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Neil Shubin

Your Inner Fish

The study of ancient fossils may seem somewhat remote from our everyday lives, but Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body Neil Shubin shows how such study can reveal important information about our origins and how our bodies work.

Shubin discusses several ways of gettting at this information. Comparisons with other animals demonstrates the similarities in the body structures of different species. With some animals it is possible to make alterations to the embryo and see what effect this has as it develops. And of course there is Shubin's own speciality, the study of fossils. He tells of his trips to remote places - well as remote as funds will allow - and how years of searching are made worthwhile by one groundbreaking discovery. The book tells of how different parts of our anatomy, such as hands, teeth, or the head, have developed from structures in earlier species. There are also chapters on how the senses of smell, vision and hearing have developed.

I felt that the book showed the reader some of the excitement of tracing the history of our bodies further and further back in time, but not enough to make it into a gripping read. So the book is certainly worth reading if you want to find out more about the subject, and it's made it to the shortlist of 2009 Royal Society Prize for Science Books, but I wouldn't tip it as the final winner.

Amazon.com info

Paperback 256 pages
ISBN: 0307277453
Salesrank: 4303
Weight:0.6 lbs

Published: 2009 Vintage

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Amazon.co.uk info

Paperback 256 pages
ISBN: 0141027584
Salesrank: 8130
Weight:0.44 lbs

Published: 2009 Penguin

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Amazon.ca info

Paperback 256 pages
ISBN: 0307277453
Salesrank: 39992
Weight:0.6 lbs

Published: 2009 Vintage

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Product Description
Details on a Major New Discovery included in a New Afterword Why do we look the way we do? Neil Shubin, the paleontologist and professor of anatomy who co-discovered Tiktaalik, the “fish with hands,” tells the story of our bodies as you've never heard it before. By examining fossils and DNA, he shows us that our hands actually resemble fish fins, our heads are organized like long-extinct jawless fish, and major parts of our genomes look and function like those of worms and bacteria. Your Inner Fish makes us look at ourselves and our world in an illuminating new light. This is science writing at its finest—enlightening, accessible and told with irresistible enthusiasm.

Product Description

Details on a Major New Discovery included in a New Afterword

Why do we look the way we do? Neil Shubin, the paleontologist and professor of anatomy who co-discovered Tiktaalik, the “fish with hands,” tells the story of our bodies as you've never heard it before. By examining fossils and DNA, he shows us that our hands actually resemble fish fins, our heads are organized like long-extinct jawless fish, and major parts of our genomes look and function like those of worms and bacteria. Your Inner Fish makes us look at ourselves and our world in an illuminating new light. This is science writing at its finest—enlightening, accessible and told with irresistible enthusiasm.

Your Inner Fish, and Inner Shark, and Inner Annenome, and ... ****
Evolutionary Biology with an Anatomical Twist...Good merging of DNA and Homologue Analysis. Your innner fish, your inner sea annenome, your inner cell. Shubin looks at how are genomes are linked accross evolutionary time to the most humble of creatures (green slime), what our eyeballs share in genes with the Limpet and the Nautilaus... Very good book. Fairly light and briskly speeds along. I was inspired to go down the seashore right away with teh kids and marvel at teh wonder of the all the creatures homologous genes and point them out. Very good.

Your Inner Fish, and Inner Shark, and Inner Annenome, and ... ****

Evolutionary Biology with an Anatomical Twist...Good merging of DNA and Homologue Analysis. Your innner fish, your inner sea annenome, your inner cell. Shubin looks at how are genomes are linked accross evolutionary time to the most humble of creatures (green slime), what our eyeballs share in genes with the Limpet and the Nautilaus... Very good book. Fairly light and briskly speeds along. I was inspired to go down the seashore right away with teh kids and marvel at teh wonder of the all the creatures homologous genes and point them out. Very good.

Really Good, a Little Hard to Follow ****
Though a wee bit technical for this armchair scientist, I was mostly able to follow this fascinating book on evolution. Most (non text)books on evolution either have a really broad scope (germs to fish to tetrapods and so on and so forth) or they focus on primate evolution leading to humans. Shubin, who has professional experience as an anatomy professor and a prehistoric fish specialist, writes something very different. Read this book, and you'll learn why fish embryos are commonly used in medical research, why it makes perfect sense for a fish-loving paleontologist to teach med students, and why that goofy looking "fishapod" on the cover is so important to understanding who we are.

Really Good, a Little Hard to Follow ****

Though a wee bit technical for this armchair scientist, I was mostly able to follow this fascinating book on evolution. Most (non text)books on evolution either have a really broad scope (germs to fish to tetrapods and so on and so forth) or they focus on primate evolution leading to humans. Shubin, who has professional experience as an anatomy professor and a prehistoric fish specialist, writes something very different. Read this book, and you'll learn why fish embryos are commonly used in medical research, why it makes perfect sense for a fish-loving paleontologist to teach med students, and why that goofy looking "fishapod" on the cover is so important to understanding who we are.

A good read for the lay-man ****
Other reviewers have done an excellent job of outlining the subject of the book and I won't attempt to improve upon them. Rather, I'll just add my two cents as to the style and 'enjoyability' of the work... First, let me say that Mr Shubin has a very pleasant and readable style of writing. He presents his theses in a way that is graspable by the non-scientist and non-confrontational, as compared by recent works that discuss evolution and religious belief together. Ultimately, however, this is a book that will only entertain persons who are not religious fundamentalists and who already have a fairly decent appreciation of the fundamentals (no pun intended) of the evolutionary process. There are lots of books, of recent publication, that have weighed into the rationalism vs. irrationalism, science vs.religion controversies but this is not one of them.... Look to this book for an interesting addition to biological knowledge rather than a philisophical treatise concerning the origin of life. C. John Thompson

A good read for the lay-man ****

Other reviewers have done an excellent job of outlining the subject of the book and I won't attempt to improve upon them. Rather, I'll just add my two cents as to the style and 'enjoyability' of the work...

First, let me say that Mr Shubin has a very pleasant and readable style of writing. He presents his theses in a way that is graspable by the non-scientist and non-confrontational, as compared by recent works that discuss evolution and religious belief together.

Ultimately, however, this is a book that will only entertain persons who are not religious fundamentalists and who already have a fairly decent appreciation of the fundamentals (no pun intended) of the evolutionary process. There are lots of books, of recent publication, that have weighed into the rationalism vs. irrationalism, science vs.religion controversies but this is not one of them.... Look to this book for an interesting addition to biological knowledge rather than a philisophical treatise concerning the origin of life.

C. John Thompson

Wonderful Evolutionary Insights *****
This is a book that I highly suggest to someone who has an interest in biology at a novice's level. Neil Shubin, one of the discoverer's of the Titkaalik fossil, a unique transitional form of species with both amphibian and lobe-finned fish like characteristics. The author talks about his experience hunting fossils, giving credit to his predecessors who would use their prowess to find mammal teeth in the desert southwest. He also gave some background regarding the search for intermediarries between fish and amphibians and the types of sediments such species were likely to be found in. The search, going from roadcuts in the appalachians to the permafrost of the arctic, ultimately came up with the significant Titkaalik fossil that made such headlines. Giving us novice biologists a little lesson on the evolution of tetropod appendages, and how the fins of fish evolved into more sturdy structures that could bear weight under the conditions of living on land, the author shows evolution in action over millions of years and shows how the structures of all tetropod descendents of Titkaalik-like species evolved common characteristics in their limbs showing their common ancestry. Other lessons from evolutionary biology are also taught in the book, from the evolution of the inner ear from studying shark embryos, to studying primitive worms and what they tell us about cell structure and communication between cells. There is alot in this book to explore, and I am hopeful that subsequent books of this sort will be produced by this author, because he shows a real talent for making biology interesting and understandable. I highly recommend this book.

Wonderful Evolutionary Insights *****

This is a book that I highly suggest to someone who has an interest in biology at a novice's level. Neil Shubin, one of the discoverer's of the Titkaalik fossil, a unique transitional form of species with both amphibian and lobe-finned fish like characteristics. The author talks about his experience hunting fossils, giving credit to his predecessors who would use their prowess to find mammal teeth in the desert southwest. He also gave some background regarding the search for intermediarries between fish and amphibians and the types of sediments such species were likely to be found in. The search, going from roadcuts in the appalachians to the permafrost of the arctic, ultimately came up with the significant Titkaalik fossil that made such headlines.

Giving us novice biologists a little lesson on the evolution of tetropod appendages, and how the fins of fish evolved into more sturdy structures that could bear weight under the conditions of living on land, the author shows evolution in action over millions of years and shows how the structures of all tetropod descendents of Titkaalik-like species evolved common characteristics in their limbs showing their common ancestry.

Other lessons from evolutionary biology are also taught in the book, from the evolution of the inner ear from studying shark embryos, to studying primitive worms and what they tell us about cell structure and communication between cells.

There is alot in this book to explore, and I am hopeful that subsequent books of this sort will be produced by this author, because he shows a real talent for making biology interesting and understandable. I highly recommend this book.

Your Inner Fish ****
This book is written at a level that is easily accessible to the non-scientific public. The writer integrates down-to-earth information about what it's actually like to do fieldwork (a mixture of pain and pleasure, but mostly pain) with explanations of how findings in the field (and the lab) add to our understanding of evolutionary theory. Most of the "science" in the book is part of a high school biology curriculum, but the way in which Neil Shubin shares his personal experiences brings the concepts to life.

Your Inner Fish ****

This book is written at a level that is easily accessible to the non-scientific public. The writer integrates down-to-earth information about what it's actually like to do fieldwork (a mixture of pain and pleasure, but mostly pain) with explanations of how findings in the field (and the lab) add to our understanding of evolutionary theory. Most of the "science" in the book is part of a high school biology curriculum, but the way in which Neil Shubin shares his personal experiences brings the concepts to life.

You are what we were *****
This is a gem of a book. Ok, so there isn't much that is ground-breaking here but the angles from which Shubin looks at the human body are. The build up is slow but extremely enjoyable and all lead to one conclusion; every single aspect of our bodies is constrained by our ancestor's "choice" of body. We are not as efficient as we could be (if we were able to build our bodies from scratch) simply because evolution cannot go backwards to de-construct some of the earlier improvements. Shubin presents very apt metaphors along the way likening our nervous system to the electric wiring of an old building that went through various phases of improvement. The wires don't take the shortest routes simply because they have to go around older wires standing in the way. Likewise with our nervous system. When you finish this book you will be looking at your body in awe, and with brand new eyes.

You are what we were *****

This is a gem of a book. Ok, so there isn't much that is ground-breaking here but the angles from which Shubin looks at the human body are. The build up is slow but extremely enjoyable and all lead to one conclusion; every single aspect of our bodies is constrained by our ancestor's "choice" of body. We are not as efficient as we could be (if we were able to build our bodies from scratch) simply because evolution cannot go backwards to de-construct some of the earlier improvements. Shubin presents very apt metaphors along the way likening our nervous system to the electric wiring of an old building that went through various phases of improvement. The wires don't take the shortest routes simply because they have to go around older wires standing in the way. Likewise with our nervous system. When you finish this book you will be looking at your body in awe, and with brand new eyes.

THE ELEGANCE AND COMPLEXITY OF EVOLUTION, AND THE GENETICS BEHIND IT, EXPLAINED IN TERMS UNDERSTANDABLE BY THE CASUAL OBSERVER *****
One of the most famous examples of the mechanics of evolution are the finches of the Galapagos islands. As a 14 year old, it's easy enough to get your head around the idea of a gradual change in beak shape as successive generations of these bird become more dependant on one particular food source. But to take this notion, and attempt to translate it to the idea of an amoeba becoming, over successive generations, a human being is virtually impossible. Shubin's straightforward, but carful use of language, in this book allows a reader with little more than a curiosity about evolution to understand the complex ideas being put forward. And he does it with such flair and enthusiasm. After you read this book, you'll never look the same way at a fish again.

THE ELEGANCE AND COMPLEXITY OF EVOLUTION, AND THE GENETICS BEHIND IT, EXPLAINED IN TERMS UNDERSTANDABLE BY THE CASUAL OBSERVER *****

One of the most famous examples of the mechanics of evolution are the finches of the Galapagos islands. As a 14 year old, it's easy enough to get your head around the idea of a gradual change in beak shape as successive generations of these bird become more dependant on one particular food source. But to take this notion, and attempt to translate it to the idea of an amoeba becoming, over successive generations, a human being is virtually impossible.

Shubin's straightforward, but carful use of language, in this book allows a reader with little more than a curiosity about evolution to understand the complex ideas being put forward. And he does it with such flair and enthusiasm.

After you read this book, you'll never look the same way at a fish again.

A good introdution ... ****
... to a fascinating topic, but it doesn't generate the sheer wonder of Richard Dawkins' masterpiece "The Ancestors' Tale".

A good introdution ... ****

... to a fascinating topic, but it doesn't generate the sheer wonder of Richard Dawkins' masterpiece "The Ancestors' Tale".

A strikingly simple view of the complicated *****
Shubin has a knack for a simple explanation of a complicated subject. The story is about the quest to find a 375 million year fossil that would bridge the gap between sea creatures and the emergence of the first land based creatures. Along the way we get familiar with the notion that for all the diversity of life, the similarities between diverse species are striking. One feels more insightful towards the theories of evolution and selection. Above all, Shubin has a passion for the predictability of nature and infects that passion in the reader. I learned a little about genetics and a little about embryology. The subtext is almost as fascinating, the idea of serendipity or happy accidents to arrive at a positive outcome, and the benefits of multidisciplinaryism as a pathway to discovery.

A strikingly simple view of the complicated *****

Shubin has a knack for a simple explanation of a complicated subject. The story is about the quest to find a 375 million year fossil that would bridge the gap between sea creatures and the emergence of the first land based creatures. Along the way we get familiar with the notion that for all the diversity of life, the similarities between diverse species are striking. One feels more insightful towards the theories of evolution and selection. Above all, Shubin has a passion for the predictability of nature and infects that passion in the reader. I learned a little about genetics and a little about embryology.
The subtext is almost as fascinating, the idea of serendipity or happy accidents to arrive at a positive outcome, and the benefits of multidisciplinaryism as a pathway to discovery.

Best book on evolution since the selfish gene *****
Mr Shubin has holistically wound together the many strands of palentolgy, genetics, and anatomy, to bring us a unified picture of evolution beautifully illustrated by the countless images used throughout the book. I can't give this book justice with this review, but suffice to say that most chapters contain a WOW moment where cobwebs in your brain are brushed away. Excellent material for fighting the good fight (ie, against creationalism).

Best book on evolution since the selfish gene *****

Mr Shubin has holistically wound together the many strands of palentolgy, genetics, and anatomy, to bring us a unified picture of evolution beautifully illustrated by the countless images used throughout the book.

I can't give this book justice with this review, but suffice to say that most chapters contain a WOW moment where cobwebs in your brain are brushed away.

Excellent material for fighting the good fight (ie, against creationalism).

A great primer ****
This is a great book, it meanders a little but if I were looking for something to give to a biology student as a gift, or to help ease interested and intelligent readers into the world of science writing, this one would be on the shortest list. Wonderful quick look over several related fields that leaves all sorts of tantalizing hints of other areas to explore. This guy must be a fantastic professor to learn from, he writes lucidly and without a hint of condescension, about a subject he is obviously passionate for and learned in. I loved it, just wish it were longer and had a more comprehensive bibliography or source guide. Can't wait to see what else he writes in the future, definitely an emerging voice in a crowded field.

A great primer ****

This is a great book, it meanders a little but if I were looking for something to give to a biology student as a gift, or to help ease interested and intelligent readers into the world of science writing, this one would be on the shortest list. Wonderful quick look over several related fields that leaves all sorts of tantalizing hints of other areas to explore. This guy must be a fantastic professor to learn from, he writes lucidly and without a hint of condescension, about a subject he is obviously passionate for and learned in. I loved it, just wish it were longer and had a more comprehensive bibliography or source guide. Can't wait to see what else he writes in the future, definitely an emerging voice in a crowded field.

Fascinating find, very good writing *****
This book is a fascinating view on the evolutionary legacy of the human body. How much we (and other related animals) owe our current body design to ancestors in the past. Evolution works by modifying what already exists, so one can usually trace the evolutionary history of species by tracing their body plans. Animals that share similar body plans tend to be related to each other. That doesn't mean similar forms (that's convergent evolution), it means they're built out of the same materials, using the same methods. The latter point is quite important, as that relates to DNA, giving us a second method for examining evolutionary history- compare the DNA of the organisms, with an eye towards the building genes. Overall, this is a fascinating book and a good example of solid science. I enjoyed reading the book, and found that it was suited to academics and general audiences. Shubin has done a very good job in making a fossil fish from the arctic turn into a fascinating story that's well worth the read. If you ever want to give a skeptic evidence on human origins and the evolution of species, this book also does that very nicely. Well done Dr. Shubin.

Fascinating find, very good writing *****

This book is a fascinating view on the evolutionary legacy of the human body. How much we (and other related animals) owe our current body design to ancestors in the past. Evolution works by modifying what already exists, so one can usually trace the evolutionary history of species by tracing their body plans. Animals that share similar body plans tend to be related to each other. That doesn't mean similar forms (that's convergent evolution), it means they're built out of the same materials, using the same methods. The latter point is quite important, as that relates to DNA, giving us a second method for examining evolutionary history- compare the DNA of the organisms, with an eye towards the building genes.

Overall, this is a fascinating book and a good example of solid science. I enjoyed reading the book, and found that it was suited to academics and general audiences. Shubin has done a very good job in making a fossil fish from the arctic turn into a fascinating story that's well worth the read. If you ever want to give a skeptic evidence on human origins and the evolution of species, this book also does that very nicely. Well done Dr. Shubin.

Great Book! *****
I'm not in the field, nor am I a deep academic. I'm just getting into this theme of reading and I found this book extremely fascinating! The author's descriptions and explanations were easy to understand and I kept wanting to read more. He's got a great down to earth nature and approach. I have learned a lot and this book has made me wanting to hunt down more books on this topic. Big thanks to the author and all the work he has done!

Great Book! *****

I'm not in the field, nor am I a deep academic. I'm just getting into this theme of reading and I found this book extremely fascinating! The author's descriptions and explanations were easy to understand and I kept wanting to read more. He's got a great down to earth nature and approach.

I have learned a lot and this book has made me wanting to hunt down more books on this topic. Big thanks to the author and all the work he has done!

It's a fish, it's an amphibian, it's a great book *****
Shubin is that rare scientist, who is good both in his discipline and an entertaining writer. He often reminds me of the late Stephen J. Gould in that regard. I can only hope that he continues to write. He brilliantly interweaves our genetic connection with other species in ways that make sense even to the non-biologist. Of course, the star of the show is the transitional fish-to-amphibian his team found in 2004 on Ellesmere Island, in the Canadian Arctic. I hope that that is a story that finds its way into the classrooms of Canada. Someone should send this book to our Minister of Science and Technology, who neither understands nor accepts evolution, and will be sending much valued research biologists out of the country.

It's a fish, it's an amphibian, it's a great book *****

Shubin is that rare scientist, who is good both in his discipline and an entertaining writer. He often reminds me of the late Stephen J. Gould in that regard. I can only hope that he continues to write. He brilliantly interweaves our genetic connection with other species in ways that make sense even to the non-biologist. Of course, the star of the show is the transitional fish-to-amphibian his team found in 2004 on Ellesmere Island, in the Canadian Arctic. I hope that that is a story that finds its way into the classrooms of Canada. Someone should send this book to our Minister of Science and Technology, who neither understands nor accepts evolution, and will be sending much valued research biologists out of the country.

3.5 Billion Years in 231 Pages ****
Shubin's Your Inner Fish covers a lot of ground. As the title suggests, a good part of the book discusses the similarities between living creatures: in some ways, Shubin explains, we are very like fish. Of course, we are separated by fish by some hundreds of millions of years, which leaves a lot to discuss. The final chapter includes a brief but interesting discussion of how understanding our own evolutionary history can help us understand how and why we get sick. Those few pages left me wanting more. In addition to hard science, Shubin also includes some personal history, including the hunt for the fossil known as Tiktaalik, one of the first fish to make the transition to land. This book reminds me, in some respects, of Richard Dawkins' excellent book, The Ancestor's Tale (but perhaps only because I have not read that much paleontology). Both books explain the evolution of the fascinating ancient creatures that are our great, great . . . great grandparents.

3.5 Billion Years in 231 Pages ****

Shubin's Your Inner Fish covers a lot of ground. As the title suggests, a good part of the book discusses the similarities between living creatures: in some ways, Shubin explains, we are very like fish. Of course, we are separated by fish by some hundreds of millions of years, which leaves a lot to discuss. The final chapter includes a brief but interesting discussion of how understanding our own evolutionary history can help us understand how and why we get sick. Those few pages left me wanting more. In addition to hard science, Shubin also includes some personal history, including the hunt for the fossil known as Tiktaalik, one of the first fish to make the transition to land.

This book reminds me, in some respects, of Richard Dawkins' excellent book, The Ancestor's Tale (but perhaps only because I have not read that much paleontology). Both books explain the evolution of the fascinating ancient creatures that are our great, great . . . great grandparents.