Customer Reviews

Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I heard author Michael Keller on Science Friday yesterday and bought the book on the way home from work. Contrary to the previous reviewer's comments, this graphic novel is beautifully illustrated. The reader has to understand that this is not intended to be a textbook. The illustrator and author have embraced the tradition of graphic novels created a book that is exciting, entertaining, and beautiful to look at.

I have a strong background in biology and found the author's explanations of the process of evolution to be accurate and friendly to the average reader. This would be an excellent text to use for a high school or undergraduate course.

I do wish Amazon would post interior pages from the book so buyers might decide for themselves about the illustrations. My two cents is that they should certainly motivate you to buy the book, not dissuade you.

This would be a great holiday gift for any science lover on your list.

The idea of a graphic version of the "Origin of Species" is a good one, as many casual readers will never get through the original. Thus a graphic format might be more easily read and understood by them, if presented in the right way. Years ago I found the book "Darwin for Beginners" by Jonathan Miller and Borin Van Loon to be a rather charming graphic account of Darwin's ideas. Now Rodale Press has recently published Michael Keller's "Charles Darwin's On The Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation" and I was interested in seeing how the subject was treated compared to the earlier work. At first I did not particularly like the illustrations (as noted by another reviewer), but styles differ and I while I don't think the illustrations are up to more rigorous scientific standards, they are more than adequate for a book of this nature. Boren Van Loon's illustrations, which borrowed a lot from other classic ink drawings and paintings, were also a bit quirky.

However the main point is that the Theory of Natural Selection was well covered and I think pretty well explained. I do have a few gripes (the reason that I did not give this book five stars) and these primarily have to do with content. For some reason Keller apparently used later editions of "The Origin" in which Spencer's phase "Survival of the Fittest" was added. Darwin did not invent this phrase and it was not in the first edition. The phrase, while true in the sense that "fit" can mean any adaptation that works to allow an individual to reproduce, does not necessarily mean that the "strong" overcome the "weak"and has unfortunately been utilized to imply that there are "inferior" peoples because they do not fit preconceived notions of superiority. I think that it would have been wise for Keller to explain this if he was going to use a later edition of "The Origin". I can also quibble with the fact that while Keller introduces Emma Darwin as Charles' wife on p. 26, he never really explains her background or the circumstances of their marriage (she was his 1st cousin), which certainly has some bearing on her relationship with Darwin and also her beliefs (she was a Wedgewood and was a devote Unitarian). I felt like page 25 was discussing one subject and on p. 26 a new one was introduced without any explanation. The death of Annie, his beloved daughter, discussed on p. 31, also caused Emma to doubt her beliefs and when Darwin died she actually refuted the rumor that he had recanted his agnosticism on his death bed. These are, I think, important points if Emma and Annie are introduced at all and I felt they were given short shrift. There were several other places in the book where new subjects seemed to be introduced without much in the way of a connection to what went before, but this may be more of an editorial problem associated with graphic books than the authors fault. Also toward the end of the book, some important points about modern theory were glossed over in my view, but again in a book of this nature some materials have to be cut. In addition I found an unfortunate error in that Robert Chambers' and John Henslow's occupations were reversed on p. 14. Chambers was a journalist and author (and the author of "Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation") and Henslow was a botanist and geologist, as well as mentor to the young Darwin. The "Vestiges" is mentioned later in the book, but one gets no hint that Chambers is the author. The reader should not expect an in depth treatise on the subject in what is essentially a comic book, but these were errors that could have been easily avoided.

That said, Keller has produced a mostly understandable book that introduces the intelligent layperson to the principles of and evidences for Natural Selection. I might have written the book somewhat differently, but then I may not have been as successful in illustrating and publishing it. Those who want more depth to the background information on Darwin's life would do well to read Janet Browne's two volumes on the subject and those who would like more detail about Darwin's arguments should read a reprint of the 1st edition of the "Origin". However the more casual reader will find a reasonably good synopsis of the theory and its more modern developments within the pages of this book. It is to these readers that I recommend this slim volume, with the reservations mentioned above.

In less than two hundred pages of annotated color illustrations, this book attempts to cover Charles Darwin's large and complex volume. Obviously, the author has massively edited Darwin's original material. However, it is well done. The book uses Darwin's words more often than not. The selection and presentation makes it cogent to our time. The author often draws examples from recent experience. This makes the material more understandable and interesting to today's readers. The book targets young adults and the author has done everything possible to attract and hold such a reader. Whether it will be successful with any particular individual is unpredictable; it is a tough audience.

The illustrator, Nicolle Rager Fuller, deserves equal billing to the author. Her work is obviously an essential part of the book. Further, the artwork is perfect for this book and the target audience. If anything in this book will capture young readers, it is the art. Adult readers will find it pleasing as well.

The nineteenth century is crowded with great scientists, scientific advances, and achievements having impacts into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. To a great extent, those scientists communicated and fed off one another. The fields of biology, geology, archeology, philosophy, horticulture, anthropology, mathematics, sociology, ornithology, entomology, botany, and zoology were all advancing and reinforcing one another. This book brings out this fact and cites the names of scientists and practitioners with whom Darwin interacted.

The book is balanced, honest, and accurate. Unfortunately, anything dealing with Darwin is politically charged. The political right and left both use Darwin's name and terms such as "origin of the species," and "survival of the fittest" as negative code words. I feel that only readers starting with an unshakeable bias can criticize this book on political grounds.

Too frequently today, we see Darwin and his work in a non-humanistic light. This is regrettable. He was both emotional and introspective. He interacted with his forebears, his wife and children, and with his peers. The book touches on this aspect of Darwin's life, along with the scientific component.

Darwin anticipated many of the criticisms of his work; criticisms that began with his early publications and continue today. Examples are the lack of a continuous transitional fossil record, difficulty in accepting the evolution of something as complex as the human eye, and explaining animal instinct versus reasoning. He dealt with such objections at length in "Origin of Species." This book shows how Darwin addressed some of those concerns.

Wisely, the author chose to show links between Darwin's work and current material with which most people are familiar. At a few pertinent spots, the author includes a tie-in with recent developments. Some support and some contradict Darwin's conclusions. These tie-ins are well done. To conclude the book, there is an "Afterward" section addressing how Darwin might view milestone developments occurring since his death. Only in this latter section can I criticize the author for showing a bias. To be sure, some of the scientific advances since Darwin's death disprove some parts of his theory, but certainly do not discredit him. "Afterward" contains only examples that support Darwin's theory or explain issues that Darwin admitted that he was unable to resolve.

The book provides examples of the scientific method. It is a manageable introduction and overview of an important figure and revolutionary scientific advance. However, I would not consider this a book for young children. Both the reading level and the concepts are seventh or eighth grade and high school level. To follow the book, one should have a smattering of knowledge about natural selection. In itself, the book is an inspiring example of nature journaling.

Indeed, this little volume reminds one of a comic book, albeit one with realistic illustrations. Will it entice children? It is worth trying. Perhaps your son or daughter of the video-game generation will relate to the colorful, graphic approach.

I can't really speak to the quality of the text part of the adaptation, not having read the original, but it seems an intelligent representation of the principles introduced by Darwin's theory. It is easy to follow, engaging, and informative.

As to the quality of the illustrations, however, I have to say the cover does not provide an accurate representation of the art inside. The drawings are beautifully colored and laid out well, but the physical forms of the humans and animals (humans especially) are often lifeless and awkward, as well as looking rushed--and definitely not in a stylized manner, although other aspects of her art do show a distinct style. In all, the drawings seem more amateurish than I would expect for such an adaptation. Fuller does many things right, but the talent really isn't there.

Whether the quality bothers you or not is your call, however. The illustrations weren't egregious enough for me to put the book down; a serious artist might get more irritated. I'd recommend this book as a good introduction to evolution for kids, or an entertaining and educational alternative to reading the original text.

This is intended, I think, to encompass the heart and main theories in On the Origin of Species, and then mix it with the unique style of a graphic novel, circa Eisner, Heath, and Spiegelman. It does this job brilliantly. The illustrations are vivid and in the graphic novel-meets-scientific-illustration style, and the language is scientific, most of it verbatim from Darwin's work, with additions, examples, and footnotes added by the author which in this reader's opinion enhance Darwin's work and make it more palatable for the modern audience. I enjoyed, too, the fact that the author updated some of Darwin's basic theories with a sentence or two about what we call these theories now in the world of science, or what they are comparable to.

A well-written, well-constructed graphical interpretation, and a must-read for those who'd like to read Darwin's original but would like to read it in an easier to digest form. Also, however, a great read for a reader as myself who HAS read Darwin's original, who'd like to read it in a more enjoyable medium.

Thank you for this adaptation, a refreshing change to most interpretations of Darwin.

Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation
By Michael Keller, Illustrated by Nicolle Rager Fuller,


Reviewed by Mary Case

Arguably no scientific study created more controversy than that of Charles Darwin. Michael Keller and Nicolle Rager Fuller will now likely be damned to hell by proponents of Intelligent Design because of their beautiful new graphic rendition of Darwin's ideas, reprised for the 21st Century in his own words. Keller shows Darwin's struggle with his own words, depicts what his ideas might do to his family status and his own income, and reports the major questions put to Darwin by his contemporaries.

Fuller illustrates these struggles along with every major Darwinian concept. The big ones include, of course, variation of domestication, nature and hybridism, the struggle for existence, survival of the fittest, variation, and instinct. There are chapters on the geological record and the imperfections found there. You can see Darwin on climate change (p. 73), understand the substantial value of a giraffe's fly-flapping tail (p.99), and the ova of fresh water shells (p. 145). He learned that just hatched shells would latch on to a duck's foot and live for 12 to 20 hours - long enough to fly with the duck 600 miles! And then there is the sex. Sexual selection in all its variety: interspecies, among the fittest, unsuccessful competitors, struggle (usually between males), overpopulation (frogs), male and female displays, charms, antics, and means of defense.

The book comes current with a useful timeline, showing an aged, ethereal Darwin learning about each major new development: (a few) 1891, first hominid fossil; 1900, Mendelian Genetics (peas) 1915, continental drift; 1931, population biology; 1953, DNA structure; 1972, punctuated equilibrium; 2000, human genome.

Text and illustration exist in exquisite equilibrium, as sometimes occurs in nature itself, in this beautiful graphic adaptation of Darwin's game changing ideas. I suspect Keller and Fuller have shown at least one fresh new way to open the world of science to 21st Century learners of all ages.

One hundred and fifty years ago, a little big by the name of On the Origin of Species was published. Perhaps you heard of it? It ranks somewhere up there with the Bible, the Torah, and the Koran on lists of controversial books. And perhaps now more than ever, it's a perfect time to revisit the journey embarked upon by Charles Darwin as he put forth one of the most important scientific discoveries in history.

Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species is not just a re-presenting of Darwin's book. It's also the story of Darwin's own personal evolution, the story of how he made his pivotal trip to Galapagos, and how he coped with the reaction to his work. In this latter portion, the afterword, Darwin narrates as he continues to learn how to tweak his theory based on the works of scientists who had come before.

But before it gets to that point, the book first travels through Darwin's research and how he came to his shocking conclusions. A helpful timeline complements the text, rendering the book even more useful and informative.

The book is written by Michael Keller, a journalist with a background in wildlife ecology (for which he earned a bachelor's of science degree). Keller has done his research--he includes Darwin's own letters, eloquently presents Darwin's research, and plainly states the results and implications of it all. As you might expect, it's rather heavy on text, but the illustrations (more on them in a second) help to make Darwin's work not only come alive but truly "click" with the reader. And we are reminded how truly broad and groundbreaking Darwin's work was. While evolution remains the hot-button issue of the day, the scope of his research throughout is an incredible journey through human history.

As for those illustrations: Nicolle Rager Fuller does an exemplary job of presenting so many species (it must have been an unenviable task to research the look of each of these animals, insects, plants, reptiles, fish, and more). Fuller herself has a scientific background--she runs Sayo-Art LLC, an illustration firm used by many scientific organizations. Her work here is impeccable. The illustrations are perfect, and more than ably suited for the task at hand.

That task is plainly and simply explaining the work of one of the greatest scientists in history. Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species will be helpful in schools and libraries, where it will undoubtedly help science classes get the lessons of evolution across to students, but it also is useful to readers looking to finally understand what all the fuss was about.

-- John Hogan

After reading the reviews of this book, I can only come to one conclusion: those who are scrutinizing this book down to every crossed "t" and dotted "i" clearly aren't the audience that this book was intended for. I wasn't a science major in college, and I didn't know any more about Darwin going into this than what I learned in high school. But this book made even someone like me, who doesn't have the time or patience to dissect every one of Darwin's words, understand the complexities behind "On the Origin of Species." I purchased this book after hearing Michael Keller on Science Friday and was pleased to discover that the book did a wonderful job of explaining Darwin's theories without making me feel stupid (like science sometimes does). And to those of you who said the illustrations weren't up to textbook standards I say "so what?" It's not a textbook! And if it was, I probably would have enjoyed science class a lot more growing up. This book makes Darwin easy for everyone to understand, and I would highly recommend it.

This book was given to me as a gift and I found it to be very engaging. I have a fairly short attention span but the flow of the story really hooked me, and Darwin's thoughts are visualized in a way that makes it very easy to understand. Some of the illustrations are a little quirky, but the vast majority are excellent and the illustrator varies her technique a lot to suit the text that accompanies them. This book, for me, was an excellent way to learn about Darwin the man, as well as his writing, with an almost comic book appeal that really draws the reader in. Highly recommended.

This graphic adaptation of "On the Origin of Species" is an excellent introduction to the concepts of Natural Selection and Evolution. The artwork was great, and provided the necessary bridge of understanding for the often-dry text that Darwin used. What was extremely interesting was the "inside" details of who Darwin was, where he came from, what his family life was like, and who he associated with professionally. These details humanize the real person Darwin was.

I haven't read the original book, so I will not compare all the technical details between the original and this one, but after reading all of Stephen Jay Gould's work, I feel confident that Darwin's ideas are faithfully expressed here. This would make a good gift to a scientifically-minded high school student.