Evolution In Perspective: Commentaries in Honor of Pierre Lecomte du Noüy ed. by G. N. Shuster and R. E. Thorson (review)

5Q8 BOOK REVIEWS in the field of theology, to get their studies published; Catholic publishers, given the present low state of the market for Catholic theology books, are understandably hesitant to publish works by unknown authors. This is unfortunate from many points of view. For one thing, the impression might be given that the pamphlets occasionally published, like the one under review, represent the present state of Teilhardian scholarship. This would be a false impression. For the time being, however, anyone who wants to keep up with scholarship in the area of Teilhardian studies is required to seek, not in books, but in the recent theological journals. The Catholic University of America Washington, D. C. RoBERT L. FARreY, S. J. Evolution In Perspective: Commentaries in Honor of Pierre Lecomte du Noily. Edited by G. N. SHUSTER and R. E. THORSON. Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press, 1970. Pp. 300. $10.00. This anthology is gleaned from papers delivered at a Paris colloque and a later (October, 1967) conference on evolution held at Notre Dame University. It consists of twenty-five papers read by twenty-five different contributors. Dr. Shuster, one of the editors, is not one of the contributors . Of the contributors, sixteen are closely connected with France, either through parentage and/or education. Also, thirteen of the twentyfive are professionals in a scientific, technological, or medical field of endeavor. The whole volume is divided into two main divisions: the first, consisting of fourteen contributions, deals mainly with various substantive issues in evolutionary theory; the second, with eleven entries, is concerned largely with commemorations contributed by people with whom du Noiiy was closely associated in his life and work. The transition from Part One to Part Two is marked in the Table of Contents and Preface but not in the text itself. The papers vary quite a bit in length, with those in Part One ranging from about six to thirty-seven pages, while those in Part Two range from about four to twenty-one pages. The only exceptionally short article, occurring in Part One, is Langan's twopage commentary on a previous paper by Dupre. The purpose of the anthology, as stated by the two editors in their Preface, is to combine scientific, philosophic, and religious knowledge around the two central conference themes of original thinking on man in evolution and (rather belatedly) the work of du Noiiy (1883-1947) with respect to the same subject. The editors also use the Preface for a brief BOOK REVIEWS 529 comparison of du Noiiy with de Chardin and for briefly indicating the contents of the ensuing papers. They note that du Noiiy and de Chardin can be said to agree on the fact of some kind of evolutionary development, that the human brain is the summit of the process, that the future depends upon how man uses his brain, and that man has an ultimate spiritual destiny centered around Christ. The two men differed, however, insofar as de Chardin tended to emphasize collective evolution while du Noiiy emphasized individualism in evolutionary development. The first paper in the work is by S. W. Fox. He is concerned with whether or not a continuing life-process can be started in the laboratory. He believes it can; du Noiiy believed it could not. The paper's main purpose, then, is to show that du Noiiy was wrong. This is attempted by summarizing the research done, especially since 1950, and emphasizing his own research, carried on with Kaoru Harada, on the various ways scientists can produce in a test tube the major ingredients found in a primitive cell. While admitting that a biologist cannot outright synthesize a whole cell, Fox claims that he can and has shown how a simplified cell could have emerged from primitive gases, through the amino acids, and protein-like polymers. This is all it would take to begin an evolutionary process. The organization of this primitive material, due to inherent qualities of proper crystallization under the right conditions, would take care of itself. Once started, the primitive self-replicating heterotroph would evolve ways of synthesizing internally its own ingredients, thus starting evolution on its way. Although the paper...