Evolution: A Developmental Approach

“For that audience, I think it will serve well and I recommend it strongly for university courses.”  (The Quarterly Review of Biology, 6 March2013)

“Written is an accessible style, illustrated by many original and specific examples including animals, plants or fossils, this book has the advantage to be an excellent textbook devoted to students studying evolution or to their teachers.  It can be also recommended to anybody interested by the basic concept of evolution.”  (Mammalia, 28 June 2012)

"The style is lucid, the illustrations are lavish, and the length is just about right for an undergraduate course resource. Summing Up: Recommended. All students, researchers/faculty, and professionals." (Choice, 1 September 2011)

"This exceedingly accessible and very attractive text is illustrated in full color." (Booknews, 1 June 2011)

"Although this is a text intended for third level students and professional biologists, Prof Arthur's book brings anyone with more than a passing interest up to date on the mechanisms involved in evolution, and as he notes, we should go easy on the assumptions." (Science Spin, 1 May 2011)

“I greatly enjoyed studying Wallace Arthur's new book.  I believe it is the first of its kind -- a general evolution text that is focused on the integrated developing organism in a broad evolutionary and phylogenetic framework.  The organization is novel and intriguing…[the] many illustrations are well chosen and executed and the book is attractive and inviting.  I no longer teach evolution, but if I did I would use this book because I believe it shows the directions in which evolutionary studies are heading.” Professor David Wake, University of California, Berkeley

“There is much more to evolution than mere gene frequency changes in natural populations. Wallace Arthur was among the first to recognize the lack of a developmental dimension as missing from the traditional view of evolution and is among the main actors who have been shaping the emerging agenda of evolutionary developmental biology. From his research experience, Wallace has distilled in this book an original approach to the study of evolution, written in his uniquely attractive style where immediateness successfully mixes with conceptual clarity and exacting (but never boring) lexical precision.” Professor Alessandro Minelli, University of Padova

"I have really enjoyed reading this book.  One of the strengths of the book is the almost conversational style.  I found the style easy to read, but also feel that it will be invaluable in teaching.  One of our tasks in university level teaching is to develop students’ critical thinking skills.  We need to support them in their intellectual development from a “just the facts” approach to being able to make critical judgements based on available evidence.  The openness and honesty with which Arthur speaks to uncertainty in science is refreshing and will be a baseline for discussions with students."  Professor Patricia Moore, Exeter University

"This book, written, as an undergraduate text, is a really most impressive book. Given the burgeoning interest in the role of developmental change in evolution in recent times, this will be a very timely publication. The book is well structured and, like the author’s other books, very well written. He communicates with a clear, lucid style and has the ability to explain even some of the more difficult concepts in an accessible manner."  Dr Kenneth McNamara, University of Cambridge