In 2009, I published The Tangled Bank: An Introduction. I intended it as a textbook for non-majors, as well as a guide to evolution for people looking for a thorough but non-technical account of how life has gotten to be the way it is. The project proved to be far more work than I had reckoned, but I was happy with how it turned out, especially thanks to the talented artists and designers I had the privilege to work with. The reception has been gratifying; the Quarterly Review of Biology, for example, called it “spectacularly successful.” A number of courses have adopted The Tangled Bank both in the United States and abroad.
It’s hard to believe that four years have rushed by since the book came out. A lot has happened in the world of evolutionary biology during that time, some of which I’ve tried to document here and in my articles. And so, next month, I’ll be publishing the second edition of The Tangled Bank.
I’ve tried to improve on the first edition in several ways. For one thing, I’ve brought it up to date with recent research. In the past couple years, for example, scientists have sequenced genomes of species such as the gorilla and the coelacanth, and they’ve discovered important clues in those genomes about our own ancestry. Here at the Loom I reported on how microbiologists have observed what may be the evolution of a new species in their lab. In The Tangled Bank, I’ve delved deeper into this research, to show how evolution rewired the microbe’s DNA and produced an organism capable of living in a new way.
I’ve also applied some lessons that I learned while co-authoring my other textbook, for biology majors. The big challenge in explaining evolution is navigating between concepts and examples. Too much conceptual material leaves an explanation bloodless and abstract. Too many examples leave it scattershot. To find the right balance, I and my co-author, Doug Emlen, worked closely with leading experts on different aspects of evolution (John Thompson on coevolution, for example). I’ve tried to strike that balance in the new edition of The Tangled Bank as well.
The most obvious change to the book is a new chapter. I decided to include a chapter dedicated to human evolution, where I can give a focused account of our own species and look at some of the new research on human origins. But I have continued to integrate our own species into other chapters. The new edition, at 394 pages, is a bit longer than the first edition, but I’ve been careful not to let the book get bloated.
I’ve also crammed it with even more illustrations and photographs, because they help so much to drive home the wonderment of evolution. The new cover, by Carl Buell, is a portrait of Ambulocetus, an early walking whale. I write about Ambulocetus in the first chapter, which you can download for free.
The publication date is August 23, but you can pre-order it now at my publisher’s site (the best deal), Amazon, Powell’s, and Barnes & Noble’s. Instructors can contact my publisher, Roberts & Company, for a desk copy.
Related Topics
Go Further
Animals
- Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?
- This pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilienceThis pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilience
- Octopuses have a lot of secrets. Can you guess 8 of them?
- Animals
- Feature
Octopuses have a lot of secrets. Can you guess 8 of them? - This biologist and her rescue dog help protect bears in the AndesThis biologist and her rescue dog help protect bears in the Andes
Environment
- This pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilienceThis pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilience
- Listen to 30 years of climate change transformed into haunting musicListen to 30 years of climate change transformed into haunting music
- This ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrificeThis ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrifice
- U.S. plans to clean its drinking water. What does that mean?U.S. plans to clean its drinking water. What does that mean?
- Food systems: supporting the triangle of food security, Video Story
- Paid Content
Food systems: supporting the triangle of food security
History & Culture
- Heard of Zoroastrianism? The religion still has fervent followersHeard of Zoroastrianism? The religion still has fervent followers
- Strange clues in a Maya temple reveal a fiery political dramaStrange clues in a Maya temple reveal a fiery political drama
- How technology is revealing secrets in these ancient scrollsHow technology is revealing secrets in these ancient scrolls
- Pilgrimages aren’t just spiritual anymore. They’re a workout.Pilgrimages aren’t just spiritual anymore. They’re a workout.
- This ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrificeThis ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrifice
Science
- Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?
- Can aspirin help protect against colorectal cancers?Can aspirin help protect against colorectal cancers?
- The unexpected health benefits of Ozempic and MounjaroThe unexpected health benefits of Ozempic and Mounjaro
- Do you have an inner monologue? Here’s what it reveals about you.Do you have an inner monologue? Here’s what it reveals about you.
- Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io has been erupting for billions of yearsJupiter’s volcanic moon Io has been erupting for billions of years
Travel
- This chef is taking Indian cuisine in a bold new directionThis chef is taking Indian cuisine in a bold new direction
- On the path of Latin America's greatest wildlife migrationOn the path of Latin America's greatest wildlife migration
- Everything you need to know about Everglades National ParkEverything you need to know about Everglades National Park
- Spend a night at the museum at these 7 spots around the worldSpend a night at the museum at these 7 spots around the world