Discount Shopping Online :: Books The Devil in Dover: An Insider's Story of Dogma v. Darwin in Small-town America : :

The Devil in Dover: An Insider's Story of Dogma v. Darwin in Small-town America
by: Lauri Lebo

List Price: $24.95

Amazon.com's Price: $16.47

You Save: $8.48 (34%)
Prices subject to change.

Used Price: $14.97
Third Party New Price: $12.47

Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 345.730288
EAN: 9781595582089
ISBN: 1595582088
Label: New Press
Manufacturer: New Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 256
Publication Date: May 13, 2008
Publisher: New Press
Sales Rank: 112991
Studio: New Press

Related Items:

Editorial Review:

Product Description:
The page-turning story behind the 2005 intelligent design case in Dover, Pennsylvania—the case that made front-page news around the world.

'What happened in Dover is a tiny sliver, a broken shard of glass mirroring what plays out across the country. A war of fundamentalist Christian values versus secularism. A battle between evangelical fanaticism and tolerance.'—from The Devil in Dover

In December 2004, following the Dover area school board's decision to teach intelligent design in ninth-grade biology classrooms, eleven parents sued, sparking a federal constitutional challenge. Lauri Lebo, a small-town reporter who covered the trial, knows not just the legal case and science, but the people on all sides of the divisive battle.

In The Devil in Dover, Lebo traces the compelling backstory of this pivotal case described by some as a perfect storm of religious intolerance, First Amendment violations, and an assault on American science education. In a community divided across unexpected lines, the so-called activist judge, a George Bush-appointed Republican, eventually condemned the school board's decision as one of 'breathtaking inanity.'

Lebo follows the story through its surprising twists, pondering whether this was a national war playing out in a small town or a small-town political battle playing out on the national stage. As a 'local girl' with a fundamentalist Christian father, Lebo provides an account that is both fascinating and moving, as she thoughtfully probes one of America's most divisive cultural conflicts—and the responsibility journalists have when covering such a controversial story.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- And in the Details
The Devil in Dover was one of at least half a dozen books to have been written after Judge Jones handed judgment to the plaintiffs in Kitzmiller v Dover Area School District. The plaintiffs there had sued the school to restrain it from pushing through Intelligent Design as an alternative theory of science. More specifically, to stop the school from compelling its biology teachers to recite a one minute statement to that effect. Of the books mentioned, many were written by journalists and science writers who covered the trial. Lebo was one of them. Gordy Slack who wrote "The Battle over the Meaning of Everything", Edward Humes who wrote "Monkey Girl", and Matthew Chapman, a great-great grandson of Charles Darwin, wrote 40 Days and 40 Nights. In addition, two experts who testified for the plaintiffs, Barbara Forrest and Kenneth Miller also wrote. Forrest up-dated her book "Creationism's Trojan Horse", co-written with ... Read More

Rating:

- Lebo's pen has music and power
Lebo's narrative both public and personal of Kitzmiller v. Dover has a polish that is rarely found in a book written by a journalist. While journalists by definition are writers and can make a short topical piece sing, it seems that many tend to have a rather leaden voice in a more complex and multilayered story.

Lebo is a rare exception. Her story of the clumsy machinations of the board members that ignore basic American legal and moral principles for religious reasons is well drawn and insightful. Not only does she act as the reporter, but shows the very human quality of all of the participants -- including herself.

Lebo's book is not only a gripping story, but can also serve as an example of superior writing. She is an ornament to the profession.

Rating:

- If you have time to read only one book about Dover...this is the one to read
As would be expected with a story such as Kitzmiller v. Dover, there are a number of accounts that have been published. I've read several, including extensive magazine articles. With all due respect to the other authors, they were written by those who swept in to cover the story and then moved on to the next project. Lauri Lebo, on the other hand, lived in the area, covered the Dover school board and the trial for a local newspaper and knew many of the key individuals as well as their religious communities. The result is that you get the "human side" of the story.

The book doesn't go into much detail on the scientific issues. However, the reality is that you're not really dealing with scientific issues when discussing Intelligent Design. The real questions in the case involved the obvious First Amendment issue as well as press-related topics. Other reviews of this book have questioned Lebo's "objectivity", ... Read More

Rating:

- much insight about the players
Yet another book on the Dover Intelligent Design case, and this may be the best of breed. Edward Humes' Monkey Girl has more on the science and strategy, but this book is tops on the effect of the case on the town. It's also by far the most explicit in exploring the perjury of the fundamentalist faction and the weak-kneed school superintendent. They come off as immoral and wilfully ignorant, not a pretty sight. Recommended for everyone interested in either science education or the malign intent of the Religious Right.

Discount Shopping Online Books and Publications

Books : The Devil in Dover: An Insider's Story of Dogma v. Darwin in Small-town America
Books and Publications Average Rating:

Search the web for info about The Devil in Dover: An Insider's Story of Dogma v. Darwin in Small-town America

Discount Shopping Online Books and Publications

Books : The Devil in Dover: An Insider's Story of Dogma v. Darwin in Small-town AmericaBooks and Publications Average Rating:

Search the web for info about The Devil in Dover: An Insider's Story of Dogma v. Darwin in Small-town America

Books : The Devil in Dover: An Insider's Story of Dogma v. Darwin in Small-town America
Books and Publications Average Rating: