Grade 9 Up—This wide-ranging work covers topics from adaptation and extinction to genetics and the origin of the universe. The introduction discusses the medical evidence for evolution, such as the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria; the origins, politics, motives, and theories behind creationism and intelligent design; and the basics of evolutionary theories. The more than 200 articles are alphabetically arranged, and most range from one to three pages in length. They include biographies of significant contributors to this important and controversial field. In addition, several longer essays scattered throughout the work discuss topics such as the role of genes in human behavior, religion and evolutionary scientists, the biological basis of death, and the question of other life in the universe.
