Darwin Slept Here: Discovery, Adventure, and Swimming Iguanas in Charles Darwin's South America [Hardcover]

Eric Simons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 22, 2009

For "Darwin Year," a fresh-eyed and enchanting journey through South America in his footsteps

One snowy day in Ushuaia, Argentina, the self-proclaimed "southernmost city in the world," writer Eric Simons picked up a copy of Charles Darwin's The Voyage of the Beagle. Simons had just hiked the mountains overlooking Beagle Channel, and he found himself engrossed in Darwin's account.

Like Simons, Darwin was in his mid-twenties when he traveled to the continent. Simons followed Darwin further into South America--to stand where Darwin had stood and to explore the histories, legends and people that had fascinated him two centuries before. Simons trekked to as many of the locations Darwin wrote about as he could find to see if he could see these places through Darwin's eyes, and to learn what South Americans know about Darwin.

2009 is a double-anniversary year for Darwin: the 200th anniversary of his birth in February, and the 150th anniversary of publication of The Origin of Species. Darwin Slept Here is an innovative and thrilling new look at a familiar subject from a compelling new writer to watch.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"February marks the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin and, naturally, he publication of a slew of new books about him. But while most--like the fine, brainy Banquet at Delmonico’s by Barry Werth—portray the naturalist as an earnest, white-bearded thinker, journalist Eric Simons celebrates a refreshingly different Darwin: a twenty-something traveler fond of hurling iguanas into the sea and charging up any tall peak he could find. With copies of The Voyage of the Beagle in hand, Simons headed for South America, retracing parts of his famous 1831 trip and doing what Darwin did when he wasn’t studying finches: riding with Argentinean gauchos, hunting rheas and ogling senoritas. “There’s a danger in labeling someone as a genius; it makes them inaccessible,” Simons writes. “But Darwin the person—well, he was a lot like us.” --Outside Magazine

“Eric Simons has given us a bracingly fresh portrait of the Young Darwin, the man long ago lost behind the great white beard. Here is Darwin as only another young naturalist could find him, and to see the world through those avid eyes, groping for the theory the would explain all he has so brilliantly observed, is nothing less than exhilarating.” -Michael Pollan, author of The Botany of Desire and The Omnivore’s Dilemma

"Too often we forget that major accomplishments often stem from youthful abandon. Twenty-something Charles Darwin had a rippin' good time mingling with South America's gauchos and iguanas. Discovering this inspired young Eric Simons to retrace the great naturalist's rambling tracks. The result is this wildly entertaining reminder that science and exploration can be a blast." -Bob Sipchen, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and the author of Baby Insane and the Buddha

"Vivid and exotic, Eric Simon's tale invites comparisons to Chatwin as he leads readers among guanacos and ostriches, assassin bugs and armadillos, through rough seas, swift currents and ascending jungles. This is a book full of zest and discovery with the deeper mission of appreciating one of humankind's great breakthroughs in the understanding our past." -Lou Ureneck, author of Backcast

From the Publisher

Praise for Darwin Slept Here
"Eric Simons has given us a bracingly fresh portrait of the Young Darwin, the man long ago lost behind the great white beard. Here is Darwin as only another young naturalist could find him, and to see the world through those avid eyes, groping for the theory the would explain all he has so brilliantly observed, is nothing less than exhilarating." -Michael Pollan, author of The Botany of Desire and The Omnivore's Dilemma

"Too often we forget that major accomplishments often stem from youthful abandon. Twenty-something Charles Darwin had a rippin' good time mingling with South America's gauchos and iguanas. Discovering this inspired young Eric Simons to retrace the great naturalist's rambling tracks. The result is this wildly entertaining reminder that science and exploration can be a blast." -Bob Sipchen, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and the author of Baby Insane and the Buddha

"Vivid and exotic, Eric Simon's tale invites comparisons to Chatwin as he leads readers among guanacos and ostriches, assassin bugs and armadillos, through rough seas, swift currents and ascending jungles. This is a book full of zest and discovery with the deeper mission of appreciating one of humankind's great breakthroughs in the understanding our past." -Lou Ureneck, author of Backcast

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Overlook Hardcover (January 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590202201
• ISBN-13: 978-1590202203
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #756,691 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eric Simons writes about science, sports, and nature. His first book, Darwin Slept Here (2009) combines history, biography, travel adventure, and ostrich recipes to tell the story of Charles Darwin's four years in South America. He lives in San Francisco.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quick, Solid Read, February 3, 2009

By 

Gerard Nielsen - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Darwin Slept Here: Discovery, Adventure, and Swimming Iguanas in Charles Darwin's South America (Hardcover)

This book is equal parts travelogue and science history. Those who enjoyed Royte's Tapir's Morning Bath will get along fine, travelling alongside Simons as he retraces (not exactly, but to a certain degree) Darwin's path through modern-day Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile. There is an excellent balance between the history of Darwin's voyage and the present-day travels. The truly remarkable thing is how most of the people he meets are versed in Darwin. There are times when Simons' observations are a bit too idyllic, but the use of hyperbole is almost unavoidable when confronted with the majesty of a raw, native rainforest. He also spends a bit too much time focussed on how much like a "gringo" he and his periodic travel companions appear. All in all, a pleasant read.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Darwin Rocks, February 13, 2009

By 

Katy Khalsa - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Darwin Slept Here: Discovery, Adventure, and Swimming Iguanas in Charles Darwin's South America (Hardcover)

Simons provides a refreshing view of Darwin as a curious young adventurer. The book is filled with insight, humor and a writing style that keeps the reader hooked and laughing. A new look into the early life of Darwin and not the stuffy old man that we all think of today. An excellent book for us non-historians and a real page turner. I would recommend it to anyone with an eye for adventure and travel. Loved it!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining education, February 2, 2009

By 

Samantha LeVan (Rochester, MN) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Darwin Slept Here: Discovery, Adventure, and Swimming Iguanas in Charles Darwin's South America (Hardcover)

I have little science background, instead choosing to focus on art and design for most of my life. This book has taught me little facts about science, nature, and history, giving me a new appreciation for Darwin and a greater understanding of the culture of South American countries. The relaxed writing style is inviting, as if a friend is narrating a story, and this story is adventurous, intriguing, and inspires me to step outside my comfort zone and explore a new, old world.