This book is LONG. The science is thorough, but often too much so, and the historical references are thorough, but again, often too much so. I tried to read this book three times before being able to get through it, which was surprising to me since I thought I would be able to eat it right up. Instead, I slogged through, barely keeping focused enough to absorb Zimmer’s words. The book is absolutely crammed full of endless stories from history, both ancient and more recent, as well as descriptions of experiments and genealogies and heredity unending. I don’t know who exactly Zimmer wrote this book for as it is too complex for the average person, yet too lengthy, broad, and artificially bloated for anyone who has taken even one class in genetics. The book feels heavy, not just in physical weight, but in content. I found it hard work to read and keep reading, and Zimmer did not do a good job keeping me on the hook enough to want to come back. He repeated and repeated the same facts and histories he already went over and eventually the book became a chore. It read like a textbook, and not an interesting one.

I wanted to like this read. I know the woman who created the cover art. I wanted to discover something new in this lengthy tome, but there was nothing for me to sink my teeth into. For fear of dragging this review on as Zimmer did in this book, I’ll say simply this: I was bored.

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Created Mar 30, 2019 at 1:16pm • Submit your own review...