Your Inner Fish

Your Inner Fish: A Journey Into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body
By Neil Shubin
Pantheon Books, 2008. 229 pgs. NonFiction

Neil Shubin, respected paleontologist and professor of anatomy, takes his readers on a journey through the history of life on our planet. He uses human anatomy to demonstrate how we share structure and function with some of the most basic and humble creatures to occupy our world. From fish to worms to flies, life on this planet is integrally linked and that linkage is continually reinforced through scientific discoveries being made each day.

I am usually a big fan of science writing, but I admit that I had a hard time really enjoying and engaging with this book. I’m not sure if it was the writing, the narration, or the subject matter that threw me off. If a reader is interested in anatomy, paleontology, or the theories of evolution, this book would definitely be of interest. But I wouldn’t recommend it for a summer beach read.

CZ