Reference Reviews

Doug’s Student Reference Room

Intelligent Design Versus Evolution, edited by Louise Gerdes. 126 p. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2008. ISBN 13: 978-0-7377-3679-3. ISBN 10: 0-7377-3679-8. $21.20.

As the introduction to this volume recalls, the Kansas Board of Education in 2005 revised its schools’ standards to include both natural and supernatural explanations for human life and its origins. A flurry of editorials around the country followed, debating whether or not Intelligent Design qualified as a legitimate scientific theory. While the Kansas Board of Education reversed that decision just two years later, the controversy around how evolution and Intelligent Design should be taught is far from over. This volume offers 16 essays that argue several angles around this hot topic, including the scientific merits of Intelligent Design, the validity of evolution as a scientific theory, whether Intelligent Design should be taught in religion classes or science classes, if at all, and whether evolutionary theory is compatible with fundamental notions of Christianity. Following the format of other volumes in the At Issue series, the introduction and first essay provide historical and legal background and define the nature of the debate. Subsequent chapters argue for or against the central claim, in this case, the legitimacy of Intelligent Design as a topic to be taught in public school science classes. A list of organizations to contact, a brief bibliography of recommended readings and an index conclude the volume. As usual, the format of this collection lends itself to the teaching of persuasive writing and speaking. Some educators may have a concern about the way students’ perceptions of an issue may be influenced by this format, which may suggest an equality of arguments and even an equal number of people on either side of an issue. Does “fair and balanced” always necessitate equal print space for competing ideas if reason or facts stack up disproportionately to one side? That said, this collection does a thorough job of exploring the Intelligent Design debate from a range of perspectives. Highly recommended for high school libraries.
—Doug Achterman