Unintelligent Design: Why God Isn't As Smart As She Thinks She Is

Robyn Williams, National Living Treasure and longtime science broadcaster has a new book out, dealing with the mythology that calls itself "intelligent design". If the write up on the ABC Shop site is anything to go by, Mr Williams does not pull any punches. Which is as it should be.

Intelligent Design has found its way into the headlines, has been spruiked in the Parliament and is now trying to slink into our schools. So where did this wilfully ignorant sibling of creationism and its anti-scientific arguments spring from? And why is it refusing to go away? Using all the richness of the scientific and natural worlds, Robyn Williams takes on the stalking monster in a short, wicked and witty debunk of ID. Why make the earth, the solar system, our galaxy and all the rest, he asks, when the Garden of Eden was all that was needed? And then there's lifespan. During long periods of human history, the life expectancy of men was a mere 22 years and children were lucky to toddle, let alone grow up. Why the waste? And shouldn't we sue God for sinus blockages, hernias, appendix flare-ups and piles, not to mention bad backs? This is a book to infuriate the forces of darkness, and anger and amuse the rest of us.

Which at least shows that the ABC doesn't always go for the easy moneymaking woo end of the market.