Evolving Viewpoint

One of the perks of having a science radio show is that from time to time I receive books on fascinating subjects. The better part of the equation is that now that I am finished with my dissertation, I once again have time to read books I find interesting. I’m going to do my best to review these books as time allows. Hopefully, I’ll give those of you who read this little blog an idea of whether or not they might be worth your time.

I recently received a book (well, ok, I requested it from the publisher… but, they did send it to me!) , called “40 Days and 40 Nights: Darwin, Intelligent Design, God, OxyContin, And Other Oddities On Trial In Pennsylvania“, on the Kitzmiller v. Dover Board of Education case that took place in Dover, Pennsylvania in 2005. If you are not familiar with the case, it was the most widely publicized lawsuit regarding the teaching of creationism in public schools since the Scopes Monkey Trial in 1925.

In Dover, Pennsylvania, the Dover Area school board voted to include the creationist-based biology text, Of Pandas and People, in the science curriculum as a reference text, and that a statement regarding Intelligent Design (ID) as an alternative to Evolutionary Theory had to be read in class preceding the teaching of Evolution. The statement attempted to discredit the importance of the scientific categorization of the ideas encompassed in Evolution as a theory. It ignored the consensus of the scientific community based upon years of scientific data, and instead focused on the ideas that there are unexplained gaps in the data and that a Theory is not a fact. The statement and its implementation in the curriculum offended a group of parents in the Dover area who decided to sue the board. Such began the circus of black and white that I observed through the media’s and blogosphere’s eyes, and that the author of 40 Days, Matthew Chapman, eloquently brought to life.

Chapman is the great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin, and as such has a unique perspective on the entire situation. The retelling of the story is visibly influenced by his background in the film industry. The tale unfolds as would the screenplay for a movie based in the film noir tradition. In fact, immediately abutting the chapter contents, the first thing you see as you begin reading is a complete listing of the players you will meet.

The character driven basis of Chapman’s telling of the story really gave me an insight into who the people on both sides of the courtroom were, and how their lives outside of the courtroom brought them into it. His descriptions breathed life into something that for me was once only newsprint. I remember worrying about the Dover trial at the time, half expecting that the beliefs of our President would soon wind up in the nation’s classrooms without a stitch scientific backing. I did wonder to myself at the lives of the people trying to force religion into science: who were they? why didn’t they just keep their beliefs to themselves? In 40 Nights, I found sensitive, harsh, kind, cocky, educated, less educated, erudite, and benighted. Chapman brought a wealth of emotion and levels of complexity into a story that had once (for me at least) only been two-sided.

The book began with a summary of the history that led to the Dover trial. Then Chapman begins with his impressions of the scene, and then the characters as one then another and another character takes the stand. The lawyers for the plaintiffs and defense are described in astounding detail, and I found myself feeling sorry for the defense — fighting a losing battle, yet staying the course no matter what. Private interviews with many individuals and Chapman’s own impressions of them lent a personal tone to the story, giving the insiders view of people’s lives that makes this book so different from many others on the topic. In fact, this method of telling the story reminded me of a simple fact of life, people have all sorts of things going on behind the scenes, and you can assume nothing about anyone.

In the final chapter, Chapman allows himself to ponder the implications of the Dover trial and the rise of the ID movement for our country. And, while some might find cause for pessimism in the truths he discusses, Chapman himself looks on the brighter side of things. The book leaves a lot to think about, many questions left open for the future to answer, but it never beats you over the head with them. Overall, I enjoyed the read, and the fact that I was able to learn so much about the people of Dover and of our country.

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