Hi, Finaly getting back to reading some more of the book [1], Chpt. 9 in particular. This chapter deals with various aspects of social issues (eg rise of national languages) and how they led to the growth of nationalism in general. Toward the end of the chapter (pp. 265 in the hardback) these idiots (don't know a better term) actualy have the audactity to claim that Stephen Jay Gould is a neo-creationist, in short they claim that Gould holds there is a 'higher power' (ie transcendance) directing evolution and the impact of inhereted traits on society. The author of this section has apparently never read a word that Gould has written. Gould is known as a leading supporter of Punctuated Equilibria and its various spawn, and with Ernst Meyr lead the battle against creationist theories and others of that ilk. Gould and Meyr's theories flatly reject transcendance as a force in evolutionary theory. Considering that no supporter of transcendance in evolutionary theory has ever succesfuly weathered a reasoned attack I simply stand in awe of the authors expectation of the readers ignorance. The more I read of this book the less respect I have for either author. I previously recommended this book as an intellectual challenge at least, I retract that recommendation. Don't waste your money on this drivel from a couple of snake oil salesmen who continously contradict themselves and pose flawed theory after flawed theory. ____________________________________________________________________ | | | The financial policy of the welfare state requires that there | | be no way for the owners of wealth to protect themselves. | | | | -Alan Greenspan- | | | | _____ The Armadillo Group | | ,::////;::-. Austin, Tx. USA | | /:'///// ``::>/|/ http:// www.ssz.com/ | | .', |||| `/( e\ | | -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'- Jim Choate | | ravage@ssz.com | | 512-451-7087 | |____________________________________________________________________| [1] The Sovereign Individual: How to survive and thrive during the collapse of the welfare state J.D. Davidson, Lord W. Rees-Mogg ISBN 0-684-81007-7