Kids' Evolution Book, Shunned in US, Gets Award

[Zephie]

A new book about evolution that couldn't get published in the United States has won a Canadian book award. On Wednesday, the book "Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came to Be," by Daniel Loxton, won the 2010 Lane Anderson Award in the young reader category for a book published in the field of science and written by a Canadian. Loxton's book was also a finalist for the prestigious Silver Birch award earlier this year, and is a finalist for a third book award for Canadian children's nonfiction.

Loxton's book is, of course, not the first book devoted to evolution; for example eminent biologist Richard Dawkins's "The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution" came out in 2009. So why were American publishers reluctant to take Loxton's award-winning book?

Part of the answer is that, unlike most books on evolution, it's aimed at kids (suggested for ages 8 to 13). To those who dispute evolution, this smacks of indoctrination, not science education. Loxton told Discovery News that he approached several American publishers, but was told that his book might be controversial and was "too hot a topic."

<snip>

Surveys show that a significant number of people (around 40 percent, depending on the poll question) have doubts about evolution. Many are creationists who insist that evolution contradicts the Bible, despite the fact that Pope John Paul II issued a statement in 1996 stating that the scientific evidence for evolution was well established ("more than a hypothesis") and compatible with Catholic faith.

http://news.discovery.com/human/evolution-book-110916.html#mkcpgn=rssnws1

[joeybee12]

1. Yup, this country gets dumber by the day...knr

[hifiguy]

2. This has to be the stupidest country in the developed world

and it has lapped the field dozens of times.

[izquierdista]

5. It won't be for long

It's rapidly joining the ranks of the undeveloped world.

[hifiguy]

6. Touche. nt

[leveymg]

3. Hey, if it doesn't have pictures you can color, it isn't educational. Like this one:

And, you can always add some crayola to the pictures in this old, dull rag (they don't call her "Grey Lady" for nuthin')

[MountainLaurel]

4. Buying it for the niecelet in a couple years

Though her parents are normal, in the community where she'll be attending school, it's hard to tell what she'll be taught.

[MisterP]

7. Catholic (and mainstream) "endorsement" of evolution would only reaffirm creationists' beliefs nt