A few hundred years is only 9 generations on a human time scale. Even for dogs( 30 generations) that's not long. The scale is more like tens of thousands to > millions. For bacteria a generation is on the order of 20min, so there is where folks look for change. Biologists have just recently rearranged reclassified the species of bacteria, because of recent info regarding their relationships.
I made a post to Phaedrus at 419 concerning "persuasion". I was attempting a simple explanation, or outline of the process, here. It's a simple concept, as I have outlined, but to grasp the mechanics isn't so simple. I would never attempt to persuade someone that doesn't already have a grasp of biology, genetics in particular, that it occurs. I also don't know of any good quick books w/o much mechanical details. That doesn't mean they don't exist though. If you're really skeptical it will take some time and thought.
I've never spent much time studying evolution, because it's really only a biological specialty. I believe man evolved and I also believe in God. I never had a problem between the 2. Other people use evolution as an analogy to corrupt things and con people. That should never be done, because it's only application is in bio, not economic theory, or political theory. It really doesn't apply to either, even as an analogy.