I just finished reading Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin. My wife reviews books for several blogs and she brought this one home. I picked up before she could read it and couldn't put it down.
This book answered a lot of questions that I always had about human development. Why do almost all animals on earth have pretty much the same body structure? Head and mouth in the front followed by two arms or fins followed by two legs or another fin and of course the anus in the rear. It is written in an easy to read format with just enough science to get the point across but not so much to lose you.
One thing that fascinates me about this hobby is how we get to raise and study animals that don't fit that mold. Anemones and corals don't look anything like us. They look more like plants than animals. The author of this book does devote some of the text to jellyfish, anemones and corals. We actually do share some of our DNA with them. We are more similar than one may think.
Whether or not you believe in evolution or creationism I highly recommend this book. If you are an evolutionist, like I am, you will find this book fascinating. It takes you through the fossil record and describes when different types of animals showed up on this planet. If you are a creationist, don't worry. The author does not shove evolution down your throat. I believe the word is written only one or twice in the entire book. If you believe in a creator you will be amazed by the common genetic formula that exists in us all and how closely we are linked to Gods other creatures. I urge you to give it a try.
