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On the Origin of Species: The Illustrated Edition [Hardcover]

Charles Darwin , David Quammen
3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (414 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 7, 2008
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. In his landmark study, Darwin theorized that populations evolve over the course of generations through a process of natural selection. These ideas flew in the face of long-held beliefs, and the book immediately became one of the most controversial scientific works in history—and it still remains so today. Now, for the first time, Darwin’s classic is fully and handsomely illustrated with more than 350 illustrations and photos, many of them in brilliant color. Reproductions from Darwin’s The Voyage of the Beagle, his journal of the travels that led to his remarkable breakthrough, appear throughout, inviting readers to experience Darwin’s journey and to understand how he developed his theory of evolution. In addition, brief excerpts from his letters, diaries, and correspondence bring both Darwin the man and his
revolutionary discovery to life.
 
A Main Selection of Scientific America.

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On the Origin of Species: The Illustrated Edition + From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals)
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It's hard to talk about The Origin of Species without making statements that seem overwrought and fulsome. But it's true: this is indeed one of the most important and influential books ever written, and it is one of the very few groundbreaking works of science that is truly readable.

To a certain extent it suffers from the Hamlet problem--it's full of clichés! Or what are now clichés, but which Darwin was the first to pen. Natural selection, variation, the struggle for existence, survival of the fittest: it's all in here.

Darwin's friend and "bulldog" T.H. Huxley said upon reading the Origin, "How extremely stupid of me not to have thought of that." Alfred Russel Wallace had thought of the same theory of evolution Darwin did, but it was Darwin who gathered the mass of supporting evidence--on domestic animals and plants, on variability, on sexual selection, on dispersal--that swept most scientists before it. It's hardly necessary to mention that the book is still controversial: Darwin's remark in his conclusion that "Light will be thrown on the origin of man and his history" is surely the pinnacle of British understatement. --Mary Ellen Curtin --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Costa, professor of biology at Western Carolina University, does a wonderful job of annotating Darwin's groundbreaking classic On the Origin of Species. In more than 900 notes, he explains, expands, contextualizes and updates much of what Darwin had to say about evolution and its causes. For example, throughout the Origin, Darwin briefly referenced many informants; Costa provides background information on each of those individuals. He also directs readers to places in Darwin's earlier writings that presage points made in the Origin. When discussing what Darwin terms [o]rgans of extreme perfection and complication, he focused on the evolution of the vertebrate eye. Costa explains the logic Darwin used and how modern biological studies have supported Darwin's contentions, concluding that his insight underlies modern phylogenetic reconstruction. In a brief Coda, Costa summarizes the changes Darwin made to the Origin in its six editions and the reasons for them. Costa's thoughtful and informative notes enable readers to gain a much fuller appreciation for Darwin's genius and breadth of knowledge—a fine tribute in the great scientist's bicentennial year. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 560 pages
  • Publisher: Sterling; ILL edition (October 7, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1402756399
  • ISBN-13: 978-1402756399
  • Product Dimensions: 1.6 x 10 x 9.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (414 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #424,767 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Or it looks like this but who can say at this time. bernie  |  52 reviewers made a similar statement
The result is to make Darwin's book even more accessible to the general reader. JMB1014  |  43 reviewers made a similar statement
Christianity is better than those other silly religions. justsearching  |  27 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
147 of 149 people found the following review helpful
By JMB1014
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This edition of "On the Origin of Species" is invaluable to anyone who has been suffering without Darwin's most important work, or getting by with only a stripped-down version. The text is the first edition of the six editions Darwin oversaw in his lifetime. It's the version scientists now regard as the most powerful and passionate statement of Darwin's views. But besides the full (unabridged) "Origin," this large-format book is replete with other materials. The word "sumptuous" comes to mind. There are hundreds of amazing illustrations, maps and diagrams, many in full color. Also included are scores of substantial excerpts from other works by Darwin and correspondence between him and his contemporaries. This makes the book a treasure to have, because it is so incredibly rich in contextual materials.

For instance, pictures of T.H. Huxley are included along with Huxley's letter to Darwin, where Huxley asserted his (not altogether unconditional) support for Darwin's argument and added that he was sharpening his claws and beak in readiness - that is, to help defend Darwin from his opponents. I was also delighted with the many beautiful photographs taken in the Galapagos Islands and of life forms found there, to say nothing of the pictures of Darwin, his family, colleagues and adversaries that are interspersed throughout the book, and Darwin's own drawings, the pictures of Darwin's home near Downe, his desk, models and a detailed diagram of the H.M.S. Beagle, and so on. There is also a chronology of Darwin's life to 1864.
... Read more ›
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56 of 58 people found the following review helpful
By JMB1014
Format:Hardcover
This is an excellent versions of "On the Origin of Species," especially for non-specialist readers. Professor James T. Costa, who edited this book and prepared the excellent annotations, is a biologist himself and an insightful student of Darwin. He presents a facsimile of the first edition of Darwin's classic volume (accepted as the most passionate and unalloyed version of Darwin's original views, compared to the five versions that he oversaw subsequently) in a broad format: on each page, the text lies next to commentary and interpretation by Professor Costa. Darwin's writing is precise and clear but the lay reader often has questions - or would, if we knew what to ask - that are answered in the annotations. The result is a handsome edition with thought-provoking insights that vastly enhance the reader's interest and understanding. Each comment is keyed to the pertinent place in the text to which it refers by the use of an arrow and the comments provide a gloss, as it were, on those passages. Costa summarizes, explains and points out what is coming up, indicates where the same themes or ideas reappear, offers valuable context or present-day perspectives on what Darwin is saying, and so forth. These annotations are not necessarily just brief remarks but are often substantive, meaty, and very worthwile. They make the original text resonate in ways that no one but an expert would necessarily have anticipated. The result is a far more rewarding book than the "Origin" would be alone, and that is saying something.

To take just one small example, Costa explains what may puzzle many readers, namely, why Darwin starts out with a discussion of plants and animals under domestication.
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506 of 583 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Darwin's Origin of Species is, of course, an icon of scientific writing. It is eminently readable and accessible to nonscientists and should be read by everyone. This edition though, the "150th Anniversary Edition" is an intentional Trojan horse published exclusively to serve as a vehicle for Ray Comfort's 50 page introduction. Comfort is a young-earth creationist and rejects Darwin's theory wholesale. Every reader of this review should contact Amazon and ask them to differentiate this edition of "Origin" from legitimate republications of this epic work. Comfort's 50 page intro is an embarrassing affront to scientific honesty and integrity. Anybody who has followed his antics on the internet knows not to take him seriously, but by attaching his name and his screed to Darwin's work, and then having Amazon market it as though it's a legitimate complement to this volume, is abhorrent.
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105 of 118 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy the Ray Comfort version October 19, 2009
By Hiker
Format:Paperback
Please buy another version of this great book. I'm insulted that Amazon would even offer this version. As usual, Mr. Comfort's deceitful ways will backfire on him though. He continues to prove that people like him will use any underhanded tactic they can dream up to further their own agenda.
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253 of 291 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The second most misrepresented book ever written July 7, 2003
Format:Hardcover
There is only one other book that is so widely known, discussed, and debated, yet so rarely read: that other book is the Bible. To make my point, here is a little quiz:

1) Which name is most closely associated with the theory of evolution?

2) Which book did this person write on evolution?

3) What claims are made in that book?

4) What else is contained in that book?

With astonishing regularity, the average literate adult will respond as follows: 1) Darwin, 2) Origin of Species, 3) Humans descended from apes, and 4) I have no idea. The first two are correct, the third is absolutely false, and the fourth is an admission of complete ignorance. Considering that "Origin of Species" is over 600 pages long, and took nearly two decades to write, one would expect it to contain something more than the four simple words "Humans descended from apes," which, in fact, it neither contains nor implies. So, what DOES it contain? There is one word that best summarizes the bulk of Darwin's magnum opus: "observation".

It is a lengthy book; at times it is tedious, at times politically incorrect, and at times scientifically off-base. But, despite its numerous flaws, it is one of the greatest achievements in the history of mankind. Even if you are among the few who refuse to accept Darwin's ideas, you cannot deny their impact. The theory is the cornerstone--if not the very foundation--of modern biology. Whatever your preconceptions, you will likely be surprised by this work. Darwin was the consummate naturalist and scientist, as well as a refined and articulate gentleman. "Origin" is a delight and an epiphany to read. It's amazing how much Darwin got right, despite the fact that he had essentially no idea of how inheritance worked....

The misconceptions about "Origin of Species" are not merely rampant, they are effectively universal, fueled (largely in the US) by the rise of creationism, which seeks first and foremost to vilify the theory of evolution as well as Darwin (often failing to distinguish between the two). It's worth the time to read this enormous but meticulously crafted volume, if only to allow you to form your own opinions about such an influential book. Once you have, take the little quiz again. You may need 600 pages to answer the last question. Read more ›

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars A must.
And all this time I thought the Earth was 8000 years old. Turns out its a lot older than that. Not only that. It wasn't some god who made it. It was a woman! Her initials are M.N. Read more
Published 4 minutes ago by C. Van Youngman
5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Scientific Discoverer
I bought this book for a present and it has been a great pleasure to see that the reader is totally engrossed in the works and discoveries of Charles Darwin. Read more
Published 14 days ago by Yvette Luyben
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent condition
Excellent condition. I could not be happier. This book is almost like new. Great book for studying in my class.
Published 16 days ago by Beachpea
5.0 out of 5 stars How could it be otherwise?
Charles Darwin wrote the Origin of Species to answer the question: Who are we? I am getting a vague idea by reading all of his writings. Read more
Published 21 days ago by Jeanne Tenorio
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read.
My 13 year old daughter loved it and so did I. Love books that make you think. Great work and very interesting.
Published 22 days ago by Kellianne C.
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!
Incredible quality (cover, images, paper, etc.). I'm just starting reading it, but the edition is the perfect one for a classic like this one.
Published 25 days ago by J
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! Highly recommend!
I liked the book immediately after I unpacked it. It is of good price and quality and based on the first edition of this classic. You'll love it!
Published 1 month ago by Dreamsmith
4.0 out of 5 stars required reading
Should be required reading at all primary schools at least be taught before high school. Gives a basic knowledge of all thats real in a easy to understand way. Great read.
Published 1 month ago by ivanpaul
4.0 out of 5 stars Very well Written, but not as good as Today’s Evolution Books
I am a scientist, and have read much about biology and evolution. But I bought a paper version ten years ago, and as I expected, learned little about it that is not covered better... Read more
Published 1 month ago by W. John Carlsen
5.0 out of 5 stars Darwins greatest hit.
This is a classic. As if you didn't already know that. Even if you do not believe in evolution, this should be mandatory reading, since it is such a monumental work in the world... Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. H. Darvinz
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