. . . and want a copy of WEIT in your own language, you can order it here from the estimable firm Tinta da China, a Lisbon firm run by three young women. They’re starting a science series (my book is the first) and are also looking for good popular-science books in English to translate into Portuguese. I suggested Pinker’s The Language Instinct and Pollan’s The Botany of Desire (Dennett, Dawkins, Sagan, etc. have already been translated and published by other firms. If you have any suggestions, put them in the comments below and I’ll call them to the firm’s attention.
They’re hoping to sell it in Brazil, too. If you’re a university professor in Brazil and want to use the book in a course, do contact me.
Do you have plans to write any more books Prof. Coyne?
I’ve been looking for books that address specific issues within Evolution, such as the development of sight. I know there is one book on the subject, but it looks like quite a tome.
Jerry, and who might write a book that eviscerates that oxymoronic obfuscation other than you, my friend? Again, is it kosehr to use Coyne with that certain argument?
Anyway, you are a better atheologian than any theologian is a theologian.
Skeptic Griggsy-Carneades
I’m sorry to say that, but I do not think “The Language Instinct” is translatable. I know, I tried. This is a book which – to get it into another language – should be written again in cooperation between a linguist (in the target language) and a very good translator from English. A mere good translator is without a chance (unless she/he is prepared to botch the job).
Well, the firm can do that. They got THREE people to translate my book: a regular translator, and then a literary translator to put it in good style, and then a biologist (my friend Martim Melo) to correct and burnish the biology. He made over 150 changes! For them to get a linguist to help would not be hard.
Then why is ther no translation of this book by Pinker while the other are translated to many languages? This is not a problem of terminology, but of writing the book again while keeping as much as possible to Pinker’s plan and ideas.
It’s been a few years since I read it, but I don’t remember the core concept being at all tied to English. It’s about language, not a language.
I really like “Chaos: Making a New Science” by James Gleick. http://www.amazon.com/Chaos-Making-Science-James-Gleick/dp/0143113453/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350051367&sr=1-1&keywords=chaos
It was interesting to me to see what it is like for mathematicians to conduct research.
Dear Dr. Coyne,
First of all, congratulations of the releasing of your excelent book in Portuguese. My name is Ricardo Campos da Paz, and I am a professor/researcher at the Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO; Rio de Janeiro, Brasil). Here, among other things, I am in charge of the “Evolution” course (three versions: Biological Sciences; Licenciate of Biology; and Biomedicine). I also work on the systematics and evolution of Neotropical electric knifefishes (order Gymnotiformes). In my classes, I frequently show the students examples mentioned in your book (English edition), especially those referring to the evidence of Evolution.
It will be great to finally have your book in Potuguese, so I can show my students and also indicate it to them.
Again, congrats for you excelent work. Hope to have you visiting Brasil, and Rio de Janeiro, soon.
All the best & cheers,
Ricardo
Dear Ricardo,
I’m writing from Tinta-da-china, the portuguese/brasilian publisher of «A Evidência da Evolução». Out of respect for Prof. Coyne and his readers, I shall continue in English.
So far, we have only published the book in Portugal, thus it is not yet available in Rio.
Should you decide to import the book from us, feel free to contact us at info@tintadachina.pt.
Best,
ih
I sent this to my brother-in-law, who said, “I love the litte blurb by Richard Dawkins: ‘(for those) who don’t believe in evolution, or are stupid, or are crazy, or haven’t read Jerry Coyne.'”
Where can one get a copy of Why Evolution is
True in Spanish??
If you’re in Spain, you can get it on Amazon here.
Sorry that obfuscation theistic evolution. kosher
Be lkle V.P. Bdien!
Good choices Dr. C.!
I would also recommend:
The Geology series by John McPhee
Why We Get Sick by Nesse, Williams
A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
Parasite Rex by Zimmer
At the Water’s Edge by Zimmer
Genome by Matt Ridley
The Third Chimpanzee by Diamond
Your Inner Fish by Shubin
Oranges by McPhee
Cod and Salt by Kurlansky
Engineering in the Ancient World by Landels
OK, that’s enough
Taking science-themed somewhat broadly …
Olivia Judson’s Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation
Glad to hear the good news! Why does the English title seem to appear as the subtitle of the Portuguese edition?
Sean Carroll’s From Eternity to Here
“They’re hoping to sell it in Brazil, too.”
Yes, please! I’m from Brazil and I would be really happy if that happened!
What about, Dr Coyne, the works of your mate and my hero Steve Jones? Especially The Language of the Genes and the one about the Y chromosome, of which I just forgot the name! Old age, dontchakno!