WRITTEN FOR A GENERAL COLLEGE AUDIENCE, THIS BOOK OFFERS AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PRINCIPLES AND SIGNIFICANCE OF DARWINIAN EVOLUTION. IT DIFFERS FROM MOST OTHER TEXTBOOKS ON EVOLUTION IN THREE FUNDAMENTAL WAYS: FIRST, IT IS INTENDED FOR STUDENTS TAKING EVOLUTION EARLY IN THEIR STUDIES. SECOND, IT EXAMINES THE INTELLECTUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF DARWINIAN EVOLUTION. THIRD, THE TEXT DEPARTS FROM THE STANDARD TREATMENT OF EVOLUTION IN OTHER TEXTBOOKS, WHEREIN THE ARGUMENTS ARE REDUCTIONIST, MOLECULAR, AND OVERWHELMINGLY GENETIC IN EMPHASIS. KEN KARDONG, ALSO AUTHOR OF VERTEBRATES; COMPARATIVE ANATOMY, FUNCTION, EVOLUTION, IS KNOWN FOR HIS ACCESSIBLE WRITING STYLE. HIS ALMOST CONVERSATIONAL APPROACH TO THIS TOPIC PUTS THE READER AT EASE WHILE LEARNING EVOLUTIONARY CONCEPTS. THE RESULT IS AN INVITING BOOK -- THAT WILL BE READ