[.ca] I Have Landed: The End of a Beginning in Natural History (ISBN 1400048044)

An almost perfect landing.:
Darwin disciple, Stephen Jay Gould, described himself as a "paleontologist by trade," and a "card-carrying liberal in politics" (p. 218). In this anthology of thirty-one essays (some of which are stronger than others), selected from his 300 contributions to "Natural History" magazine, Gould not only reveals his interests in a diversity of subjects including "the scourge of syphilis," Victorian evangelicalism, Karl Marx's funeral, Vladimir Nabokov's (LOLITA) credentials as a lepidopterist, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan, but he also shines "the factual torch of modern science" (p. 260)on creationist attacks on evolution, evolutionary theory, and Biblical creation stories. "Let me suggest that, as patriotic Americans" he writes, for instance, in response to the Kansas Board of Education's 1999 decision to remove evolution and big-bang theory from the curriculum, "we should cringe in embarrassment that, at the dawn of a new, technological millennium, a jurisdiction in our heartland has opted to suppress one of the greatest triumphs of human discovery. Evolution cannot be dismissed as a peripheral subject, for Darwin's concept operates as the central organizing principle of all biological science. No one who has not read the Bible or the Bard can be considered educated in Western traditions; similarly, no one ignorant of evolution can understand science" (p. 215). At a time when we need voices like his the most, this intellectually stimulating anthology--Gould's tenth and final book--is a rather sad reminder of what a brilliant, scientific mind the world lost on May 20, 2002, when Gould died at age sixty. G. Merritt

Read the Preface last!:
Gould's passing is a loss to essay writing. No-one ever faulted Gould for the wide reach of his interests. As with most of his previous collections of the columns he wrote for Natural History magazine, the spectrum covered here is spacious in both time and topic. From syphilis to spandrels, he uses his writing talents to reveal, explain, bemuse and provoke the reader. As the final collection of these commentaries, the title is appropriate in many ways. Even here, Gould exhibits his adroit phrasing - some readers thought it was derived from the Apollo 1969 Lunar landing, not the record of an immigrant coming ashore at New York a century ago. Gould touches on this "landing" so often that his reputed bridling at being edited shows as a misplaced conceit. Readers may wander through this collection at random without loss. With eight main divisions, selection should be easy. The topics listed however, are anything but intuitive. Instead, they represent his - part of his - clever language manipulation. Each reader must select preferences - each reviewer will disclose theirs here. Whatever subject is addressed, you are guaranteed to be confronted with new ideas while enhancing your vocabulary. Some of the new ideas may seem arcane, or obscure. Ironies abound in this collection. The essay on J.F Blumenbach, for example, one of the early classifiers of race, follows a twisted path. You are told the origins of "Causcasian" to describe Europeans. At the same time you are given a stern lecture on preconceived notions when reporting data. By the end of the essay you aren't certain whether to admire Blumenbach or revile him. Gould becomes caught up in many ironies of his own making. While promoting his stance as a staunch defender of Darwin, here, as in other collections, he never fails to take a swipe at the naturalist. Darwin is castigated for his racist views, his demeaning of women and his elitist social position. Gould also, predictably, unleashes his well-worn lash to flail that equus mortus - "reductionism". Like the emperor's robe, a close look reveals its absence. These are old themes to the regular Gould reader and we mustn't chasten too harshly. There's comfort in the familiar. The four concluding essays on the World Trade Centre assault reinforce the need for stronger editing. While we in Canada are gratified that Gould found welcome refuge in Halifax, four repetitive essays only dull the impact of the event. These, however, may prepare the reader for that you were advised to first skip - the Preface. Someone who has worked diligently for so many years ceaselessly producing articles of consummate interest with originality and skill deserves a bit of boast. Gould was anything but lazy. Given the vast research and his sharing of interests with us, he deserves our applause. Yet, the Preface to this book, even at the end of a notable career, is more than a little overbearing. That's why it should be saved to last. Readership of this book is split between the long-term Gould fans and newcomers just getting acquainted with this famous essayist. The fan will know what to expect, but the beginner should proceed with caution. Whether this book suits as a starting point for novice Gouldians is dubious at best. Read earlier books and work up to this one. \ostephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada\c

Gould delivers:
I had finally gotten used to Gould's unique style of writting when he happened to pass away. As sad as that is, at least he goes out on top. His last book is one of his better works. Many issues are covered in this book including a perspective of his family coming into the USA, are very interesting. Gould tackles various issues from fossils to Freud's wierd evolutionry ideas to views on science and on the Bible. Gould even tackles problematic issues such as the defintion of evolution and the Kansas school board decision. Gould goes on to mention that various scientific categories define evolution various ways, and that this causes much confusion. Gould is right when he argues that evolution is not progressive, however, he still fails to give an accurate definiton of what evolution means. The Kansas board decision was not to eliminate evolution from the science classroom, rather the decision was to keep science in the science classroom and remove historical theories from an objective field. Many good stories covering a wide range of material. If you like this book try Gould's Ever Since Darwin, because IMO it is his best work.

Fitting Epitaph To A Glorious Career In Science And Prose:
"I Have Landed", Stephen Jay Gould's tenth - and last - collection of essays compiled primarily from his Natural History magazine column "This View Of Life" is his most personal, touching on themes as diverse as his own family history, the relevance of science to art - and vice versa, and the meaning of evolution. There is a brilliant essay describing how Vladimir Nabokov was a fine scientist as well as a literary prose artist, and how his scientific skill in studying and describing butterflies proved invaluable in his fictional observations of people and their behavior. Another splendid essay examines how Freud struggled to understand evolutionary theory and make use of it in his own pioneering work in psychoanalysis. There are also Gould's eloquent rebuttals against those determined to remove evolution as a vital part of science education written for both the general public and his fellow scientists. Yet his most profound, most universal writing is saved for his own family history and how it oddly is tied to the tragic terrorist attacks on the United States over a year ago. Stephen Jay Gould was our finest popularizer of science and among natural history's most eloquent essayists. His untimely demise at the relatively young age of 60 is a tragic loss not only to paleobiology and evolutionary biology, but to all of humanity. "I Have Landed" is a fitting epitaph to Gould's glorious careers in science and the art of letters.

At the pinnacle of life:
The late Stephen Jay Gould just managed to close this huge chapter in his life before leaving us with an incredible heap of reflections, just in his whole collection of assays (300 of them), not to say in all his other books. Such a fertile writer might give the impression of scarce profundity, nothing more different from the truth. Gould guides us through history, art and science with such an ease that makes you feel a Gaia voyager in a never ending trip. He was such a heuristic and resourceful guide, you end up completely spellbound with his eloquent digresions. Lovely, just lovely, as always.