About the Author

Charles Darwin was born on 12th February 1809. He studied medicine at Edinburgh University for two years before going up to Christ's College Cambridge. Between 1831 and 1836 he sailed on the survey ship HMS Beagle, and the subsequent Journal of the Voyages of the Beagle brought him some fame and repute as a popular author. In 1859 Darwin published On The Origin of Species, which went through six editions, each noticeably revised. These were followed in 1871 by The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex in which he first fully applied his ideas of evolution to the human species. As well as the works directly related to the subject of evolution, Darwin published on subjects such as botany, ecology, the geology of South America, the expression of emotions in animals and man, and the comparative study of barnacles. Darwin had fathered ten children with his wife Emma, though three had died in infancy or childhood, and he himself died on 19th April 1882. He was buried, after some controversy, in Westminster Abbey.

Reviews

As a milestone not only in the history of science but also in cultural history, On the Origin of Species belongs in every library, high school and above. Nature writer Quammen (The Reluctant Mr. Darwin) offers a gloriously illustrated and richly annotated volume, which testifies to the book's enduring legacy. Throughout the text, relevant sidebars from other of Darwin's writings, including his Autobiography, field notes from the HMS Beagle, and his myriad letters, are presented for their insight. Illustrations include historical images, such as sketches, woodcuts, and portraits of people and places, but also included are contemporary photographs of the flora and fauna that Darwin described. Between the contextual additions and the edifying illustrations, there is no comparable volume. For all libraries. Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

Originally published in 1859, Darwin's revolutionary idea is revisited in this spirited and profoundly enthralling reading by Professor Richard Dawkins, who in reading Darwin's material aloud manages to rediscover old ideas and unearth some dramatic subtleties in his prose. Dawkins offers a well-pronounced, pitch-perfect delivery and smartly never attempts to turn the reading into a performance from Darwin's point of view. Instead, Dawkins delivers the material from his own context as a modern-day interpreter of the classical work. Dawkins also splendidly adapts this abridgment, leaving out sections of Darwin's original theories that have been discredited by modern science. Dawkins says he believes his alterations are what Darwin himself would have wished for the recording, and the final result is an absolutely astounding glimpse into life as we know it. (Aug.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.