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Evolutionary theory is one of the most widely misunderstood and consistently rejected concepts in the whole of science. In Understanding Evolution, Kostas Kampourakis investigates the psychological dimensions of this popular discontent with evolutionary theory. At the heart of this persisting public disenchantment with the theory lies the thoroughly counterintuitive, even alien, nature of biological evolution. Historically, people have rejected evolution on religious, ethical, and existential grounds, but there is a psychological component to our aversion to evolution. It simply does not resonate with human expectations about how the world should work. Kampourakis does an excellent job presenting evolutionary theory and summarizing the evidence for it. Ultimately, he argues that in spite of powerful emotional and instinctual forces arrayed against it, we have much to gain by allowing the evolutionary picture to enrich our understanding of the world. If we allow the full drama of the history of life on Earth to present itself to us, we can place ourselves within that drama and find ways to relate it meaningfully to our lives without psychological barriers mounted by disdain and discomfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ivan Stoll’s much needed work in this field captures the subject’s complexity. He successfully explains to a wide audience the fundamentals of physics as well as its development throughout world history. Stoll emphasizes the close relationship between physics and its practical application. He chooses to structure his book focusing on the development of physical concepts rather than on the biographies of famous physicists. However, he does include certain biographical information when it is essential in understanding the physicist’s contribution to a specific field or discovery. Stoll classifies his work into three periods: Pre-scientific, classical, and modern, listing about one thousand physicists, and including some local scientists.