Chapter 1: Finding Your Inner Fish

It has surprised me that this book is actually holding my interest, usually I can not stand reading, but this comes to me as an exception. Shubin's writing style is very easy to understand, his use of analogies really help portray what he is trying to say. For example, he compares creating a plan for a fossil hunt to creating a plan for war, although it is good to have a plan, overall the plan is useless. Another thing Shubin used to help communicate his ideas was the use of images. The diagram of the layers of rock holding different types of animals, as well as his drawing comparing a fish, Tiktaalik, and a tetrapod really help the reader create a picture in their mind. Shubin also uses simple words and non-complex sentences in order for everyone to understand what he is saying, not just professors or adults.

What I found particularly interesting in the first chapter of the book was the process of how Shubin found the fossil of the Tiktaalik how the finding was so important to the world. The process of going into the Arctic and risking your life to find a fossil really shows his determination to find the bridge between land and water animals. The long, four year process to uncover the fossil of the Tiktaalik, removing rocks piece by piece show Shubin's determination to find the origin of land dwellers. I found his story of speaking to pre-schoolers humorous, how even such young kids are able to see that the Tiktaalik holds traits of both land and water animals. The book has captured my attention and I now look forward to how the discovery of the Tiktaalik influences what we know today about evolution.

-Jason Wu