Book Review

It is claimed that Charles Darwin’s first inkling of the concepts he would weave into his theory of evolution came from experience with the birds and animals of the Galapagos. They thus provide a fitting setting for Jonathan Weiner’s real-life story of evolution in action. Evolution in action, you say? In a time when gross misrepresentation of the concepts of evolution is commonplace by those who would substitute faith for science, this book is a refreshing read. Chronicling the work of Peter and Rosemary Grant over twenty years with Darwin’s Finches, Weiner brings to life the harsh physical reality of the Galapagos (reflecting the powerful cycle we call El Niño), the survival pressures it imposes on the finches (reflected in particular in beak sizes, hence the title), and the remarkable results the Grants observe: “a world…infinitely more fluid, shifting, alive,” in the words of author Bill McKibben. This book is among science writing at its best—a well-written mystery with a punchy ending.

~ Jan Erik Pierson