40 Days and 40 Nights: Darwin, Intelligent Design, God, Oxycontin, and Other Oddities on Trial in Pennsylvania | 
 enlarge | Author: Matthew Chapman
Publisher: Collins
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy New: $9.85
You Save: $7.10 (42%)
New (30) Used (15) from $8.45
Avg. Customer Rating:  26 reviews
Sales Rank: 531611
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.6
ISBN: 0061179469
Dewey Decimal Number: 300
EAN: 9780061179464
ASIN: 0061179469
Publication Date: April 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
In this fascinating story of evolution, religion, politics, and personalities, Matthew Chapman captures the story behind the headlines in the debate over God and science in America. Kitzmiller v. Dover Board of Education, decided in late 2005, pitted the teaching of intelligent design (sometimes known as "creationism in a lab coat") against the teaching of evolution. Matthew Chapman, the great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin, spent several months covering the trial from beginning to end. Through his in-depth encounters with the participants—creationists, preachers, teachers, scientists on both sides of the issue, lawyers, theologians, the judge, and the eleven parents who resisted the fundamentalist proponents of intelligent design—Chapman tells a sometimes terrifying, often hilarious, and above all moving story of ordinary people doing battle in America over the place of religion and science in modern life.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 21 more reviews...
Different From Other Kitzmiller v. Dover Books. October 6, 2008
Film writer and director Matthew Chapman has a few reasons to be interested in the trial of Kitzmiller v. Dover School Board. First, he is a direct descendant of Charles Darwin. Second, he has written before on issues of faith vs. science (Trials of the Monkey). Third, he is the type of writer inherently drawn to exploring characters.
This third reason is what seperates this book from the several others profiling the "battle of intelligent design versus science." As other reviewers point out, books like Edward Humes's "Monkey Girl" and Gordy Sack's "Battle Over the Meaning of Everything" may be more journalistic, this book explores the characters. Chapman seems to have a face-to-face with every major (and minor) player on all sides.
Beyond this, Chapman himself notes, "One of my chief defects - or better qualities, I'm not sure which - is that I find it almost impossible to maintain animosity toward people with whom I violently disagree once I get to know them." (loc. 490, Kindle edition) No matter how judgmental and acerbic Chapman can be - and he is both, strongly pro-evolution - Chapman paints all characters in as fair a light as possible. (One of the best parts comes later in the book, where Chapman reveals the very human side of Bill Buckingham, the perjurer and hot-headed leader of the Dover School Board that started the whole mess. You almost - ALMOST - empathize with the guy!)
If Chapman's book explores the more human Dover, it doesn't make for anywhere near the gripping blow-by-blow account of Edward Humes' or Gordy Sacks' books. Whereas those are very matter of fact and linear, this book jumps from spot to spot, intertwining scenes from the trial with scenes from the school-board meetings to philosophic rumination. The other two books are more snappy and journalistic in tone, whereas this one (for good or bad) is warmer in tone, which doesn't make for a page turner.
In the end, Chapman's book on a well-trodden subject DOES manage to set itself apart form the others by focusing on the characters more than the others. With Humes,' and Sacks' book (I have yet to read Lebo's), I feel like I understood the trial quite well. With this book, I feel like I understand Dover quite well.
 Long enough August 27, 2008
Matthew Chapman's book was one of many that were written about the "Kitzmiller versus Dover Area School District" trial. The others were Gordy Slack's "The Battle over the Meaning of Everything", Lauri Lebo's "The Devil in Dover", and Edward Humes' "Monkey Girl". I found Slack's and Humes to have a more comprehensive coverage although Chapman's book looked bigger (could be I was reading the hardcover edition). The attraction of Chapman's book lies in his collection of anecdotes. It seems that the journalists covered each other's lives as much as they covered the trial. Chapman recalls the tension between Lauri Lebo and her fundamentalist Christian father, and the coincidence of her beer can collecting husband playing in the same band as one of the other reporters (Argento). Interestingly, Slack had a witty quip about Chapman, who is a great, great grandson of Charles Darwin. Slack wrote, "He [Chapman]is not only a Darwinian; he's a Darwin."
Of all the chapters, I enjoyed Chapman's last best. Perhaps the contents of the other parts of his book had grown a little stale on me having read the other books, but I think that in the final chapter his reflections on the case and the history of fundamentalism, the sting it still carries in its tail, is short and well written; and certainly worth commiting to memory. I do enjoy his chapter "John Haught and the Teapot of Wisdom" very much. It was a detailed account of the cross-examination of the theologian John Haught, who was called as an expert by the plaintiffs. Finally, I think one of the earlier reviewers ("Dr GH") mentioned in his review that he did not find 'the "Of Pandas and People" gaff exposed by Barbara Forrest' mentioned in this book. I hope I can be helpful and refer to pages 140 to 142. It is in the chapter "Barbara Forrest and the Panda's Tale".
Witty and insightful views July 10, 2008
A great read that fleshes out the colorful personalities behind the key players in the Dover trial, and in his telling this case was far more entertaining than the cornball "Inherit the Wind". In the last chapter, I think Chapman took himself a little too seriously, but the rest is like a gem of polished amber preserving some of the livelier elements surrounding such an historic moment.
humanizes all of the participants July 6, 2008
Matthew Chapman, the great-great-grandson of Darwin, attended the entire Kitzmiller v. Dover intelligent design trial, and has written a book that informs, entertains, and humanizes all of the characters of the trial. Chapman engaged in interviews with every major player in the trial, including the plaintiffs, defendants, lawyers, reporters, witnesses, townspeople, and the judge himself, and does a good job of presenting each of them, the history leading up to the trial, and the arguments made. At the end, he concludes that it would be good for intelligent design and creationism to be taught in public schools so that it can get the Dover treatment--but would its presentation in schools lead students to question it critically even if it was presented uncritically as fact by creationist teachers?
Open-mouthed, we Europeans gaze in disbelief at America... June 6, 2008
Evolution is a done deal in Europe, so periodically we just shake our heads at our transAtlantic brethren and wonder what the hell they're playing at. This book on the Dover School scandal, where a bunch of right-wing nutters tried to get creationism onto the curriculum under the disguise of intelligent design, is a chilling example of how a few bullies can damn-near subdue an entire population. Very lightly and amusingly written, and enlightening for those of use who aren't au fait with the US Constitution.
|
|
|
