our planet and its underlying force.

If you are a dinosaur enthusiast, you should also check out Dr. Naish's other book Dinosaurs: How they lived and evolved, which he co-authored with his colleague Paul M. Barrett (read my review of the first edition here).

Have you read Evolution in Minutes? What is your opinion of this book? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!