The Structure of Evolutionary Theory

Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Fine in Fine dust jacket. 2002. First Edition :; early printing. Hardcover. 0674006135 . Large and very heavy octovo hardcover in fine grey cloth with black title label on spine: tight binding, gutters and hinges as strong as a spider's web, the covers are unworn and spotless, notations on endpaper in precise hand, and occasional underlining, else FINE in similar DJ. A bright and tight copy. "With characteristic attention to detail, .. Gould first describes the content and discusses the history and origins of the three core commitments of classical Darwinism: that natural selection works on organisms, not genes or species; that it is almost exclusively the mechanism of adaptive evolutionary change; and that these changes are incremental, not drastic. Next, he examines the three critiques that currently challenge this classic Darwinian edifice: that selection operates on multiple levels, from the gene to the group; that evolution proceeds by a variety of mechanisms, not just natural selection; and that causes operating at broader scales, including catastrophes, have figured prominently in the course of evolution." Due to weight no air post available. ; 2.69 x 10.22 x 6.74 Inches; 1464 pages .