"Daring and thought-provoking . . . A lively retelling of the very real conflict between creationism and
evolution in America."
--The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"ILLUMINATING . . . A RICH TAPESTRY OF FACT AND ANECDOTE . . . Stephen Jay Gould engages us with evident
delight in the subtle dance of language and ideas. . . . Reading it, we feel ourselves in the great tradition of
Montaigne and his successors."
--Los Angeles Times
"ENTERTAINING . . . GOULD MAKES HIS POINTS WITH AUTHORITY, INSIGHT, AND HIS TRADEMARK GOOD HUMOR."
--The Christian Science Monitor
Ballantine Web Site, November, 2002
Summary
Writing with bracing intelligence and clarity, internationally renowned evolutionist and bestselling author
Stephen Jay Gould sheds new light on a dilemma that has plagued thinking people since the Renaissance: the rift
between science and religion. Instead of choosing them, Gould asks, why not opt for a golden mean that accords
dignity and distinction to each realm?
In his distinctively elegant style, Gould offers a lucid, contemporary principle that allows science and religion
to coexist peacefully in a position of respectful noninterference. Science defines the natural world; religion
our moral world in recognition of their separate spheres of influence. In exploring this thought-provoking concept,
Gould delves into the history of science, sketching affecting portraits of scientists and moral leaders wrestling
with matters of faith and reason. Stories of seminal figures such as Galileo, Darwin, and Thomas Henry Huxley make
vivid his argument that individuals and cultures must cultivate both a life of the spirit and a life of rational
inquiry in order to experience the fullness of being human.
In Rocks of Ages, Gould's passionate humanism, ethical discernment, and erudition are fused to create a dazzling
gem of contemporary cultural philosophy.