Endless Forms Most Beautiful
The New Science of Evo Devo and the Making of the Animal Kingdom
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Narrated by:
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Arthur Morey
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By:
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Sean B. Carroll
About this listen
The gene that causes humans to form arms and legs is the same gene that causes birds and insects to form wings, and fish to form fins; similarly, one ancient gene has led to the creation of eyes across the animal kingdom. Changes in the way this ancient tool kit of genes is used have created all the diversity that surrounds us.
Sean Carroll is the ideal author to lead the curious on this intellectual adventure--he is the acknowledged leader of the field, and his seminal discoveries have been featured in Time and The New York Times".
©2009 Sean B Carroll (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Where did I come from? Why do I have two arms but just one head? How is my left leg the same size as my right one? Why are the fingerprints of identical twins not identical? How did my brain learn to learn? Why must I die? Questions like these remain biology's deepest and most ancient challenges. They force us to confront a fundamental biological problem: How can something as large and complex as a human body organize itself from the simplicity of a fertilized egg?
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Fascinating Biology ; Distracting Narration
- By Tim on 03-01-15
By: Jamie A. Davies
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Genesis
- The Deep Origin of Societies
- By: Edward O. Wilson
- Narrated by: Jonathan Hogan
- Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Asserting that religious creeds and philosophical questions can be reduced to purely genetic and evolutionary components, and that the human body and mind have a physical base obedient to the laws of physics and chemistry, Genesis demonstrates that the only way for us to fully understand human behavior is to study the evolutionary histories of nonhuman species. Of these, Wilson demonstrates that at least 17 - among them the African naked mole rat and the sponge-dwelling shrimp - have been found to have advanced societies based on altruism and cooperation.
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Simply awful
- By Mike A Klotz on 02-07-20
By: Edward O. Wilson
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The Tyrannosaur Chronicles
- By: David Hone
- Narrated by: Gavin Osborn
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Adored by children and adults alike, tyrannosaurus is the most famous dinosaur in the world, one that pops up again and again in pop culture, often battling other beasts such as King Kong, triceratops, or velociraptors in Jurassic Park. But despite the hype, tyrannosaurus and the other tyrannosaurs are fascinating animals in their own right and are among the best-studied of all dinosaurs.
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An Engaging Biography of the King
- By Erik on 08-06-18
By: David Hone
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Arrival of the Fittest
- Solving Evolution's Greatest Puzzle
- By: Andreas Wagner
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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In Arrival of the Fittest, renowned evolutionary biologist Andreas Wagner draws on over 15 years of research to present the missing piece in Darwin's theory. Using experimental and computational technologies that were heretofore unimagined, he has found that adaptations are not just driven by chance, but by a set of laws that allow nature to discover new molecules and mechanisms in a fraction of the time that random variation would take.
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Robustness makes for an interesting life and book
- By Gary on 11-29-14
By: Andreas Wagner
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Creation
- How Science Is Reinventing Life Itself
- By: Adam Rutherford
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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What is life? Humans have been asking this question for thousands of years. But as technology has advanced and our understanding of biology has deepened, the answer has evolved. For decades, scientists have been exploring the limits of nature by modifying and manipulating DNA, cells, and whole organisms to create new ones that could never have previously existed on their own.
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The Goldilocks book on what is life
- By Gary on 07-11-13
By: Adam Rutherford
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The Deeper Genome
- Why There Is More to the Human Genome than Meets the Eye
- By: John Parrington
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
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Over a decade ago, as the Human Genome Project completed its mapping of the entire human genome, hopes ran high that we would rapidly be able to use our knowledge of human genes to tackle many inherited diseases, and understand what makes us unique among animals. But things didn't turn out that way.
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Great Scientific Writing/ Wrong Narrator
- By Richard on 11-24-15
By: John Parrington
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The Human Advantage
- A New Understanding of How Our Brain Became Remarkable
- By: Suzana Herculano-Houzel
- Narrated by: Dina Pearlman
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Humans are awesome. Our brains are gigantic, seven times larger than they should be for the size of our bodies. The human brain uses 25 percent of all the energy the body requires each day. And it became enormous in a very short amount of time in evolution, allowing us to leave our cousins, the great apes, behind. So the human brain is special, right? Wrong, according to Suzana Herculano-Houzel. Humans have developed cognitive abilities that outstrip those of all other animals but not because we are evolutionary outliers.
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Take That Raw Foods!
- By Susie on 07-07-16
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Nature's Nether Regions
- What the Sex Lives of Bugs, Birds, and Beasts Tell Us About Evolution, Biodiversity, and Ourselves
- By: Menno Schithuizen
- Narrated by: Steven Menasche
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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The story of evolution as you’ve never heard it before. What’s the easiest way to tell species apart? Check their genitals. Researching private parts was long considered taboo, but scientists are now beginning to understand that the wild diversity of sex organs across species can tell us a lot about evolution. Menno Schilthuizen invites listeners to join him as he uncovers the ways the shapes and functions of genitalia have been molded by complex Darwinian struggles.
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A New Favorite
- By S. Pepper on 05-15-15
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A Series of Fortunate Events
- Chance and the Making of the Planet, Life, and You
- By: Sean B. Carroll
- Narrated by: Sean B. Carroll
- Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Why is the world the way it is? How did we get here? Does everything happen for a reason, or are some things left to chance? Philosophers and theologians have pondered these questions for millennia, but startling scientific discoveries over the past half century are revealing that we live in a world driven by chance. A Series of Fortunate Events tells the story of the awesome power of chance and how it is the surprising source of all the beauty and diversity in the living world.
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We are for a short time.
- By Anonymous User on 10-14-20
By: Sean B. Carroll
People who viewed this also viewed...
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A Series of Fortunate Events
- Chance and the Making of the Planet, Life, and You
- By: Sean B. Carroll
- Narrated by: Sean B. Carroll
- Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins
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Why is the world the way it is? How did we get here? Does everything happen for a reason, or are some things left to chance? Philosophers and theologians have pondered these questions for millennia, but startling scientific discoveries over the past half century are revealing that we live in a world driven by chance. A Series of Fortunate Events tells the story of the awesome power of chance and how it is the surprising source of all the beauty and diversity in the living world.
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We are for a short time.
- By Anonymous User on 10-14-20
By: Sean B. Carroll
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The Serengeti Rules
- The Quest to Discover How Life Works and Why It Matters
- By: Sean B. Carroll
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How does life work? How does nature produce the right numbers of zebras and lions on the African savanna, or fish in the ocean? How do our bodies produce the right numbers of cells in our organs and bloodstream? In The Serengeti Rules, award-winning biologist and author Sean B. Carroll tells the stories of the pioneering scientists who sought the answers to such simple yet profoundly important questions.
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Mind blown
- By David on 08-14-18
By: Sean B. Carroll
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Your Inner Fish
- A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body
- By: Neil Shubin
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
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To better understand the inner workings of our bodies and to trace the origins of many of today's most common diseases, we have to turn to unexpected sources: worms, flies, and even fish.
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Your Inner Fish
- By Mel on 02-03-08
By: Neil Shubin
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The Making of the Fittest
- DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution
- By: Sean B. Carroll
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
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DNA is the genetic material that defines us as individuals. Over the last two decades, it has emerged as a powerful tool for solving crimes and determining guilt and innocence. But, very recently, an important new aspect of DNA has been revealed: it contains a detailed record of evolution. That is, DNA is a living chronicle of how the marvelous creatures that inhabit our planet have adapted to its many environments, from the freezing waters of the Antarctic to the lush canopy of the rain forest.
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Be prepared...
- By RVT3 on 09-22-07
By: Sean B. Carroll
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Some Assembly Required
- Decoding Four Billion Years of Life, from Ancient Fossils to DNA
- By: Neil Shubin
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
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Over billions of years, ancient fish evolved to walk on land, reptiles transformed into birds that fly, and apelike primates evolved into humans that walk on two legs, talk, and write. For more than a century, paleontologists have traveled the globe to find fossils that show how such changes have happened.
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Interesting but thin. ANNOYING narration
- By MSB on 04-10-20
By: Neil Shubin
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Why Evolution Is True
- By: Jerry A. Coyne
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
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Why evolution is more than just a theory: it is a fact. In all the current highly publicized debates about creationism and its descendant "intelligent design", there is an element of the controversy that is rarely mentioned: the evidence, the empirical truth of evolution by natural selection.
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As great as everyone says it is
- By Joseph on 12-01-10
By: Jerry A. Coyne
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A Series of Fortunate Events
- Chance and the Making of the Planet, Life, and You
- By: Sean B. Carroll
- Narrated by: Sean B. Carroll
- Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Why is the world the way it is? How did we get here? Does everything happen for a reason, or are some things left to chance? Philosophers and theologians have pondered these questions for millennia, but startling scientific discoveries over the past half century are revealing that we live in a world driven by chance. A Series of Fortunate Events tells the story of the awesome power of chance and how it is the surprising source of all the beauty and diversity in the living world.
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We are for a short time.
- By Anonymous User on 10-14-20
By: Sean B. Carroll
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The Serengeti Rules
- The Quest to Discover How Life Works and Why It Matters
- By: Sean B. Carroll
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
How does life work? How does nature produce the right numbers of zebras and lions on the African savanna, or fish in the ocean? How do our bodies produce the right numbers of cells in our organs and bloodstream? In The Serengeti Rules, award-winning biologist and author Sean B. Carroll tells the stories of the pioneering scientists who sought the answers to such simple yet profoundly important questions.
-
-
Mind blown
- By David on 08-14-18
By: Sean B. Carroll
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Your Inner Fish
- A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body
- By: Neil Shubin
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
To better understand the inner workings of our bodies and to trace the origins of many of today's most common diseases, we have to turn to unexpected sources: worms, flies, and even fish.
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Your Inner Fish
- By Mel on 02-03-08
By: Neil Shubin
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The Making of the Fittest
- DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution
- By: Sean B. Carroll
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
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Overall
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Performance
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DNA is the genetic material that defines us as individuals. Over the last two decades, it has emerged as a powerful tool for solving crimes and determining guilt and innocence. But, very recently, an important new aspect of DNA has been revealed: it contains a detailed record of evolution. That is, DNA is a living chronicle of how the marvelous creatures that inhabit our planet have adapted to its many environments, from the freezing waters of the Antarctic to the lush canopy of the rain forest.
-
-
Be prepared...
- By RVT3 on 09-22-07
By: Sean B. Carroll
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Some Assembly Required
- Decoding Four Billion Years of Life, from Ancient Fossils to DNA
- By: Neil Shubin
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over billions of years, ancient fish evolved to walk on land, reptiles transformed into birds that fly, and apelike primates evolved into humans that walk on two legs, talk, and write. For more than a century, paleontologists have traveled the globe to find fossils that show how such changes have happened.
-
-
Interesting but thin. ANNOYING narration
- By MSB on 04-10-20
By: Neil Shubin
-
Why Evolution Is True
- By: Jerry A. Coyne
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
-
Performance
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Story
Why evolution is more than just a theory: it is a fact. In all the current highly publicized debates about creationism and its descendant "intelligent design", there is an element of the controversy that is rarely mentioned: the evidence, the empirical truth of evolution by natural selection.
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As great as everyone says it is
- By Joseph on 12-01-10
By: Jerry A. Coyne
What listeners say about Endless Forms Most Beautiful
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Terri Fuqua
- 02-21-18
fascinating history
It was very easy to understand and follow for scientific informative literature. The author explains in layman terms so as any audience would be able to grasp the ideas put forth. I enjoyed it very much. The only issue would be it is not as updated with the most current information as a more recently published book may be.
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- S. Yates
- 01-09-17
Educational, dense, but worthwhile
Any additional comments?
4.5 stars. Excellent book on evolutionary development. The author distills much of the findings of the last two decades in this area of study, and guides the reader through what the discoveries mean and how they further bolster the theory of evolution. For readers interested in biology and evolution, Dr. Carroll is an excellent teacher and guide, offering a brief primer on genetics, explaining how mutants and malfunctions act as a window into gene function, covering how small changes over time via gene activation and adaptation inexorably led to current lifeforms, and ending with an impassioned and all-too-timely argument in favor of scientific literacy. Highly recommended.
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1 person found this helpful
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- SmartBean
- 11-27-17
Textbookish
I think there is a good story to be told about the discoveries of evo-devo, but this book fails to excite. There is too much detail for an audio book. The flat narration didn't help.
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- David
- 10-17-17
Good but Deep
Lots of great information and a fun adventure in science. This was one of those books that was sometimes difficult to follow in an audio format. It came together but lots to follow and digest.
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- C. Pettis
- 12-04-20
Accessible and compelling
It made evo-devo understandable and well illustrated with examples. I cannot recommend highly enough. The author knows his material, as a conversational tone, and takes you on a tour of important concepts. If I had learned this story in school, I would have pursued this field.
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- Joan
- 04-10-10
Good science, needs pictures
As a professional biologist, I enjoyed the book very much. But, and this is a big but, if you don't know any developmental biology I'm afraid you'll get lost. I checked the hard copy out of the library so I could see the pictures. My advice is to borrow the book and look while you listen.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Steve Yastrow
- 01-24-11
Great book, great insights, learned a lot
This is a great book, with a very important topic. I rated Sean Carroll's other book, Making of the Fittest, a 5 and this a 4, only because it isn't quite as well organized. I wish 4.5 was an option. This is well worth the time, and critical if you want to understand evolution.
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- Ted
- 08-30-10
Carroll deserves Better Narration
Carroll's other books on Audible ("Remarkable Creatures" and "The Making of the Fittest") were well produced audio books. This one is not. Although not quite monotonous, the reader lacks adequate inflection to bring this text alive. Consequently, it loses the zest that the text should otherwise evoke. If you like Carroll's other works, then give this a go, but only if you can withstand a lackluster production.
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- Thomas
- 03-13-10
Better in Print
I love audio books, but this one should be read in print. The narrator is fine. It is just too hard to visualize while doing anything else. And if you're not doing anything else, why not read a book? There may be important diagrams, I don't know. Tantor audio books refer you to their web site for visuals. Not this one.
As for the science and thought, could not be better. Great work by a fine scientist about a critically important branch of biology.
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11 people found this helpful
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- TuyoIsaza
- 04-19-18
changed my view on life.
amazing. a must read for all ages. specially growing minds. please pay special atention to the last chapter and what we must have in mind as a challenge for future minds.
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