This book chronicles the author's personal journey with Darwinism and is a fascinating summary of the main problems of standard Darwinian evolution. Latham is a GP in the Outer Hebrides and a CMF member. Accepting Darwinism at school and university, he 'enjoyed disputing with Christians about evolution…to me it was simply a knock-down argument against belief'. He became a Christian in 1982 and, from that point, began engaging seriously with Darwinism.
The origin of life, Cambrian explosion, fossil record gaps and irreducible complexity are discussed, as are the paucity of evidence for beneficial mutation and the impotence of natural selection to produce new body plans and structures. He distinguishes between observable micro-evolution and macroevolution for which evidence is painfully absent. One chapter is given over to a detailed critique of Dawkins' classic, The Blind Watchmaker. Latham states: 'It reminded me of the story of the emperor's clothes...'
Although an interested amateur, Latham has read prodigiously on both sides of the debate and has skilfully and dispassionately pulled together the amassed learning of many eminent biologists.