Stephen Jay Gould: The lying stones of Marrakech

By MARGIE THOMSON

In this, Gould's ninth and penultimate collection of previously published essays, now in paperback, he demonstrates yet again his polymathic ease with science, history and nearly everything else besides.

Beginning with the unfortunate 18th-century Professor Berenger, hoodwinked by malevolent colleagues and his own vanity into believing that certain carved stones were ground-breaking paleontological specimens, Gould draws a hitherto-unseen connection with the mass-produced cast fossils sold to tourists in today's Morocco. The two fakeries, separated by 250 years, become fodder for a musing upon tragedy and farce, science and commercialisation, and the need to recognise historical paradigms.

Gould turns his attention to many subjects including Joe diMaggio, Mozart, Galileo and the three rings of Saturn, genetic engineering, nature/nurture and our worst mental habit: dichotomy.

Vintage

$27.95