Carl Zimmer: Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea

Many thanks to Caroline Chauncey, publishing manager at WGBH Enterprises. She played many roles during the writing of this book—unofficial editor, diplomat, and cheerleader—and for all of those roles I am grateful. Thanks also go to art consultant Toby Greenberg, who sifted through thousands of pictures for the book’s lovely artwork. Thanks also to Betsy Groban, managing director of WGBH Enterprises, WGBH literary agent Doe Coover, and the core administrative staff at WGBH: Lisa Mirowitz, coordinating producer; Karen Carroll Bennett, business manager; Denise Drago, unit manager; Kerrie lasi, series associate producer; and Cecelia Kelly, production secretary, who all worked so hard to bring the disparate pieces of this project together. At Clear Blue Sky Productions, vice president and general manager Eric Robison; Bonnie Benjamin-Phariss, director of documentary productions; Jason J. Hunke, director of publicity and marketing; and Pamela Rosenstein, coordinating producer, kindly offered editorial advice and review.

The producers of the individual episodes all took time away from their own frantic schedules to share their research, transcripts, and footage with me and were kind enough to review parts of my book. Thanks to them all: David Espar, senior producer, Linda Garmon, producer of drama, and Susan K. Lewis, producer, “Darwins Dangerous Idea”; Joel Olicker, producer, and Chris Schmidt, coproducer, “Great Transformations”; Richard Hutton and Kate Churchill, producers, “Extinction!”; Gail Willumsen and Jill Shinefeld, producers, “The Evolutionary Arms Race”; Noel Buckner and Rob Whittlesey, producers, “Why Sex?”; John Heminway and Michelle Nicholasen, producers, “The Mind’s Big Bang”; Bill Jersey, producer, and Jamie Stobie, co-producer, “What about God?”

This book is about science, so of course profound thanks must go to the scientists who helped make it possible. The Evolution Project’s board of advisers, who offered wisdom and guidance for both the series and the book, included Charles Aquadro, William H. Calvin, Sharon Emerson, Jane Goodall, Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, Don Johanson, Mary-Claire King, Ken Miller, Steven Pinker, Eugenie Scott, and David Wake. Thanks in particular go to Stephen Jay Gould, who not only served as an adviser to the series but graced this book with an introduction.

I want to thank all the scientists who were profiled in the show and this book. I’m also grateful to the experts who graciously explained their research to me or reviewed portions of the manuscript, including Chris Adami, Maydianne Andrade, Connie Barlow, Wouter Bleeker, Ed Brodie Jr., Ed Brodie III, David Burney, Joseph Cain, Sean Carroll, Steve Case, Chris Cheng-DeVries, Robert Cowie, Carla Dantonio, Robin Dunbar, David Dusenbury, Stephen Emlen, Douglas Erwin, Brian Farrell, John Flynn, Beatrice Hahn, Kristen Hawkes, Nicholas Holland, David Inouye, Christine Janis, Kenneth Y. Kaneshiro, Judy Kegl, Richard Klein, Andrew Knoll, Thurston Lacalli, Laura Landweber, Stuart Levy, Michael Lynch, Axel Meyer, Kenneth Miller, Stephen Mojzsis, Anders Moller, Ulrich Mueller, Martin Nowak, Stephen O’Brien, Maureen O’Leary, Norman Pace, Nipam Patel, Marion Petrie, Stuart Pimm, David Resznick, Mark Ridley, Dolph Schluter, Kurt Schwenk, Eugenie Scott, John Thompson, Frans de Waal, Peter Ward, Andrew Whiten, Brad Williamson, and Mark Winston. Thanks go especially to Kevin Padian, who read the entire manuscript and probably used up a whole pack of red pens marking it up.

Gail Winston, my editor at HarperCollins, provided the guidance that helped me transform a companion volume into a book of its own. For that invaluable help, my thanks. Thanks also to my agent, Eric Simonoff.

And finally, the greatest thanks go to my wife, Grace. During a busy year, she always kept things in perspective.