The Riot and the Dance: Foundational Biology

The Foundational Biology Package contains all three pieces of our integrated, hands-on, readable approach to biology, written by Dr. Gordon Wilson.

This makes one year of biology very affordable:
• The Riot and the Dance Student Textbook: $79
• Lab Manual: $22
• Teacher's Guide: $24

The Riot and the Dance is biology like you've never seen it before. With over 130 original illustrations and several hundred figures total, the student book is first and foremost an approachable and readable explanation of the complicated basics of biology. Rather than teaching a pile of disconnected facts about biology, Gordon Wilson gives the reader a foundational knowledge of living things alongside his primary goal, which is to stir up a long-lasting wonder and curiosity about life and a greater desire to praise the Creator.

In "Part 1: The Living Cell," you will be introduced to:

In "Part 2: The Diversity of Life," you will be taken on a fascinating tour of:

"The Riot and the Dance by Dr. Gordon Wilson is not your typical biology text book, as is obvious from the title. It is written in a more personal style—like a conversation between the student and the professor. As a consequence the reader feels more like the author is a real person and they are reading a real book (rather than trying to plow through a dictionary or encyclopedia). All the essential biology is presented, and is presented well—but in a more user-friendly context. The author is transparent in his Christian perspective, but remains strongly focused on the biology at hand. His very limited interjection of personal perspectives preserves the book's professional character but adds a dash of salt. There is no attempt to deal in depth with various theories regarding the history of life, which I feel is appropriate and intellectually honest." -John Sanford, PhD, Courtesy Associate Professor, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University

"As a former college professor, it was refreshing to read a biology textbook that was not saturated in evolutionary fairy tales. Wilson doesn't hide his beliefs about creation beginning with God's Word. I enjoyed the conversational style of the book that will engage students with the information versus the typical biology textbook that is a boring recounting of facts. I also appreciated the use of analogies as these are a very effective teaching tool in the sciences. The Riot and the Dance will make a great addition to any biology classroom that desires to learn about God's world beginning with God's Word." -Georgia Purdom, PhD, Answers in Genesis

READER REVIEWS:

"Our previous high school biology curriculum was just not cutting it with neither my daughter nor me. What a difference with The Riot and the Dance! My daughter doesn't cringe when it's time for her to do science." -Leslie

"This is a textbook that is not like other textbooks because it is fun. I have used this book as a help in teaching high school biology, I've referred to it during medical school (for his summaries of metabolic pathways), and I have read big chunks of it for pleasure and out of curiosity. Dr. Gordon Wilson is a very talented teacher and he does a wonderful job of illustrating the content of his book." -Ryan

"The Riot and the Dance is everything you need a biology text to be. It’s college prep. It’s interesting. It covers biology from the cellular level all the way up to the macro level (but does not cover humans) and ends with a well written chapter on ecology. It traffics in awe and wonder... If you are looking for a biology curriculum for high school, The Riot and the Dance is worth your consideration. It’s a solid, informative text, it’s engaging, and the labs are good. What’s not to like?" -Brandy