Eight Little Piggies

This is the sixth in a series of collections drawn from “a 208 monthly essay streak” in Natural History magazine. These 31 stories demonstrate unusual range. Gould’s thoughts on extinction involve the musical South Pacific as well as the demise of the Tahitian land snail. His revisions to Darwinism reference frog calls, the coloration of pigeons, and speculations about how we got our hearing bones. In the title piece he considers our toes: might eight have worked just as well? Gould also looks at the ecological crisis and presents his “personal musings” on human nature and American culture. “This collection will not disappoint Gould’s fans.” (Publishers Weekly)