麻豆传媒

Richard Dawkins, seen at the 2009 Paraty International Literary Festival, Brazil

WHEN he has that fire in his belly, is arguably the greatest living populariser of evolution. His foundational work, , inspired a generation of evolutionary biology students (myself included), while The God Delusion was a powerfully effective self-esteem booster for atheists in the closet.

With his new book, splendidly titled The Greatest Show on Earth, Dawkins joins other popularisers in what has become almost a rite of passage 鈥� to 鈥渕ake the case鈥� for evolution to the general public. It鈥檚 like the 鈥渞ing the bell鈥� game at the county fair where every able young male feels obliged to step up and swing the giant mallet. Two of the greatest efforts in recent years come in both flavours: atheist (Why Evolution is True by Jerry Coyne) and believer (Finding Darwin鈥檚 God by Kenneth Miller).

These previous books were so well written it seemed the challenge had been met. Another 鈥渁rgument for evolution鈥� book could only be justified by a great new angle on how to reach the unconverted masses.

Implying that your audience is stupid does not qualify as a great new angle. Yet this is precisely what Dawkins does. He opens the book by mentioning his two previous books about evolution, and then, with a nearly audible scoff, adds that back when he wrote those books (when people, apparently, were smarter?) he didn鈥檛 have to argue that evolution actually happened. 鈥淭hat didn鈥檛 seem to be necessary,鈥� he says.

By the first chapter he is comparing his predicament to a history professor forced to teach 鈥渁 baying pack of ignoramuses鈥� and dealing with a 鈥渞earguard defence鈥�. Today, he proclaims, 鈥渁ll but the woefully uninformed are forced to accept the fact of evolution鈥�.

It鈥檚 really kind of comical. If 鈥渟pot the condescensions鈥� is a new drinking game, then bottoms up! There鈥檚 one in just about every chapter. Though Dawkins says from the outset, 鈥淭his is not an anti-religious book鈥�, he can鈥檛 help but knock religion throughout, For instance, he writes: 鈥淕od, to repeat this point, which ought to be obvious, but isn鈥檛, never made a tiny wing in his eternal life.鈥� Young Earth creationists are, he writes, 鈥渄eluded to the point of perversity鈥�. You get the sense that Dawkins just can鈥檛 control it. It鈥檚 as if he suffers from an anti-religious form of Tourette鈥檚 syndrome.

鈥淵ou get the sense that Dawkins can鈥檛 control it. It鈥檚 as if he suffers from anti-religious Tourette鈥檚鈥�

The Greatest Show on Earth is not a bad book 鈥� Dawkins wouldn鈥檛 know how to do that. His use of a crime scene investigation as a parallel for the narrative is at times very effective, particularly in showing the endless frustration of addressing the 鈥済aps鈥� critique of the fossil record.

But in the end, you have to wonder why Dawkins wastes so much time trying to argue with creationists. We all know that creationists are not rational thinkers. They are driven by beliefs, not by logic. Dawkins provides a transcript of his interview with the president of Concerned Women for America which reads like a Monty Python skit as the woman, a bullheaded creationist, simply answers all of Dawkins鈥檚 sophisticated argumentation by saying she鈥檚 not convinced 鈥� like a cartoon character standing in front of a hail of bullets taunting, 鈥淵ou missed me.鈥�

It鈥檚 a shame Dawkins couldn鈥檛 take a few tips from his atheist colleague . Coyne鈥檚 powerful and popular book was, to quote Booklist, 鈥渇ar more presentational than disputatious鈥�. That is a desperately needed attribute these days in making the convincing 鈥� and persuasive 鈥� case for evolution.