Wonderful life : the Burgess Shale and the nature of history

Wonderfull Life of Stepehen Gould was probably one of the first books I did read on history of life. Although several minor points have been proven to be wrong the overal picture is still true and this book will never fail to increase our interest and curiostity about how life evolved many millon years ago. In many of the books I did read on subjects related to evolution and paleontolgoy I found mentions to Stephen Gould and/or the Cambrian explosion. Only therefore I am already happy to have read it. Every time Cambian explosion is mentioned images of the rich fauna described by Stephen Gould in this book comes to my mind. What would the world have been like, if George Bailey of "It's A Wonderful Life" hadn't been born? George was lucky enough to have an angel that could roll back the tape of life and show him how things would have been different. He learned that one contingency changes everything. In "Wonderful LIfe", an homage to the American classic film, "It's A Wonderful Life", Stephen J. Gould plays the role of the angel, rolling back the tape of life a half billion years for his readers through the lens of the Burgess Shale (British Columbia), arguably the most important fossil site on the planet. His theme of contingency plays out as he discusses the many unique forms of life that might have, if things had gone differently, become the dominant forms on this planet, and how they contrast with those of today -- the one's that survived. Along the way he tells the story of the discovery and discovers of the Shale, how it was first interpreted in terms of prevalent beliefs about the origins of life, and how it has subsequently been re-interpreted in light of knowledge. So enjoy the "film", but be sure to bring along a cup of coffee and a dictionary -- with Gould's intense writing style you're likely to need both! "[An] extraordinary book. . . . Mr. Gould is an exceptional combination of scientist and science writer. . . . He is thus exceptionally well placed to tell these stories, and he tells them with fervor and intelligence."—James Gleick, New York Times Book Review High in the Canadian Rockies is a small limestone quarry formed 530 million years ago called the Burgess Shale. It hold the remains of an ancient sea where dozens of strange creatures lived—a forgotten corner of evolution preserved in awesome detail. In this book Stephen Jay Gould explores what the Burgess Shale tells us about evolution and the nature of history. Front Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 7 Dedication......Page 8 Copyright......Page 9 Contents......Page 10 Preface and Acknowledgments......Page 14 1. The Iconography of an Expectation......Page 24 2. A Background for the Burgess Shale......Page 54 3. Reconstruction of the Burgess Shale: Toward a New View of Life......Page 80 4. Walcott's Vision and the Nature of History......Page 241 5. Possible Worlds: The Power of ''Just History"......Page 293 Bibliography......Page 326 Credits......Page 334 Index......Page 338 Back Cover......Page 349 Explains Why The Diversity Of The Burgess Shale Is Important In Understanding Our Past And Evolution. The Iconography Of An Expectation -- A Background For The Burgess Shale -- Reconstruction Of The Burgess Shale Toward A New View Of Life -- The Burgess Drama -- Walcott's Vision And The Nature Of History -- Possible Worlds: The Power Of Just History. Stephen Jay Gould. Includes Bibliographical References (p.325-335) And Index. Not since the Lord himself showed his stuff to Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones had anyone brought such grace and skill to the reconstruction of animals from disarticulated skeletons.