Containing bibliographical data and brief objective descriptions of almost 2000 anti-evolutionist books, pamphlets, and tracts, and with useful biographical data on their authors, Anti-Evolution is invaluable for the serious student of creationism. Writing in Nature, Euan G Nisbet said, "Tom McIver has provided us with a splendid bestiary of anti-evolution ideas. ... It is a fascinating work ... either for a chuckle or, on those unpleasant occasions, to face up to a nightmare on the rampage." Published in 1988 and reissued in paperback, with a new introduction, in 1992 and again in 2008. McIver is a long-time member of NCSE.

Reviewing Encyclopedia of Evolution for RNCSE, Tim M Berra wrote, "It is not often that one reads an encyclopedia from cover to cover, but this task was more enjoyable than onerous. ... Rice's coverage is broad, interesting, relevant, and informative. If you want examples of Convergent Evolution or a primer on Cladistics, Coevolution, or Creationism, this is a good place to begin. Reading this book would be excellent preparation for graduate school general exams. It can serve as a ready reference for science journalists, teachers, school board members, and the intelligent layperson." The author, a member of NCSE, teaches at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

From the publisher: "[T]he evolution versus creation debate never goes away. The best way to understand these debates is to read the arguments of the individuals involved. This reference work provides over 40 of the most important documents to help readers understand the debate in the eyes of the people of the time. Each document is from a major participant in the debates — from the predecessors of Darwin to the judges of the influential court cases of the present day. The editors have included an introduction and analysis of each document that places it within historical and scientific context."

Recounting the legal history of the creationism/evolution debate, from the Scopes trial on, Evolution in the Courtroom also offers extras such as excerpts from key legal documents, a detailed chronology, and profiles of the major players, such as Frank White, the Arkansas governor who signed a "balanced treatment" act without even reading it. The reviewer for American Reference Books Annual praised Evolution in the Courtoom as "a wonderful addition to a school library, preferably high school, as well as in a science classroom reference library." Randy Moore is a member of NCSE and received its Friend of Darwin award in 2004.

From the publisher: "Students and the general public are frequently confronted with contradictory and confusing claims about the people, ideas, and artifacts that were essential in the development of the science of evolution. Where can they find accurate and understandable information on these important concepts? Icons of Evolution comprises twenty-four in-depth essays on the most famous ideas, artifacts, people and places of evolutionary biology. Dinosaurs, Neanderthals, Charles Darwin, peppered moths, carbon dating, the fossil record, and more, are explained by some of the most respected scientists, historians, and philosophers of evolution in the world."

The editors of Keywords in Evolutionary Biology commissioned leading biologists, historians of biology, and philosophers of science to explain in detail a host of concepts central to evolutionary biology, from adaptation to unit of selection. The book includes essays by Richard Dawkins, Stephen Jay Gould, Daniel J Kevles, Motoo Kimura, Philip Kitcher, Michael Ruse, Elliott Sober, Mary Jane West-Eberhard, and David Sloan Wilson. Ernst Mayr exclaimed, "What a splendid idea to have a critical discussion by established experts of the key words used in recent controversies in evolutionary biology. This helps the understanding of these controversies enormously."

More than Darwin provides a carefully researched and lavishly illustrated account of over 500 people, places, and organizations that figure prominently in the creationism/evolution controversy, from Adam and Eve to Evelle J Younger (who, as attorney general of California in 1975, declared that "balanced treatment" acts were unconstitutional). The reviewer for Library Journal wrote, "It is a major source of information on the subject, covering the entire range of topics in the history of the debate. ... This accessible resource is a great tool for anyone looking for short and concise background on the evolution–creationism controversy. Recommended for all public and high school libraries."

The Book of Life, now in its second edition, provides nothing less than it promises in its title: a detailed account of the history of life on earth over the last four billion years. J John Seposki Jr, Michael Benton, Christine Janis, Christopher Stringer, and Peter Andrews, under the general editorship of NCSE Supporter Stephen Jay Gould, are responsible for the thoroughly understandable text; the vivid and compelling illustrations are the work of John Barber, Marianne Collins, Ely Kish, Akio Marishima, and Jean-Paul Tibbles. Palaeontologia Electronica's reviewer wrote, "There is much of interest here for the professional, and a wealth to be discovered for the interested general reader."

A monumental reference work, with over 1300 pages in two volumes, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Evolution presents the essentials of evolutionary biology in 370 original articles written by leading experts, accompanied with hundreds of tables, charts, graphs, maps, and other illustrations, as well as bibliographies, cross-references, and an index. The reviewer for Trends in Ecology & Evolution concluded, "Throughout the diverse contributions, a strong case could be made that the authors are among the best that could have been chosen to describe their respective fields. ... In short, this will be an excellent reference work for those in any field of evolution."

The Story of Life, based on the eminent zoologist Richard Southwood's lectures to first-year students at Oxford University, manages to review the history of life, from its earliest beginnings to the present day — and it even offers a glimpse into the future. It is generously illustrated with line drawings and maps, too! "This remarkable book succeeds, within less than 300 pages, in summarizing everything essential about all living creatures for more than three billion years. If you are looking for one convenient, reliable, highly readable reference to replace your whole library, this is it," writes Jared Diamond.

Reviewing The Tree of Life for RNCSE, Kevin Padian wrote, "The Tree of Life is a terrific compendium of the conclusions of thirty years of research and standardization by thousands of scientists around the globe. It is clearly written, logically organized, and beautifully illustrated. In short, it is one-stop shopping for anyone with questions about where a given group of organisms fits on the tree of life, what characteristics put it there, and how we know all this. ... This book deserves wide distribution and use in libraries and classrooms, as well as among professionals and students of biology."

"[A]n eye for classification is a constant reminder that nothing on this planet is as homely as it seems — there are several thousand million years of evolutionary drama behind everything that moves and breathes," Colin Tudge explains in The Variety of Life, which provides both a primer on systematics and (in the words of the book's subtitle) a survey and a celebration of all the creatures that have ever lived. The Variety of Life was praised by Edward O Wilson as "a valuable introduction to the higher classification of organisms and an easily accessible reference work to the entire spread of biodiversity."