BOOKS
BEETLE BATTLES: One Scientist's Journey of Adventure and Discovery
by Douglas Emlen (Roaring Brook/Macmillan, 2019)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250147110
Narrative nonfiction for middle-school readers (ages 8-12).
Part travel diary and part scientific exploration, Beetle Battles takes you from
beetles to battleships and everywhere in between on an epic evolutionary adventure.
"A masterfully written text that will engage all those who yearn to answer a question that others have not dared to answer, Beetle Battles earns five stars! "
- KatieReviewsBooks@Wordpress
"It’s a great account of science in the field and in action"
-Kirkus Reviews
"Emlen capably integrates his personal journey (often frustrated, smelly, and sweaty) and lines of inquiry with foundational scientific concepts. His unexpected breakthrough came in connecting his beetles to military theory pertaining to arms races and duels. The book clearly shows the parallels between humans waging battle and developing weapons and behaviors and adaptations within the animal kingdom....A unique offering with cross-disciplinary potential"
-Julia Smith, Booklist
"Part travel diary and part scientific exploration, Beetle Battles takes you from the South American rainforest to an aircraft carrier in the Pacific all because of an interest in dung beetles."
-Book Bound with Barbara, December Picks
by Douglas Emlen (Roaring Brook/Macmillan, 2019)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250147110
Narrative nonfiction for middle-school readers (ages 8-12).
Part travel diary and part scientific exploration, Beetle Battles takes you from
beetles to battleships and everywhere in between on an epic evolutionary adventure.
"A masterfully written text that will engage all those who yearn to answer a question that others have not dared to answer, Beetle Battles earns five stars! "
- KatieReviewsBooks@Wordpress
"It’s a great account of science in the field and in action"
-Kirkus Reviews
"Emlen capably integrates his personal journey (often frustrated, smelly, and sweaty) and lines of inquiry with foundational scientific concepts. His unexpected breakthrough came in connecting his beetles to military theory pertaining to arms races and duels. The book clearly shows the parallels between humans waging battle and developing weapons and behaviors and adaptations within the animal kingdom....A unique offering with cross-disciplinary potential"
-Julia Smith, Booklist
"Part travel diary and part scientific exploration, Beetle Battles takes you from the South American rainforest to an aircraft carrier in the Pacific all because of an interest in dung beetles."
-Book Bound with Barbara, December Picks
ANIMAL WEAPONS: The Evolution of Battle
by Douglas Emlen (Henry Holt, 2014)
www.animalweapons.com
Winner of the Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science (2015), and translated into Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Italian.
“Outstanding…Emlen’s book on animal warfare reveals a world far more fascinating and intriguing than one we could summon with our imagination.”
--The Seattle Times
“Emlen’s excellent writing will draw in readers intrigued by astonishingly powerful weapons, both in the wild and in the military, and how they have evolved owing to selective pressures.”
--Library Journal, Starred Review
“Absorbing... Throughout the book, Emlen's demonstrations of the many parallels between human and animal weapons are fascinating, even when the possibilities are frightening... Emlen is not a hurried or simplistic storyteller. He is a writer of nuance, and he traveled to many different environments to get the story.”
--Kirkus
“Emlen infuses scientific explanations with entertaining anecdotes from his field research at the University of Montana. Each step of the way, he provides parallels with human weapon development and design, from ancient civilizations to weapons of mass destruction, and the evolutionary process of animals. While his conclusions about the human arms race are dire, it is his description of animal weaponry in action and in evolution that will captivate.”
--Publishers Weekly
by Douglas Emlen (Henry Holt, 2014)
www.animalweapons.com
Winner of the Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science (2015), and translated into Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Italian.
“Outstanding…Emlen’s book on animal warfare reveals a world far more fascinating and intriguing than one we could summon with our imagination.”
--The Seattle Times
“Emlen’s excellent writing will draw in readers intrigued by astonishingly powerful weapons, both in the wild and in the military, and how they have evolved owing to selective pressures.”
--Library Journal, Starred Review
“Absorbing... Throughout the book, Emlen's demonstrations of the many parallels between human and animal weapons are fascinating, even when the possibilities are frightening... Emlen is not a hurried or simplistic storyteller. He is a writer of nuance, and he traveled to many different environments to get the story.”
--Kirkus
“Emlen infuses scientific explanations with entertaining anecdotes from his field research at the University of Montana. Each step of the way, he provides parallels with human weapon development and design, from ancient civilizations to weapons of mass destruction, and the evolutionary process of animals. While his conclusions about the human arms race are dire, it is his description of animal weaponry in action and in evolution that will captivate.”
--Publishers Weekly
EVOLUTION: Making Sense of Life, 3rd Edition
by Douglas Emlen and Carl Zimmer
(Macmillan Learning, 2020)
https://www.macmillanlearning.com/college/us/product/Evolution/p/1319079865
Now in its third edition (2020) and currently adopted at more than 250 Universities & Colleges
“Exciting is a word not often used to describe a new textbook. But by using powerful examples, beautiful images, and finely wrought prose, Zimmer and Emlen have produced a book that not only conveys the explanatory power of evolution, but is also permeated with the joy of doing science. Their text can only be described as an exciting moment for our field: it is an important accomplishment for our students and for evolutionary biology at large.”
---Neil Shubin, University of Chicago
“This is not your grandmother’s evolution text. Breathtakingly illustrated, this book covers not only the usual topics in evolution—adaptation, drift, phylogenetic analysis—but also a host of new and exciting areas where groundbreaking research is occurring. It also shows how evolutionary biology is done, with glimpses of the real people behind the discoveries.”
---Marlene Zuk, University of Minnesota
“If there was ever a book that makes it obvious why evolution is a fascinating topic—and a topic that goes to the core of understanding what biology is about—this is it. It truly makes you better understand and appreciate the biological world around us.”
---Svante Pääbo, Director, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
“A richly illustrated and very clearly written text, Evolution: Making Sense of Life brings forth the excitement, power, and importance of modern evolutionary biology in an accessible, yet sophisticated overview of the field.”
---Sean B. Carroll, University of Wisconsin, Madison
“Evolution: Making Sense of Life provides a comprehensive and compelling overview of the field of evolutionary biology. The text contains beautiful illustrations and up-to-date examples from recent research articles. The depth and breadth of the material, ranging from bacteria to humans, will be of interest to students, faculty, and the general public alike.”
---Sarah Tishkoff, University of Pennsylvania
“Two master craftsmen in the art of scientific communication have combined to produce an excellent basic text on Evolution: it informs, explains, teaches, and inspires. The illustrations are outstanding.”
---Peter R. Grant, Princeton University
by Douglas Emlen and Carl Zimmer
(Macmillan Learning, 2020)
https://www.macmillanlearning.com/college/us/product/Evolution/p/1319079865
Now in its third edition (2020) and currently adopted at more than 250 Universities & Colleges
“Exciting is a word not often used to describe a new textbook. But by using powerful examples, beautiful images, and finely wrought prose, Zimmer and Emlen have produced a book that not only conveys the explanatory power of evolution, but is also permeated with the joy of doing science. Their text can only be described as an exciting moment for our field: it is an important accomplishment for our students and for evolutionary biology at large.”
---Neil Shubin, University of Chicago
“This is not your grandmother’s evolution text. Breathtakingly illustrated, this book covers not only the usual topics in evolution—adaptation, drift, phylogenetic analysis—but also a host of new and exciting areas where groundbreaking research is occurring. It also shows how evolutionary biology is done, with glimpses of the real people behind the discoveries.”
---Marlene Zuk, University of Minnesota
“If there was ever a book that makes it obvious why evolution is a fascinating topic—and a topic that goes to the core of understanding what biology is about—this is it. It truly makes you better understand and appreciate the biological world around us.”
---Svante Pääbo, Director, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
“A richly illustrated and very clearly written text, Evolution: Making Sense of Life brings forth the excitement, power, and importance of modern evolutionary biology in an accessible, yet sophisticated overview of the field.”
---Sean B. Carroll, University of Wisconsin, Madison
“Evolution: Making Sense of Life provides a comprehensive and compelling overview of the field of evolutionary biology. The text contains beautiful illustrations and up-to-date examples from recent research articles. The depth and breadth of the material, ranging from bacteria to humans, will be of interest to students, faculty, and the general public alike.”
---Sarah Tishkoff, University of Pennsylvania
“Two master craftsmen in the art of scientific communication have combined to produce an excellent basic text on Evolution: it informs, explains, teaches, and inspires. The illustrations are outstanding.”
---Peter R. Grant, Princeton University