Annotated Bibliography

simple book

Reiss, Michael J., Roger Straughan. Improving Nature? The Science and Ethincs of Genetic Engineering. Great Britain: Cambridge University Press, 1996.

A good overview of the issues of genetic engineering. Not necessarily a juvenile book by any means, but the basic information is helpful. I could not find any “basic” books on the history/methods of evolution.

Book About Topic in General

Charles Darwin, Origin of Species. Chapter 1, "Variation Under Domestication,"

focuses on domesticated animals and effects of human aesthetic concerns on evolution. Or rather, how essentially, humans impact the evolution of familiar animals.

Books Specific to Topic

Pollan, Michael. The Botany of Desire. New York: Random House, 2001

Subtitled "A plant's-eye view of the world", The Botany of Desire is about the evolutionary strategies of domesticated plants. Pollan focuses on how plants adapt to and exploit our aesthetic desires, craving for sweetness, and yearnings to control the universe. Pollan depicts domestication as fluid, wild, and dangerous, and sublime.

Darwin, Charles. On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. London, 1859.

A bit difficult to understand at points, the information is invaluable. Darwin’s research and speculation holds true even today and basic ideas one takes away from Darwin’s writings are infinitely useful in explaining the nature of evolution.

Palumbi, Stephen. The Evolution Explosion. New York: The Lyon’s Press, 2001.

Excellent, relevant, incredibly useful information on evolution at the hands o nature and evolution at the hands of man. Tons upon tons o information.

Pollan. Doctor. The Botany of Desire.