Jerry Coyne's work delves into ecological and evolutionary genetics, with a particular focus on speciation, especially as it relates to fruit flies. His writings, appearing in both prestigious scientific journals and mainstream publications, explore complex topics such as population genetics, evolutionary mechanisms, and the intricacies of sperm competition. Coyne offers readers profound insights into the processes driving evolution and the formation of new species. His accessible style makes challenging scientific ideas understandable to a broad audience.
An argument in favor of evolution places an emphasis on the factual evidence supporting it, drawing on scientific evidence and discussing the significance of archaeological findings that reveal key moments in evolutionary history.
Deserted by his mother and abandoned by his father at just three months old, Jerry Coyne was sent to live in a Catholic children's home run by nuns of the order of the Sisters of Nazareth. Life soon settled into a rhythm and then, one day, the beatings started. Harsh, vicious punishments became part of everyday life for the bemused little boy as the nuns attempted to beat the Devil out of him. Jerry began to hide behind bad behaviour and at the age of 12, his defiance resulted in him being sent to a boarding for boys with behavioural problems. Life then got worse when his housemaster, the man whose job it was to take care of him, began a regime of mental, physical and sexual abuse. Years of self-hatred and guilt led to Jerry suffering from a severe stammer and, eventually, he tried to hang himself. This was the turning point and, after finally finding the courage to go to the authorities, Jerry and numerous other victims came forward and were instrumental in the conviction and imprisonment of their abuser. Devil's Child is the devastating true story of a childhood destroyed by abuse and of a young man's struggle to try to come to terms with the past and believe in the future.