San Antonio College Library

"'We tell ourselves stories in order to live, ' Joan Didion observed in The White Album. Why is this? Michael Austin asks, in Useful Fictions. Why, in particular, are human beings, whose very survival depends on obtaining true information, so drawn to fictional narratives? After all, virtually every human culture reveres some form of storytelling. Might there be an evolutionary reason behind our species' need for stories? Drawing on evolutionary biology,...

This first study of Darwin's influence on one of America's most popular authors covers the entire range of John Steinbeck's works from Cup of Gold (1929) to America and Americans (1966). Examining both the fiction and non-fiction works from a Darwinian viewpoint, Dr. Railsback demonstrates Steinbeck's careful dramatization of the human as animal - the signature conception of a Nobel Prize-winning author. Parallel Expeditions explores how Darwin and...

A fascinating and timely book which demonstrates once and for all why 'scientific' creationism is not only bad science but also bad theology--and in the process spells out the principles that guide genuine discovery. Basically, an expose of all pseudo-science. A badly needed overview of the scientific view of evolution, explaining clearly and straightforwardly exactly what scientists think and why.

Looks at six different groups of animals that make their homes between the worlds of land and water, and yet through evoluntion all are linked in some way to water.

Presents recent theories on man's origins from both the study of fossils and the study of molecules.

Two "renderings of a Mexican society fast unraveling under the mounting influence of European culture."--Cover.

Traces the history of man's discoveries about evolution, covering both the mechanisms of evolution and examples of natural selection.

An innovative thinker tackles the controversial question of why we believe in God and how religion shapes our lives and our future. For a growing number of people, there is nothing more important than religion. It is an integral part of their marriage, child rearing, and community. In this daring new book, distinguished philosopher Dennett takes a hard look at this phenomenon and asks why. Where does our devotion to God come from and what purpose...

"Unlike their gaudy day-flying cousins, moths seem to reside in the shadows as denizens of the night, circling around street lights or caught momentarily in the glare of car headlights on a country lane. There are, however, many more species of day-flying moths than there are of butterflies, and as for colours and patterns, many moths rival or even exceed butterflies in the dazzling range of their markings. The study of moths formed an integral part...