Choice Review
This slim volume packs analysis and historical background into every page, filling an important niche in the literature. As Caudill (journalism, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville) explains: "There are no cultural histories of creationism as a politicized and mediated twentieth-century movement, which may explain in part why there are few analyses of how such a scientifically improbable idea as a 6,000-year-old Earth actually won such a large following in a scientifically and technologically advanced society." The author meticulously documents the key transitions/actions that allowed anti-evolutionism to move from fundamentalist backwaters to mainstream media attention. They include appealing to the masses, taking advantage of the media, and moving the discussion from science to politics, where the average American will say that both sides have a (political) point, even when the science overwhelmingly favors one side. Caudill provides a well-documented history, from Scopes to Dover, of these transitions. He exposes the legalistic tangle of creationism's shape change into the current intelligent design label and discusses many of the important characters in this neocreationist movement. This is an excellent primer for anyone new to the discussion and also an excellent historical analysis for scholars in the area. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic, professional, and general library collections. D. A. Rintoul Kansas State University
Library Journal Review
The American public has been fascinated with the debate between creationism and evolution ever since the Scopes trial of 1925, when William Jennings Bryan, for the prosecution, squared off against Clarence Darrow, defending a teacher's right to teach evolution. Caudill (journalism & electronic media, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville; Darwinian Myths: The Legends and Misuses of a Theory) sheds light on how creationists turned the conflict between Christian religious beliefs and scientific facts into a political campaign, one that has gained many adherents over the past century. He shows how the creationist movement became an accepted alternative to evolution, despite its lack of scientific rigor. Creationism, which in recent years has taken on the more scientific sounding name of intelligent design, has come to symbolize the fight between two disparate cultures in America: the godly Christian conservatives vs. the secular liberal elites. Caudill shows just how, with a grassroots focus on getting intelligent design taught in public schools and with media savvy, the creationists have successfully turned their pseudoscientific beliefs into an influential political movement. VERDICT This is a well-balanced analysis, suitable for both the general public and scholars interested in the creationism-evolution debate.-Donna Marie Smith, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.