First published by Harmony Books in 1996, this volume by the much missed champion essayist on the theory of evolution presents one extended argument regarding the nature of evolution as necessarily understood within the context of each specific case, rather than through the use of Platonic ideals. True to his style as an accomplished storyteller, Gould does this through detailed examples and references to the history of science, using the extinction of .400 hitting in baseball as a central example. Belknap Press is an imprint of Harvard U. Press. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)