What do You think about In The Blink Of An Eye: How Vision Sparked The Big Bang Of Evolution (2004)?
strangely enough, i picked this up in the bargain bin at HEB grocery. The book fleshes out the authors theory about the cause of the Cambrian explosion (described as 'evolution's Big Bang). Basically, Parker is saying that the Cambrian Explosion was caused by the sudden evolution of vision in primitive trilobites. I found the theory fascinating and convincing. Especially after reading so many expositions on the period, like Stephen Jay Gould's Wonderful Life. Gould's emphasis on contingency seems desperate in the light of Parkers elegant solution. Unfortunately, Parkers prose is a little less than engaging, when compared with other authors on evolution (Darwin, Dawkins, Gould, Diamond etc..) but this can be forgiven, since its his first book.
—Krishan
