A century and a half ago, Charles Darwin sparked a scientific revolution. Now that revolution has become a culture war. But does the concept of “intelligent design” have validity as an alternative to evolution? Three new books look beyond the rhetoric.

Reviews by Robert Lee Hotz of three books analyzing (and largely rebuffing) the claims of intelligent design to be "scientific" in method and conclusions.

The books are:

The Reluctant Mr. Darwin:
An Intimate Portrait of Charles Darwin and the Making of His Theory of Evolution
David Quammen
Atlas Books/W.W. Norton: 304 pp., $22.95

Intelligent Thought:
Science Versus the Intelligent Design Movement
Edited by John Brockman
Vintage: 258 pp., $14 paper

Why Darwin Matters:
The Case Against Intelligent Design
Michael Shermer
Times Books/Henry Holt: 202 pp., $22