The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time (Pulitzer Prize Winner) [Paperback]

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize
Winner of theLos Angeles TimesBook Prize

On a desert island in the heart of the Galapagos archipelago, where Darwin received his first inklings of the theory of evolution, two scientists, Peter and Rosemary Grant, have spent twenty years proving that Darwin did not know the strength of his own theory. For among the finches of Daphne Major, natural selection is neither rare nor slow: it is taking place by the hour, and we can watch.

In this dramatic story of groundbreaking scientific research, Jonathan Weiner follows these scientists as they watch Darwin's finches and come up with a new understanding of life itself.The Beak of the Finch is an elegantly written and compelling masterpiece of theory and explication in the tradition of Stephen Jay Gould.

With a new preface.“The Beak of the Finchis brilliant . . . one of those rare books that permanently alters one’s view of nature and even of life and death.”
—Richard Preston, author ofThe Hot Zone
 
“Evolution in the flesh, a landmark in evolutionary studies.”
—Los Angeles Times
 
“Evocative writing, exhaustive research, and Weiner’s memorable portrait of the engaging Grants assureThe Beak of the Finchmembership in the select pantheon of science books that spark not just the intellect, but the imagination.”
—Washington Post Book World
 
“Admirable and much-needed . . . superb at explaining very complex scientific and philosophical concepts in lucid prose. . . . Weiner’s triumph is to reveal how evolution and science work, and to let them speak clearly for themselves.”
—The New York Times Book Review
 
“A sparkling exploration of the single most powerful and compelling force in nature.”
—Philadelphia Inquirer
 
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