The book influenced both Phillip E. Johnson, the father of intelligent design, Michael Behe, a proponent of irreducible complexity, and George Gilder, co-founder of the Discovery Institute, the hub of the intelligent design movement. Since writing the book Denton has changed many of his views on evolution; however, he still believes that the existence of life is a matter of design.
The book had a significant impact on Phillip E. Johnson, Michael Behe, and George Gilder, all prominent figures in the intelligent design movement. Despite changing some of his own views on evolution, Denton maintains that life's origin is a product of design.