Questioning the Millennium

A Rationalist's Guide to a Precisely Arbitrary Countdown

More than a quarter of a century later, listen to what evolutionary scientist Stephen Jay Gould had to say about the approaching millennium.

What is our concept of a millennium and how has its meaning shifted? When did the new millennium begin? And why must our calendars be so complex, anyway? Best-selling author Stephen Jay Gould applies his wit and erudition to explore these questions, which cover one of today's most pressing subjects. In 1950, at the age of 8, Gould developed an interest in the approaching millennium, when Life magazine marked the century's midpoint. The evolutionary scientist holds the mirror up to all of our millennial passions in this wide-ranging discussion that reveals our foibles, absurdities, and uniqueness—in other words, our humanity.

©19997 Stephen Jay Gould (P)1997 Phoenix Books