Abstract This paper analyzes four popular essays on punctuated equilibrium by the late paleobiologist Stephen Jay Gould, who coauthored the evolutionary theory with Niles Eldredge in 1972. It begins with a survey of Gould's disparate reception among scientific amateurs and professionals. Main concerns include the role of accommodated science in the public perception of truth and whether Gould was able to manipulate popular views through his talent for writing vivid prose, the validity of metaphor for constructing our understanding of scientific theory, and the degree to which the disciplines (literature, rhetoric, economics, biology) can usefully interact in the elucidation of scientific ideas.