What makes the book extremely useful in negotiating a path through the Darwin warzone is that it introduces basic techniques of philosophical argument and analysis into the debate and each chapter has a number of exercises for the student to work and think through for themselves. In this sense it is similar to Anthony Thouless' classic Straight and Crooked Thinking and Anthony Flew's Thinking About Thinking in that it helps clear up a lot of unnecessary confusion and befuddled argument by encouraging good general habits of logical hygiene.

The philosophical topics include scepticism and relativism as well as problems concerning freewill, determinism, responsibility and ethics which characterise debates within Darwinism. Radcliffe-Richards' book is not concerned with the question of which school of Darwinism most accurately represents the truth; instead it focuses mainly on questions about what follows if a particular view is true. To the extent that disputes about Darwinism are motivated by anxieties about implications it is clearly important that followers of the debates are able to judge for themselves whether the different views really do have the implications they are supposed to have. Radcliffe-Richards' substantive thesis is that the claims of sociobiologists do not have the unwelcome cultural/political implications attributed to them.

If Stephen and Hilary Roses' recent Alas Poor Darwin represents the case for the prosecution against evolutionary psychology Philosophy After Darwin is not so much a defence (though Radcliffe-Richards is certainly concerned with refuting charges against evolutionary psychology) as it is an object lesson in analytical thinking. Absolutely essential reading for left-leaning opponents of EP and for specialists and students of the Darwin Wars. --Larry Brown

Synopsis
BB Human Nature After Darwin is a clear, accessible introduction to the implications of the Darwinian revolution for our understanding of human nature. With the beginner firmly in mind, Janet Radcliffe Richards carefully introduces readers to the fundamental questions raised by the Darwinian revolution. By the end of the book readers will be able to: understand and evaluate Darwin's arguments and the implications of Darwinism for our understanding of human nature critically discuss writings by key commentators on Darwinism, such as Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould clearly and confidently appraise the implications of Darwinism for ethical thinking. Key features include activities and exercises enabling readers to monitor their progress throughout the book, chapter summaries, and guides to further reading.