Through criticizing Darwin's beliefs and attitudes towards the other, Jerry Bergman uses the insanity and depression that ran in Darwin's family, as well as his poor health, to attack his thoughts on evolution. Evaluating whether Darwin's metal health problems were due to his conflicts with theism, exposing where Darwin's work would in modern times be deemed plagiarism, and noting unethical scholarship due to using doctored photographs, Bergman links Darwin's ideas to racism, sexism, Laissez-faire capitalism, communism, and Nazism. 270 pages, softcover.

A single man stands behind the greatest deception in history. Charles Darwin's ideas still penetrate every aspect of our culture, including science, religion, and education. And while much has been made of his contribution to the evolutionary hypothesis, little has been publicized about the dark side of the man himself and how this may have impacted the quality and legitimacy of his research.

This daring and compelling book takes its readers behind the popular fa ade of a man revered worldwide as a scientific pioneer, and unveils what kind of person Darwin really was. The book reveals disturbing facts that will help you:

Perceive Darwin firsthand through the eyes of family and friends, and his own correspondence. Discern this darkly troubled man, struggling with physical and mental health issues. Uncover his views on eugenics and racism, and his belief that women were less evolved than men.

Jerry Bergman's The Dark Side of Darwin is a smart book, with all the good and bad connotations that entails. It starts out strong by stating a clearly defined purpose: to remove the notion of Darwin being a saint of science. In secular circles, Darwin has been elevated to the status of a demigod without fault or scheme—a humble scientist who, by accident as much as by genius, formulated the most revolutionary theory of the age. The Dark Side of Darwin means to remove the misconception.

Exhaustively researched and carefully compiled, this is unquestionably the work of a die-hard academic. Bergman is careful not to overlook even a single detail of Darwin's deception, and he labors to identify every chink in Darwin's centuries-old armor. Nothing escapes Bergman’s scrutiny.

Despite all that, there are some caveats. Though the intention of removing Darwin’s glamour is admirable (and biblical, as Jeremiah 5:1 declares that the Lord blesses those who seek the truth), the execution here is a little lacking because of two problems. The first is a tragic problem of perception. No matter how careful Bergman is and no matter how noble his intentions, no one can cast aspersions on Darwin’s character without the effort appearing to be a smear campaign. Bergman has been careful and his intentions are noble, but many people will overlook all his points because they assume the book is only mud-slinging.

The second is a problem of production. As stated, this book is smart; one might even say it's a little too smart. Bergman has written a book that will be lauded by scientists and lawyers because it is extraordinarily thorough, but for the lay reader, "thorough" can descend rapidly into "repetitive."

All in all, the book is a strong work of academia, but readers seeking less scholarly fare will want to search elsewhere. – Chandler Birch, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com

http://www.christianbook.com/charles-darwin-critical-analysis-icon-science/jerry-bergman/9780890516058/pd/516058

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