Darwinism: An Exposition of the Theory of Natural Selection With Some of Its Applications [Hardcover]

Alfred Russel Wallace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1989 | ISBN-10: 0404081827 | ISBN-13: 978-0404081829

This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

A contemporary of Charles Darwin who developed his own theory of evolution in parallel, British biologist and explorer ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE (1823-1913) here explores the current state of Darwinism as a scientific theory as it stood in 1889, when this book was originally published. Natural selection was under fire as an insufficient explanation for evolution, but Wallace believed that this was only because it was not understood properly.

To combat the opponents of natural selection, he offers examples of evolution at work in nature, including a study of variation and coloration, sterility in crossbreeds, fertilization methods in plants, and the importance of the struggle for survival.

A good primer for anyone wanting to know more about Darwin's theory of evolution, Darwinism is written in an easy-to-read style that will appeal to readers from any academic discipline. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 494 pages
• Publisher: Ams Pr Inc (December 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0404081827
• ISBN-13: 978-0404081829
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,702,356 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars THE CO-DEVELOPER OF "NATURAL SELECTION" GIVES HIS VIEWS ON EVOLUTION, November 12, 2009

By 

Steven H. Propp (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DARWINISM: An Exposition of the Theory of Natural Selection with Some of Its Applications (Paperback)

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) was the co-creator of the theory of Natural Selection, and his pending publication of his ideas prompted Darwin to finally publish his own book in 1859. While Wallace himself never wrote a "major" theoretical book, this 1889 book is an interesting statement of his mature ideas on the subject.

He notes that Darwin "did his work so well that descent with modification is now universally accepted as the order of nature in the organic world." "The idea of special creation or any altogether exceptional mode of production is absolutely extinct!"

Wallace rejects several portrayals of Evolutionary theory. For example, he rejects the theory of the inheritance of acquired characteristics (which Darwin accepted), "there is much reason for believing that such acquired characters are in their nature non-heritable." He also writes, "the poet's picture of 'Nature red in tooth and claw'... is a picture of evil which is read into it by our imaginations."

His later advocacy of Spiritualism (e.g., Miracles and Modern Spiritualism, A Defence Of Modern Spiritualism, etc.) discredited Wallace in the eyes of some scientifically-minded persons. Nevertheless, he concludes the book on the note, "the Darwinian theory ... lends a decided support to, a belief in the spiritual nature of man."

This is an often-overlooked, but very illuminating book for anyone intersted in the development of evolutionary theory.