{"product_id":"the-structure-of-evolutionary-theory","title":"The Structure of Evolutionary Theory","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe worlds most revered and eloquent interpreter of evolutionary ideas offers here a work of explanatory force unprecedented in our time--a landmark publication  both for its historical sweep and for its scientific vision.  With characteristic attention to detail  Stephen Jay Gould first describes the content and discusses the history and origins of the three core commitments of classical Darwinism: that natural selection works on organisms  not genes or species; that it is almost exclusively the mechanism of adaptive evolutionary change; and that these changes are incremental  not drastic. Next  he examines the three critiques that currently challenge this classic Darwinian edifice: that selection operates on multiple levels  from the gene to the group; that evolution proceeds by a variety of mechanisms  not just natural selection; and that causes operating at broader scales  including catastrophes  have figured prominently in the course of evolution.  Then  in a stunning tour de force that will likely stimulate discussion and debate for decades  Gould proposes his own system for integrating these classical commitments and contemporary critiques into a new structure of evolutionary thought.  In 2001 the Library of Congress named Stephen Jay Gould one of Americas eighty-three Living Legends--people who embody the \"quintessentially American ideal of individual creativity  conviction  dedication  and exuberance.\" Each of these qualities finds full expression in this peerless work  the likes of which the scientific world has not seen--and may not see again--for well over a century.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44955771109429,"sku":"ByrdShop_0674006135","price":32.82,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780674006133.jpg?v=1770314504","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-structure-of-evolutionary-theory","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}