The Not-So-Intelligent Designer

Why Evolution Explains the Human Body and Intelligent Design Does Not

By: Abby Hafer

Narrated by: Seth Andrews

Why do men's testicles hang outside the body? Why does our appendix sometimes explode and kill us? And who does the Designer like better, anyway--us or squid? These and other questions are addressed in The Not-So-Intelligent Designer: Why Evolution Explains the Human Body and Intelligent Design Does Not.

Dr. Abby Hafer argues that the human body has many faulty design features that would never have been the choice of an intelligent creator.

She also points out that there are other animals that got better body parts, which makes the Designer look a bit strange; discusses the history and politics of Intelligent Design and creationism; reveals animals that shouldn't exist according to Intelligent Design; and disposes of the idea of irreducible complexity.

Her points are illustrated with wit and erudition.

Dr. Abby Hafer has a doctorate in zoology from Oxford University. She is a Senior Lecturer who teaches human anatomy and physiology at Curry College.

©2015 Abby Hafer (P)2023 Abby Hafer

Critic reviews

"For an adequate account of the world, we must take a sober look at life as it really is. Hafer shows that things are a whole lot messier and makeshift than what some intelligent design theories would incline us to believe. This book has the potential not only to alter the political terrain in wars over evolution and creationism but also to prompt believers like me to rethink how we should talk about God as Creator." --Thomas Jay Oord, author of Divine Grace and Emerging Creation

"The Not-So-Intelligent Designer is a much-needed work in an America where anti-intellectualism is rampant and, shockingly, even candidates for high office frequently reject evolution. Abby Hafer has that rare ability to communicate complex scientific ideas in understandable terms for non-scientists, and this book is sure to enlighten many." --David Niose, author of Fighting Back the Right

A necessary compilation by Dr Hafer.

Although the illusions of design is strong, some things are not as they seem at first. The sun doesn’t go around the Earth to give us night and day. We evolved. We were not created.
The likelihood of a creator having to do with our existence is remote. When someone with an open mind to observation, thinks about it. What fits is that we evolved by means of mutations and selection by nature of the better suited for reproduction and survival over millions of generations.
Well done.
The voice of Seth Andrews is a wonderful choice. He gives wonderful intonations and emotions. I really wish he would give his voice many more books.

Thank you, Abby! Great narration, Seth!

Nobody narrates a book quite like Seth Andrews!
Abby, this book was like a 'Greatest Hits' album of all your presentations and interviews on YouTube. Awesome job!

For Anyone who grew up like me

Excellent discussion, easy to listen to and enjoyable. All the details on Intelligent Design were helpful. My only complaint and not worthy of any less stars, but Abby clearly has a bias against ID and Creationism. While she’s right that these belief systems have no merit in Science, proving them wrong doesn’t automatically mean there isn’t a higher power or an intelligent designer. Evolution is an amazing system, exciting that natural processes can make us. And, we hope make things all across this universe. If we are honest, there are many things we still can’t explain (look at the Quantum World), and we clearly aren’t in a binary world anymore. Even though ID and Creationists have such fault ideas shouldn’t assume that there wasn’t an intelligent design.

Eye Opening

Well we ain’t as perfect as we are lead to believe… life is amazing yes but to believe we are a creation of a perfect being is a stretch don’t believe me just listen… great narration by the always awesome Seth Andrews!

Very Informative

I think this book is very informal and has a lot of important information that can help change the perspective of how we view life

Some interesting points, but an obnoxious tone

I really wanted to like this book. And, to her credit, Dr. Hafer makes some very solid points, and provides interesting and compelling biological examples in her attacks on intelligent design. This book definitely added to my arsenal of biological counterarguments to ID.

Unfortunately, the book is painful to read due to the snarky, spiteful, condescending tone throughout. She seems unable to make her points like a detached, objective scientist. Almost every point is combined with an insult, an ad hominem attack, or a gross overstatement about the devious intentions of her opponents.

It’s as if a Richard Dawkins book was rewritten by a Fox News host. Scientists should be the ones elevating the debate. Let’s take the high road!

On a related note…I find any counterargument to be most compelling when it pays respect to the integrity of the opponent’s argument. Dr. Hafer repeatedly and noticeably mischaracterizes the nature of the “irreducible complexity” argument for ID. I fully agree that there are no clear examples of irreducible complexity in nature. But her “cutting off the head” analogy makes me question whether she really understands what is meant by irreducible complexity.

Finally, the book is unnecessarily long. There are many chapters, like the one on scurvy, in which the same point is made multiple times, using very similar language. I began to wonder whether my audible app was stuck in a loop, but it wasn’t.

My vote? Skip this book. There are many books on this subject that contain equally compelling points and examples, but without the pettiness.

Interesting, but...

it gets extremely repetitive. You could take a drink every time you hear "BAD DESIGN" and be flat out drunk within the hour. It's too bad that lots of great information gets lost in overexplanation or is only touched upon so quickly that you wonder why it was included at all.