A searing, imaginative memoir that pairs two stories, the author's budding self-realization and the race to formulate the theory of evolution. An unusual historian, Fries wears the story of his life on his feet in specially constructed orthopedic shoes. And because many have simplified evolutionary theory into the slogan "survival of the fittest," Fries measures his own conflicted identity against the terms of that theory--and against the psychological complexities of its discoverers. For in Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace, Fries recognizes a pair of intellectual adventurers whose research--now in isolation, now in concert, now in conflict--illuminates his own quest to adapt to an ever-shifting environment. Indeed, Fries never appreciates his unnaturally shaped shoes more than when they enable his otherwise-crippled feet to transport him up the trails of the Galepagos Islands, where Darwin once contemplated the natural shapes of birds and reptiles. Appreciation melds with resistance, however, when Fries attempts to reframe the Darwin-Wallace debate over sexual selection from his homosexual perspective. Few are the writers who can so deftly weave science into intensely personal reflections, compellingly reminding readers of the still unfathomable mystery of one terrestrial species. Bryce Christensen Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Such an artful and compelling weaving together, such lovely writing. A really really great book." -- David Rakoff, author of Fraud A beautiful account blending memory, information and insight so eloquently and uniquely. Reading this book is a rewarding absorbing experience. -- Joanna Scott, author, Various Antidotes A beautiful and truly original book, for the quality of mind and language I found in it. Fries's reflections on adaptation led me to think in a new way about my own life of adaptations. -- Adrienne Rich An amazing book--beautiful and unique. Kenny Fries makes dazzling connections between the most intimate details and the most sweeping panoramas, and left me changed by his insights. -- Joan Silber, author of Ideas of Heaven Beautifully written, fascinating, incredibly original and with a great title. It says something about the human race that is truly profound. I don't know when I have read anything more pertinent or exciting. -- Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Lives of Dogs Fascinating...With incisive passion, Fries argues that the ideas of Darwin and Wallace yield insights into how disability fits into culture....People adapt in order to survive just as species do. The History of My Shoes and the Evolution of Darwin's Theory will take you on a remarkable journey of memoir, disability, and culture -- The Washington Blade, June 8, 2007 I read this book with great pleasure, delighted by the unexpected yet perfectly apt conjunctions, by the grace and economy with which the episodes from Darwin's life and key concepts of his work are transposed into a "natural history" of the self with a poet's sense of the telling detail -- Andrea Barrett, author of Ship Fever and Servants of the Map In this quietly revolutionary book, Fries gives us his own story, side-by-side with that of Darwin's. The juxtaposition is startling, revelatory, and ultimately redemptive. Big-hearted, generous, deeply human, this is the next wave in identity politics, and you're going to love it. -- Alison Smith, author, Name All The Animals Kenny Fries explores both "able-bodiedness" and the legacies of Darwin's theory while literally traveling the world. There is no book quite like this and no one who reads these pages will ever forget them. This is a history of our bodies and a travelogue through landscapes and cultural signs that everyone should read in our post-colonial millennium. -- Stephen Kuusisto, author, Planet of the Blind Kenny Fries lives in Northhampton, Massachusetts, and teaches in the MFA program at Goddard College. His books include Body, Remember: A Memoir, Staring Back: The Disability Experience from the Inside Out, Desert Walking, Anesthesia: Poems, and The Healing Notebook. Most recently he was a Creative Arts Fellow of the Japan-US Friendship Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. Used Book in Good Condition