The Theory That Changed Everything: "On the Origin of Species" as a Work in Progress

The subtitle for cognitive scientist Lieberman's new book states that Charles Darwin's influential On the Origin of Species (1859) is still a work in progress. As a result, Lieberman sets out to prove exactly that. While Species has been often considered outdated, Lieberman breathes new life into the tome, proving that this seminal guide is still a viable path for understanding how our species and others have evolved throughout time. Early in the book, Lieberman disputes Darwin's theory that evolution was a gradual process, stating that evolution can be brought on by rapid change through human interaction with the environment and natural selection. For instance, Lieberman states that the environment could produce effects that would transcend heredity such as the changes in human food supply. He also considers the evolutionary aspects that helped people adapt to language, explaining how the interplay among the tongue, lungs, and larynx facilitates speech. The conversational tone feels intimate although at times disjointed.