Stephen Jay Gould's writing remains the modern standard by which popular science writing is judged. Ever since the late 1970's, his monthly essay in NATURAL HISTORY and his full-length books have bridged the yawning gap between science and wider culture. In this fascinating new collection of essays, Gould has once again applied biographical perspectives to the illumination of key scientific concepts and their history, ranging from the origins of palaeontology to modern eugenics and generic engineering. As always, these essays brilliantly display his gift for colloquial and vivid explanation and include fascinating oddities from the natural world and the printed world.