France and its Empire Since 1870: The Republican Tradition (Posted on June 2, 2010)

By Alice Conklin *90, Sarah Fishman, and Robert Zaretsky

(Oxford University Press) Covering the history of the French nation and its overseas empire since 1870, this book sets out to explore the many myths that surround this history and to uncover the realities underneath. The authors situate modern...

What Darwin Got Wrong (Posted on June 2, 2010)

By Jerry Fodor *60 and Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini

(Farrar, Straus and Giroux) The authors argue that Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection cannot explain evolution. While not denying the validity of evolution itself, they claim that the logic underlying natural selection (the survival...

Science vs. Religion: What Scientists Really Think (Posted on June 2, 2010)

By Elaine Howard Ecklund *02

(Oxford University Press) The author examines the religious views of elite scientists from top U.S. research universities and argues that few scientists are purely secular. She claims that nearly half are religious, while others are “spiritual...

Living Through the End of Nature: The Future of American Environmentalism (Posted on June 2, 2010)

By Paul Wapner *91

(MIT Press) In this book, the author addresses the meaning of environmentalism in a “postnature” age when wildness is coming undone and efforts to “preserve” nature necessitate excessive human intervention. He outlines two opposing outlooks:...

Jazz Religion, the Second Line, and Black New Orleans (Posted on June 2, 2010)

By Richard Brent Turner *86

(Indiana University Press) The author explores the history and significance of the religious traditions, identities, and performance forms celebrated in the second lines of jazz street parades in black New Orleans. He argues that participants...