The author, Stephen Jay Gould, a geologist and a paleontologist, is one of the better known scientists of our time, having gained fame as a prominent proponent of the idea of "punctuated equilibrium" as the large-scale pattern of evolution. "The Lying Stones of Marrakech" is a collection of Gould's essays which originally appeared in the "Natural History" magazine.

What inspired me to read this book was my curiosity as to the ideas of this man, after having read Richard Dawkins' criticism of Gould's emphasising the theory of punctuated equilibrium as somehow a drastic change from earlier evolutionary theorising. (Though Dawkins did grant that much of the blame falls on the popular press which presented punctuated equilibrium as an anti-thesis to Darwinism, which it most definitely is not.)

The carrying theme of the book is centered around the process of science, the history of scientific progress, and the illumination of fallacies that even experienced scientists can fall pray to. The book is split into six chapters, each concentrating on a different aspect of history, on a different theme of science in the making.

Gould's writing is brilliant, entertaining and captivating - he clearly demonstrates his considerable skill in not only making science, but presenting his ideas to the public. Most probably his fame (and notoriety) can be attributed at least in part on his skill at presentation. He demonstrates intimate knowledge of the circumstances surrounding pivotal events in history, the less known, yet exciting and informative stories from the edges of scientific advances. More importantly, in The Lying Stones of Marrakech Gould is more than willing to share that knowledge with the reader. I should think that I received from reading this book a deeper understanding of the work behind the scenes of some of the most important scientific advances in natural history - advances whose results we now take for granted. Something as simple as the interpretation of the fossil record as petrified and preserved remains of living beings was far from self evident at the time when the study of paleontology was still going through it's birth pains.

This confusion, excitement and controversy peaked at the time of Galileo Galilei and the first scientific society in the history of modern Europe, the Accademy of the Lynxes, of which Galileo was the best known member. And this is also the subject of the first chapter of the book, "Episodes in the Birth of Paleontology", which contains three fascinating essays, complete with beautiful illustrations of early fossils that inspired some very original early interpretations. In this chapter we also see the begining of the formation of what was to become the thinking behind the scientific method.

The second chapter, titled "Present at the Creation", containing the next three essays, centers around the development of natural history, the history that eventually "evolved" into the discovery of evolution by natural selection, and prepared the way for the growth from older world-views into "deep time" of geological immensity.

Moving on in time, the third chapter goes on to "Darwin's Century - and Ours", presenting the intellectual climate of Darwin's time, of the geological and paleontological excitement of the time, of the discovery that Earth is undergoing a perpetual change - the sea levels rise and fall, and land masses get moulded accordingly. At the same time the discovery of a similar change in the life on Earth was becoming evident - and dinosaurs presented problems and mystified scientists. Gould brings light into this intellectually tumultuous time, offering deeper understanding of this important time to the reader.

The title of the fourth chapter is pretty self-explanatory. "Six Little Pieces on the Meaning and Location of Excellence" delves into human excellence, into the exceptional and noteworthy. My only objection to the book is the strange inclusion of a few essays here on - of all things - baseball. Talk about out of place... While I have nothing against baseball as such, the subject does seem to be at odds with the rest of the book.

"Science and Society" is a chapter consisting of four essays on the fallacies and dangers of human arrogance, of false confidence in one's own interpretations of a theory, and the uncritical application and over-extension of those ideas in life and politics to justify injustices. Using examples from recent history, Gould brilliantly shows how impossible it is - even for an expert - to make solid predictions of the impact of future scientific advance on society. Definitely some noteworthy pearls of wisdom here.

The last chapter, "Evolution at All Scales" concentrates on evolution, exposing some fallacies that have made their way into our collective "common knowledge", and discussing the reasons behind the persistence of false "truths". This chapter also illuminates the idea of punctuated equilibrium (which, consequently, contains nothing to put it at odds with traditional Darwinian theory - it is, as Dawkins points out, an extension, or maybe a footnote describing the larger patterns arising from Darwinian evolution). This chapter is more about the present than the past, and as such, a brilliant read, completing the Chronological path that seems to run through this collection of essays.


Conclusions

I can say that this collection of essays was an exceptional read, both deepening my knowledge of science "behind the scenes" and illuminating some history of the sidelines of science. Gould's style is quite original - all the works tend to be written in the form of biography. It works quite well in this collection, and I do recommend the book for anyone interested in science and/or history. To give the book additional value, the essays are accompanied with beautiful black-and-white illustrations. Surely a book worthy of it's place on any bookshelf.

Recommended: Yes