This is an excellent, comprehensive survey of the recent debates about three crucial issues in Darwinian evolution. The work starts with Darwin's views on the topic. Following is a chapter recounting the debate in recent decades. Then there is a chapter summing up the issues from the authors' point of view. The appendix surveys Darwin's own statements on evolutionary progress during different periods of his life. Unlike many general, philosophical surveys of Darwinism that take a purely pan-adaptationist, gene-selectionist, and evolutionary progressivist position and dismiss other perspectives in asides or put-downs (as in the numerous and very readable works of Michael Ruse), Shanahan gives a fair-minded survey of the debate and state of play on such issues as group-selection,the prevalence of non-adaptations in organisms, and the case both for and against evolutionary progress. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing a balanced and comprehensive overview of the state of debate on these issues.

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