‘Choose Your Own Evolution:' A Book Review
This is a multiple-pathway adventure book with a difference. We're not slaying heroes here, and you don't have to roll any dice. Instead, after choosing one of several prompts, you will turn to different pages to discover new creatures. Each step through the book will take you forward in time to a new, more evolved organism.
The book, while aimed at children, does not talk down to its reader. We start as a Dickinsonia, one of the Earth's first and simplest animals, and one, I must confess, I had never heard of. The entry for the Dicksonia tells you a little about the environment it (you) lived in and its (your) traits and features. It then outlines a situation you, as the Dickinsonian, find yourself in. You'll need to adapt, but what are you going to do?
You're given 3 options to escape the danger. Try sea legs, slime, or show some backbone? Each option has a different page number. You pick one, and off you go to become either a Yicaris, a Helcionellid, or a Haikouichthys. Rinse and repeat, learning about different creatures, until you get to the end of your journey. (This feels like a good time to point out that the back of the book has a comprehensive glossary and a handy pronunciation guide!)
How do these evolutionary journeys end? There are essentially two ways. You either become extinct (oh no!) or you become a survivor (yay!). There are significantly more survivors than extinctions, and you can become all manner of things, from an arachnid to a woodlouse. If you pick the right 9 choices, you might even end up a human, though my wife considers Emperor Penguin the ultimate victory! (My choice would be the Peacock Butterfly.)
At the front of the book, before the multi-pathway fun begins, there is a handy guide to evolution, what it is, and how the theory was developed. At the back of the book, as well as the glossary and pronunciation guide, there is, perhaps best of all, a picture of the evolutionary tree used in the book. Very handy if you want to explore the links between the animals, or want to work your way backwards from human to Dickinsonia. It's a small thing, but the inclusion of this map makes the book all the better.
It's hard to convey just how much I love this book. My boys are growing older now (19, 16, and 13) but I've found all of them nosing through it when I left it out on the table. There is something irresistible about the animals explored, and the temptation to see if you can end up as a T-Rex. (Which, worryingly, despite wanting to be a penguin, is where my wife ended up.) The book is suitable for children aged 8 or 9 upwards, younger with some help.
The illustrations complement the text perfectly, and the text, with its conversational style, is highly informative but never overwhelming.
I've been looking at these types of books for over a decade now, reviewing them for GeekDad but also using them with my children and in their school. This one, I think, is the best of the lot. A success story of publishing evolution, perhaps?
Choose Your Own Evolution fires the imagination by challenging readers to forge different evolutionary pathways. As they read about the consequences of their decisions, they learn about the creatures they've become. The information transfer is effortless. The book offers engaging access to the science of natural selection and provides a great way for readers to immerse themselves in the processes of evolutionary biology.
If you would like to pick up a copy of Choose Your Own Evolution, you can do so here in the UK. I was unable to find a US retailer for the book, but hopefully a US edition will be available soon.
If you enjoyed this review, check out my other book reviews, here.
I received a copy of this book in order to write this review. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
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