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The journal Nature (2009; 460: 574-577) asked a number of scientists — including NCSE's Eugenie C. Scott — for their recommendations for summer reading. Scott picked Mark Pallen's The Rough Guide to Evolution (Rough Guides, 2009), writing that Pallen "provides a concise summary of what you need to know: a brief history of the idea that all living things share common ancestry, a complete survey of the mechanisms of evolution and a solid summary of how life originated and then adapted through time to a changing planet. He livens up the story with literary, musical and cultural references so that you never feel you are being told to eat your vegetables." She added, "Alas, it is not only non-specialists who don't have a firm grasp of the strength of theory and data supporting the modern understanding of evolution — many scientists outside the field of evolutionary biology struggle too. This entertaining handbook will bring anyone up to date."