Monkey Girl: Evolution, Education, Religion, and the Battle for America's Soul

Edward Humes

Oct 2009 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

What should we teach our children about where we come from?
Is evolution a lie or good science?
Is it incompatible with faith?
Have scientists really detected evidence of a creator in nature?

From bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward Humes comes a dramatic story of faith, science, and courage unlike any since the famous Scopes Monkey Trial. Monkey Girl takes you behind the scenes of the recent war on evolution in Dover, Pennsylvania, when the town's school board decision to confront the controversy head-on thrust its students, then the entire community, onto the front lines of America's culture wars. Told from the perspectives of all sides of the battle, it is a riveting true story about an epic court case on the teaching of "intelligent design," and what happens when science and religion collide.

Ratings and reviews

If you enjoyed both the PBS documentary and the Kenneth Miller book about the "Kitzmiller vs Dover" trial, and still haven't had enough - well, here is more! While I did enjoy it, it is sometimes repetitive; The author has an odd habit of repeating particularly salient quotes and scenes several times, to the point where I had to confirm I hadn't rewound a few chapters. It does recount a lot more details of the personalities and motivations involved. I probably enjoyed that the most, actually, and there are sometimes quite charitable - or at least even-handed - portrayals of what drove the players to behave as they did. It's easy to forget that all but the most ethically bankrupt among us - there are a couple in this story - usually at least think we're doing the right thing. In other cases mere ignorance is enough, be it of science, law, or democracy. Anyways, it's pretty good and you probably want to read it regardless of your camp.

Follows the Dover Pennsylvania trial in all aspects, fairly on both sides. Also gives you an insight to the lying and disinformation spread by religious movements and how one side of the argument doesn't even understand what they are fighting for!

Besides being an excellent introduction to the Dover trial, it also does a fantastic job of showing exactly why intelligent design is not science, and why evolution is simply undeniable. I highly recommend this book to anyone who knows a creationist. You will learn everything you need to expose creationism for the fraud that it is.

About the author

Edward Humes is the author of ten critically acclaimed nonfiction books, including Eco Barons, Monkey Girl, Over Here, School of Dreams, Baby E.R., Mean Justice, No Matter How Loud I Shout, and the bestseller Mississippi Mud. He has received the Pulitzer Prize for his journalism and numerous awards for his books. He has written for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, and Sierra. He lives in California.