Over a century ago, the Social Darwinists appropriated Darwin’s name but left most of his theory behind. The Evolution of Everything describes the struggles behind Darwin’s theory of evolution and the schemes of those who misapplied it. It also shows why a more nuanced reading of Darwin’s work—especially the concept of selective pressures—helps us understand many natural, social, and economic processes.

A contributing editor at Daily Kos since 2006, Mark Sumner is also the author of a number of novels. His book, Devil’s Tower, was nominated for both the Nebula Award and the World Fantasy Award, and his series of mystery novels, News From the Edge, became the basis for “The Chronicle,” the Sci Fi Channel series. Sumner holds degrees in geology and information science and worked for two decades as a field geologist, He has written for The Nation, and appeared on both NPR and the BBC.

Praise for The Evolution of Everything

“Take Freakonomics, sanitize with natural science and recent history, mix with good old fashioned storytelling and meticulous research, and you might get something half as good and almost as accurate as The Evolution of Everything.”
—Steven Andrew, Contributing Editor, Daily Kos

“On this bicentenary of Darwin’s birth, Mark Sumner takes his readers on a fascinating journey through the developments that have led to our modern understanding of evolution. In the process, he reveals the profound ways in which this fundamental concept intersects so many seemingly unrelated strands of our culture, from the origins of conflict between science and religion, to the seamy history behind eugenics, to the reason our grandparents enjoyed better-tasting bananas.”
—Michael E. Mann, Director, Earth System Science Center, Penn State University

“From Happy Day Headache Powders to the girl who originally sold seashells by the seashore, Mark Sumner masterfully connects the details of evolutionary science with just about everything we see in our daily lives.”
—Randy Olson, Don’t Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style

“An excellent introduction to what Darwin’s theory is really about, not what self-serving conservatives and religious fundamentalists misunderstand it to be.”
—Richard Einhorn, Science and Political Blogger, Digby’s Hullabaloo

“Mark Sumner introduces us to the great thinkers who first proposed the principles of natural selection, then ingeniously applies those principles to subjects as diverse as the Ford Mustang, the common banana, and the 401(k) defined benefit plan. Part history book, part group biography, and part critique of modern society, The Evolution of Everything is both entertaining and enlightening.”
—Sharon Shinn, Archangel and Quatrain

“This multifaceted book not only explains evolution by natural selection but also uses a wealth of fascinating anecdotes and analogies to show how natural selection pervades our daily lives.”
—Matt Young, Why Evolution Works (and Creationism Fails)

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“Take Freakonomics, sanitize it with natural science and recent history, mix with good old-fashion storytelling and meticulous research, and you might get something half as good and almost as accurate as The Evolution of Everything.”
–Steven Andrew, Daily Kos

EVOLUTION AT WORK IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES
New Book Shows How Darwin’s Theories Have Been Misappropriated and Misapplied

Sausalito, CA—Mention the name Charles Darwin and it’s sure to provoke thoughtful discussion, heated debate, disgust, and praise. Everyone knows that Charles Darwin discovered evolution. Everyone knows that evolution pushes simple forms to become more complex. Everyone knows that applying Darwin’s ideas to social institutions leads directly to heartless brutality. According to Mark Sumner, everyone is wrong.

In The Evolution of Everything (PoliPoint, May 15, 2010), Sumner shows that while Darwin’s name is often in the news, Darwin’s ideas are just as often misunderstood. Darwin’s real discovery—how the simple force of selective pressure can lead to enormous change—has been misappropriated and distorted for more than a century. From the start, the founders of “Social Darwinism” had their roots in ideas far older than Darwin, and they took those ideas to extremes that generated genuine horrors around the world. They’ve used Darwin as a means of confirming their place in the world, a scientific version of the “divine right of kings.” From laissez-faire economics to racism and eugenics, there has been an ongoing effort to make Darwin the tool of the status quo.

Sumner points out that the real idea at the heart of Darwin’s work is both elegant and egalitarian, simple and beautiful — as revolutionary today as it was a hundred and fifty years ago. By understanding the truth about selective pressure, we can recover a way of looking at everything in our lives that lends a new perspective, and understand that Darwinism should not be a dirty word.

In a riveting, smart and even humorous manner, Sumner has penned a page-turner that includes battlefield valor, academic skullduggery, kindness and selfishness, not to mention giant sea cows, hybrid cars, three-toed horses and store-bought bananas. Readers will never again look at their cars, computers, or cell phones the same way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A contributing editor at Daily Kos since 2006, Mark Sumner is also the author of a number of novels. His book, Devil’s Tower, was nominated for both the Nebula Award and the World Fantasy Award, and his series of mystery novels, News From the Edge, became the basis for “The Chronicle,” the Sci Fi Channel series. Sumner holds degrees in geology and information science and worked for two decades as a field geologist, He has written for The Nation, and appeared on both NPR and the BBC.

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THE EVOLUTION OF EVERYTHING: How Selection Shapes Culture, Commerce, and Nature
By Mark Sumner
$15.95, PoliPointPress, May 14, 2010, Trade Paper
ISBN: 978-0-9824171-6-4, 181 pages, 5.5” x 8.5”
For more information, go to www.p3books.com/theevolutionofeverything/

For press inquiries, please contact Darcy Cohan: 415-339-4111 or darcycohan@p3books.com