There's a trap that a lot of science writing falls into: when the author finds the subject matter beautiful and awe-inspiring, they tell you "this is beautiful and awe-inspiring!". To give you context for some fact, they'll tell you numbers of Olympic swimming pools or football stadiums or Earth masses or lightyears. This is not interesting! You can't make me feel awe by telling me how much awe I should be feeling, and you have to do more than just say a very large or very small number.

Gould is the best writer I know at letting the awe build up organically. Here, he takes you through the whole story of how we know what we do about the Burgess Shale and the Cambrian explosion of animal diversity. He explains in great detail how the original workers were constrained by their worldview, and he presents that worldview in a compelling way, so that you can buy into it. Then, piece by piece, he reveals and explains the new evidence that nibbles away at that worldview, and eventually overturns it.

Because he really feels the need to convince you of what he's saying, he makes the case in considerable detail. There's such a huge volume of background information needed to explain, for example, why it's remarkable that Marella splendens, which looks a lot like a trilobite, is not a trilobite. Gould trusts that, if he gives you that information, the payoff will be sweeter and your understanding richer. It's this level of trust in the reader that I really appreciate. ( )

paperback

I appreciate the author's delving into the history of this dig and related topics, but I did skim through a huge chunk of the text. My memory for history details is deplorable, so I didn't waste time reading stuff that ultimately I don't care about.

That said, I appreciated the take on what the Cambrian Explosion meant for evolution generally, and the further musings on what it meant for humans specifically, much much later.

If you want to read this, know the text is 85%, the rest appendices. Since I skimmed so much, I'm glad I could borrow the ebook via my library. :) ( )

A wonderful account of palaeontological discovery on a cliff in the Rockies in British Columbia in the early 20th century, and meticulous analysis of previously unknown lifeforms decades later. Gould was the best popular writer and scientific expert on evolution, and the book exemplifies his curiosity and enthusiasm. ( )

This book poses questions about how evolution may have differed if certain organisms did not exist in the past. The Burgess Shale, an important geological site, is used as the reference piece for this novel. I would use this book as an item for my personal library. Any children curious about evolution, fossils, or geology in general would be able to enjoy this book. ( )