Winner of the Pulitzer 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 Finchis an elegantly written and compelling masterpiece of theory and explication in the tradition of Stephen Jay Gould. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Weiner follows scientists Peter and Rosemary Grant who, for the past 20 years, have studied the continuing evolution of the beaks of finches in the Galapagos Islands. (June) From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

This is an account of Peter and Rosemary Grant's research on the microevolutionary modifications that occur in finch beaks as they adapt to environmental changes. Analysis of data collected from 18,000 birds on a Galápagos island over 21 years conclusively demonstrates that the pressures of natural selection are currently altering wild populations. Also, by incorporating others' work on present-day evolutionary variations in fish, insects, and microbes, Weiner (The Next One Hundred Years, LJ 2/1/90) challenges the concept of evolution as a time-frozen process. Harmonized with the writings of Charles Darwin, this book provides the facts to bring alive evolution as an ongoing process. Highly recommended for general collections, but informed readers would do better with Peter Grant's own Ecology and Evolution of Darwin's Finches (Princeton Univ. Pr., 1986).-Frank Reiser, Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, N.Y. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

A noted long-term study of Darwin's finches has become recognized by many as the best evidence of evolution occurring now in the natural world. A husband-and-wife team of biologists from Princeton, Peter and Rosemary Grant, followed generations of the finches in the Galapagos Islands for more than two decades, and this book is the story of their discoveries. Weiner is a talented writer of popular science; his accounts of this extraordinary investigation weave the current research findings into a broader evolutionary matrix--from the historical accounts of Darwin's own work to modern molecular biology (e.g., DNA changes in the finches). The book also reviews other current studies on observable evolution by scientists throughout the world and provides an insightful reflection on modern human redirection of evolutionary trends. The accounts blend science and personalities in a very readable way. Widely praised and recommended work. General; undergraduate; graduate. C. Leck; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.