One response to Darwin's Doubt

I thought this was a great article. Note what Rev. James Miller says about hostile reviewers:

Excerpt:

So here's how I find my way into a conversation on subjects that are not my primary field of study. I read the reviews that are antagonistic to the source and just look at the logic that's employed. I find that this often gives me the best read on a work. If the critics are sincere, the reviews are usually precise.

The New Yorker's review began with a genetic fallacy, presented arguments that Meyer had refuted without mentioning that Meyer had addressed them, and then deferred to another blogger for the scientific content of the review. It then called Meyer "absurd," which, given how shoddy the review actually is, was an absurd thing to do.

Then I read the review from which the New Yorker piece got its "science," which was actually written by a grad student at Berkeley. Now I have to say that Berkeley is, in fact, one of my fields of expertise, and I know exactly how Berkeley grad students go about their "work." Somehow Berkeley selects the crazies and the militants who show the most promise and then teaches them that knowledge is a completely subjective power tool which should be manipulated by those on an ideological crusade to undermine authority. I'm not kidding. I went to Berkeley. That's what we did.

What's interesting about the grad student's review is that it was posted 24 hours after the release of Meyer's book, and it's filled with snark. He's not having an intelligent conversation, he's insulting Meyer in order to defend something religiously. In a later, defensive review, the grad student says that he read the book "during lunch." He read over 400 pages of scientific material during lunch, and then posted an insulting review...keep reading

Amazon Atheists

Why are some atheists-evolutionists so threatened by publications questioning their faith? Go to Amazon and check out Stephen Meyer's two books:

Darwin's Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design

Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design

Go to the reviews that gave Meyer's books a high rating and then check the comments. You'll find the usual suspects relentlessly hunting down those who gave Meyer a pat on the back. Some of the behavior is tantamount to cyber harassment, especially when it's obvious that many haven't even read the books.

For those who are interested, Jason Lisle (Ultimate Proof of Creation) has a blog where he has interacted with the odd gunslinger. It's obvious that this sort of interaction is high maintenance so I hope Lisle keeps the blog alive. I've benefited from reading it.

Jason Lisle's Blog

Meyer's responses to critical reviews of Darwin's Doubt

Meyer's responses to critical reviews of Signature in the Cell