The book presents a multi-faceted scientific case for the theory of intelligent design and also examines the legal and pedagogical arguments for teaching students about the scientific controversies that surround the issue of biological origins.

Editor John Angus Campbell lays out the design of the book in the introduction:

"Darwinism, Design, and Public Education will seek to advance public discussion of science education by presenting arguments for and against a more inclusive, controversy-based biology curriculum. In order to do this, the book will also present arguments for and against both contemporary Darwinism and the theory of ID itself. Darwinism, Design, and Public Education is divided into four parts and appendixes. The first part of the volume presents three essays arguing for a more inclusive approach to science education-indeed, one that would encourage science educators to teach students about scientific challenges to Darwinian theory and about the challenge posed to Darwinism by advocates of the theory of intelligent design. The second part includes several essays that provide scientific critiques of contemporary evolutionary theories or textbook presentations of these theories. The third part presents essays that develop the scientific case for intelligent design. The fourth part offers responses, chiefly critical, to the essays in the first three parts of the volume. The appendixes present both supporting documents about the controversy over the teaching of evolution in the public schools (including the transcript of a recent hearing of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and an essay by Donald Kennedy) and a technical supplement to the case by Stephen C. Meyer, Marcus Ross, Paul Nelson, and Paul Chien on the Cambrian explosion."

Those familiar with the ID movement will recognize most of the contributors to this volume, and well as some of the articles which appear in book form for the first time. Integrated under the watchful eyes of editors John Angus Campbell and Stephen C. Meyer, this book is an important contribution to the "Teach the Controversy" viewpoint for how to handle the origins controversy in our public schools.

John Angus Campbell is Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication at the University of Memphis and is a past President of the American Association for the Rhetoric of Science and Technology. Dr. Campbell's research has focused on the rhetoric of science. He has published numerous technical articles analyzing the rhetorical strategy of Darwin's The Origin of Species and is widely regarded as the world's foremost expert on the subject. The Rhetoric of Charles Darwin is a video interview with Dr. Campbell available from ARN.

Praise for Darwinism, Design, & Public Education
"Darwinism, Design, and Public Education should be read by everyone seeking a fair and comprehensive debate about the teaching of evolution in American public schools� this book's careful yet passionate dialogue actually provides the tools needed by a democratic public to make sense of this difficult controversy."

-James Arnt Aune, Texas A&M University, author of Rhetoric and Marxism and Selling the Free Market

Table of Contents
Why Are We Still Debating Darwinism? Why Not Teach the Controversy?
John Angus Campbell

PART I-Should Darwinism Be Presented Critically and Comparatively in the Public Schools? Philosophical, Educational, and Legal Issues

Intelligent Design, Darwinism, and the Philosophy of Public Education, John Angus Campbell

Intelligent Design Theory, Religion, and the Science Curriculum, Warren A. Nord

Teaching the Controversy: Is It Science, Religion, or Speech? David DeWolf, Stephen C. Meyer, and Mark E. DeForrest

PART II-Scientific Critique of Biology Textbooks and Contemporary Evolutionary Theory

The Meanings of Evolution, Stephen C. Meyer and Michael Newton Keas

The Deniable Darwin, David Berlinski

Haeckel's Embryos and Evolution: Setting the Record Straight, Jonathan Wells

Second Thoughts about Peppered Moths, Jonathan Wells

Where Do We Come From? A Humbling Look at the Biology of Life's Origin, Massimo Pigliucci

Origin of Life and Evolution in Biology Textbooks: A Critique, Gordon C. Mills, Malcolm Lancaster, and Walter L. Bradley

PART III-The Theory of Intelligent Design: A Scientific Alternative to Neo-Darwinian and/or Chemical Evolutionary Theories

DNA and the Origin of Life: Information, Specification, and Explanation, Stephen C. Meyer

Design in the Details: The Origin of Biomolecular Machines, Michael J. Behe

Homology in Biology: Problem for Naturalistic Science and Prospect for Intelligent Design, Paul Nelson and Jonathan Wells

The Cambrian Explosion: Biology's Big Bang, Stephen C. Meyer, Marcus Ross, Paul Nelson, and Paul Chien

Reinstating Design within Science, William A. Dembski

PART IV-Critical Responses

The Rhetoric of Intelligent Design: Alternatives for Science and Religion, Celeste Michelle Condit

Intelligent Design and Irreducible Complexity: A Rejoinder, David Depew

Biochemical Complexity: Emergence or Design? Bruce H. Weber

Design Yes, Intelligent No: A Critique of Intelligent Design Theory and Neo-Creationism, Massimo Pigliucci

On Behalf of the Fool, Michael Ruse

Rhetorical Arguments and Scientific Arguments: Do My Children Have to Listen to More Arguments against Evolution? Eugene Garver

Design? Yes! But Is It Intelligent? William Provine

Creation and Evolution: A Modest Proposal, Alvin Plantinga

Thinking Pedagogically about Design, John Lyne

An Intelligent Person's Guide to Intelligent Design Theory, Steve Fuller

Creationism versus Darwinism: A Third Alternative, Brig Klyce and Chandra Wickramasinghe

The Rhetorical Problem of Intelligent Design, Phillip E. Johnson

Appendixes
A. U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Hearing: On Curriculum Controversies in Biology
B. Helping Schools to Teach Evolution, Donald Kennedy
C. Stratigraphic First Appearance of Phyla-Body Plans
D. Stratigraphic First Appearance of Phyla-Subphyla Body Plans
E. Probability of Other Body Plans Originating in the Cambrian Explosion