Book Review:
Nature’s IQ: Extraordinary Animal Behaviors that Defy Evolution
Reviewed by Lori Erbs
Why do arctic terns fly 22,000 miles
each year? How can a fish have both eyes on the same side of its
body? What is the meaning of the complex patterns of dances
performed by honeybees?
The
answers to these questions and many more are shared in a virtual odyssey
into the kingdom of nature entitled Nature’s IQ: Extraordinary Animal
Behaviors that Defy Evolution (Torchlight Publishing, Inc. 2009).
Released just after the 200th Anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birthday, this
English translation from the original Hungarian edition will delight inquisitive
children, wizened sages, the young at heart, nature lovers, and Intelligent
Design theorists alike. The authors, István Tasi (aka Isvara
Krsna das), a Cultural Anthropologist and Theologian, and Balázs Hornyánszky
(aka Bhagavat-priya das), a Bioengineer, present case after compelling case
supporting their thesis that Darwinian Evolution is not a logical sequitur
of intricate and idiosyncratic animal behaviors but rather, natural intelligence
reflects a supreme intelligence and designer. Richly illustrated, offering
200 exquisitely color plates, this 160-page hardbound book scintillates
with detail, intrigue, and wit, beckoning the curious reader onward into
ensuing vignettes sparkling with enigmatic adventures of mysterious living
entities.
A summary
of “Darwin’s frogs” is given on pages 122-123:
Darwin himself discovered
the frog in Chile (Rhinoderma darwinii). After female Darwin’s frogs lay
their eggs on wet beaches, males sense the scent of the eggs and fertilize
them. They then station themselves beside the eggs in groups and guard them
for about twenty days. When the developing eggs begin to move in their tiny,
jelly-like globules, the males lean over to them and gulp—they seemingly eat
them! Of course, they do not eat the eggs but instead place them with their
tongue into their long expandable vocal pouch, situated in the lower part
of ther body. The eggs continue to develop in the vocal pouch until one day
the male suddenly yawns widely, and the fully developed baby frogs jump out
of his mouth….
…For viable offspring to
hatch, the frog father must know that he has to keep an eye on the eggs.
Furthermore, he has to have the instincts commanding the right behavior:
when the young are about to hatch, he has to get them into his specially
structured vocal pouch. And when they are fully developed, he has to set
them free. If any of these elements were missing, the frog’s reproduction
would be unsuccessful. Therefore, it is inconceivable that the Darwin’s
frog and its special way of reproduction came into existence step by step,
as a result of small changes….It is inconceivable that this frog species,
with its specialized behavior, came into existence by a sudden large-scale
mutation….The chance mutation of these genes causing a series of concerted,
appropriate behaviors would be more than a miracle.
This excerpt provides one example of
the methodology employed in analyzing and diffusing evolution theory in
terms of reproduction and survival of offspring. Other sections cover
predation, defense, symbiosis, animal communication, navigation, and mating
behaviors.
The
final chapter, entitled “The Source of Intelligence,” presents an alternative
explanation referred to as “inverse evolution” from the Vedic ontology:
The
Vedic account of the origin of species has three main principles: existence
of a supreme person, living beings on other planets with special creative
and multiplication abilities, and descent by modification.
The
authors assert that incredible behavioral complexity, species diversity,
amazing instinctual intelligence, and symbiotic relationships of living entities
emanate from the source of all created beings, the Godhead, as described in
elaborate detail throughout the voluminous ancient scriptures of East India.
They conclude that “In reality, nature’s IQ is the creator’s IQ.”
Employing
a distinctly innovative approach, Nature’s IQ offers original
and valuable insights for the Intelligent Design community; however, Charles
Darwin’s followers might also find it interesting!
Nature’s IQ website: http://www.naturesiq.com
To order this book please visit:
http://www.mcremo.com/order.htm
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Book Review:
Return
to Treasure Island: The Lost Journals of Sir James Hawkins
By John O’Melveny Woods
(Intellect Publishing,
2009)
Reviewed by Lori
Erbs
Every once in awhile, a new book
appears that compels one to begin sampling it immediately, feasting without
cessation until every last delicious word and canapé of imagery has
been fully relished and digested. Return to Treasure Island, by John O’Melveny
Woods, is such a zesty tale, impelling the reader to cast aside personal identity
and plunge into its tranquil shimmering pools of intrigue, surrounded by
colorful tropical characters playfully wafting in fanciful breezes.
Immersing the psyche completely in its cooling romantic waters, one dives
into the depths of its plot, entirely forgetting the sweltering heat of ongoing
international tensions and transition.
This is a cleverly crafted story
that entices and enthralls, teaming with well-choreographed and fast-paced
escapades, expanding upon the framework of Robert Louis Stevenson’s original
Treasure Island with exotic and penetrating dimensions while carefully preserving
overall consistency of characters, vernacular, settings, and style.
Like Long John Silver’s rambunctious
pet, Captain Flint, this literary treasure parrots Stevenson’s classic, featuring
rich detail, extensive interplay of personalities, and evolutionary development
of Sir James Hawkins, the main character. By expertly weaving stories within
a story, as told from varying perspectives -- Nathaniel Hawkins, Long John
Silver, James Hawkins, and Chloe -- the narrative is imbued with a certain
authenticity and kaleidescopic panorama. As easily as Woods hooks one’s curiosity
about the treasure of the Pharaoh’s Gold in the beginning via Long John Silver’s
account of meeting Jasper Jennings in the Admiralty Jail, so also does he
artfully employ a springboard that nets the reader with empathy in Hawkins’
stunning revelation about the fate of Long John Silver at the ending.
A really good novel does not attempt
to delineate the entire scenario in isolation. By incorporating brilliant
ideological twists and glints of historical synchronicity into its fabric,
Woods transforms this from a mere adventure into a work of conceptual mystique;
the enigmatic whale creature, the cryptic codes accompanying the treasure
map, as well as Redbeard’s puzzling masonic connections all provide just enough
hints for the reader to embellish the rest of the yarn with machinations of
individual imagination.
The dichotomy between an intellectual
quest and sovereign buccaneering is a significant recurring theme, as portrayed
by insightful characterizations of James Hawkins and Captain Steele. In Chapter
17, Steele invites Hawkins to dine with him and inquires:
“’Hawkins,
I want to ask you, as an educated man, is this the fate that awaits you?
Is this the life you have envisioned for yourself?”
I had not anticipated
this question, and found myself short of words and searching for an answer.
He was not probing me for quickness of reply, and I took the time to reason
it within.
“Truth be told,
Captain, I am at a crossroads. I enjoy my studies and the promise of an educated
gentry life; one which I think fits well with future plans for a career and
family. I had always envisioned this outcome, using a close friend of the
family as a role model, Dr. Livesey. But since embarking on this journey,
I have started to entertain ideas. Ones I never imagined would enter my mind.
There is much to be said of this nomadic life upon the oceans. Much that is
appealing to me. In my innermost thoughts I at times can envision myself roaming
the seas and living as I please. I think I have a heart for it.”
“Ah yes, the
seduction, at least at first, is intoxicating and elating.”’
The related motif of moral integrity
versus base behavior resonates throughout, with both extremes of human depravity
and selfless sacrifice explored in detail. Young Hawkins’ conscience
is featured in this passage as he petitions Dr. Livesey to help Long John
Silver from his imminent hanging:
“We both sat
there, silently staring at our plates. I did not know what he was thinking,
but my mind was racing at full gallop, and anger welled up from somewhere
deep inside me. I could not understand why a man of such integrity would not
fulfill his promise. I tried to put myself in his position, and it did no
good. If I were in a jail cell waiting to die, I reasoned, I would have wanted
Dr. Livesey to at least try to help. Yet, he was unwilling to do even that!”
Just as there are microcosims
of honor among thieves, it is also possible to extrapolate pirate practices
amongst modern associates. This account therefore equips the reader with mental
simulations for thwarting actual ambushes of contemporary rogues.
The real treasure of Return to
Treasure Island is not the golden statue of the Egyptian goddess; it is rather
excavated from within the hearts of its heros and heroines. After Long John
Silver saves James Hawkins’ life in Ben Gunn’s cave, Hawkins discloses his
original rescue mission to save Silver from the gallows in Bristol.
Silver rejoins,
“’I be truly
touched by your friendship. Imagine that. Long John Silver has a true friend.
Touches me heart to the core, it does.”
He sat back
against the wall and closed his eyes with a smile.”
If the special enduring friendship
between Silver and Hawkins is the torte of this sublime chef d'oeuvre, the
romance between Hawkins and his fiancée, Chloe, is the frosting of
this multilayered sweet saga.
This book offers something for
everyone; it may be interpreted in a simple or complex manner. While simultaneously
reviving Stevenson’s timeless epic, it also charts a decisive course for its
own unique and unbridled success.