Force of Nature: Understanding Evolution’s Deepest Logic—and Putting It to Use

Jones (Brain Science for Lawyers, Judges, and Policymakers), a law and biology professor at Vanderbilt, delivers an accessible yet lackluster survey of how evolutionary processes shape both physical traits and human behavior. He argues that misconceptions abound about natural selection, the process through which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive, passing on their advantageous traits to offspring. People often view natural selection as a historical process, something that shaped species into what they are today, he says, when it’s actually a ubiquitous, continuous mechanism that happens faster than people think. He demonstrates how ignoring this reality can have deleterious effects. In medicine, for example, overreliance on antibiotics has spurred the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and in the fishing industry, prioritizing the catching of large fish has led species to evolve down in size. Elsewhere, Jones reveals how understanding natural selection can lead to innovation, pointing to how researchers used computer algorithms inspired by biological evolution to produce highly effective solar panel cells and how Nike studied mountain goat’s efficiently evolved hooves to develop a grippy all-terrain shoe. While there are plenty of stimulating anecdotes, Jones falters when attempting to demonstrate how an enhanced understanding of evolution can lead to a more effective legal system, failing to move beyond broad generalizations. It’s a solid primer but offers little new insight. (June)