People Who Made History - Charles Darwin [Hardcover]

Don Nardo (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999

Although Darwin was not the first scientist to propose a theory of evolution of species, he was the first to develop a workable explanation for how evolution takes place -- natural selection. (20010301)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 10^-12. These scholarly writings about Darwin's work are drawn from Darwin himself, as well as his supporters, critics, and twentieth-century counterparts. The book begins by exploring the theories that preceded Darwin's, from ancient Greece to the years leading up to the publication of The Origin of Species. Next, selections describe how Darwin developed his ideas while on board the Beagle, and how the world reacted to them. A final section on the post-Darwin world, where supporters and detractors argue about the credibility of fossils, includes a pair of essays about the alternative theory of creationism from different points of view. The 21 essays are expertly selected, and despite being written for adults, are surprisingly accessible for high-school students. This fascinating perspective on the controversial nature of Darwin's work tells a compelling story about the revolutionary nature of new ideas. A chronology and suggested readings are appended. Randy Meyer --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"An annotated table of contents, discussion questions, a chronology, and a reading list add to each book's value, but it is the diversity of the source materials that will make books in the series particularly useful."
-- Booklist (April 2000) (Booklist 20000901)

"Introductory biographical information is followed by excerpts from the writings of contemporary and ancient historians and biographers and literary critics."
-- School Library Journal (March 2001) (School Library Journal 20000701)

"Both layout and organization contribute to the book's accessibility. An indispensible resource for those engaged in research or study."
-- School Library Journal (September 2000) (School Library Journal 20000301)

"The mixed focus on the personal life and public issues and controversies is effectively handled here. The use of a person to make a historical period come alive in rich depth is accomplished with real skill and finesse."
-- Kliatt (July 2000) (KLIATT )

"Essays are expertly selected, and despite being written for adults, are surprisingly accessible for high-school students."
-- Booklist (March 2000) (Booklist )

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Greenhaven Press; 1 edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0737700807
• ISBN-13: 978-0737700800
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,276,465 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Don Nardo is a historian and award-winning writer who specializes in the ancient world, especially the civilizations of Greece and Rome. He began as a actor and worked with the National Shakespeare Company before turning to writing screenplays and teleplays and, soon afterward, devoting much of his time to historical research and writing. In the past two decades, he has published nearly two hundred volumes on diverse historical topics. And having earned numerous favorable reviews, he is widely recognized as the country's leading writer of historical works for young adults. He is also versed in various other subjects and as a result is frequently asked by publishers to write books on a number of scientific and literary topics.

Mr. Nardo also composes and arranges orchestral music, having started composing in his early teens. Over the years he has turned out more than eighty musical works, including 2 symphonies, 4 string quartets, several concertos, a film score, incidental music for stage productions, and several commissions, the most recent a double concerto for violin and Portuguese guitar written for two noted musicians. He is also the resident composer and arranger for the Amadis Orchestra, based in Connecticut. For more information, see his official web site at www.nardopublishing.com and his more extensive biography at Wikipedia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very well done and informative, February 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: People Who Made History - Charles Darwin (Hardcover)

This book is very well done and informative in that it tells all the main points about Darwin and his famous theory of evolution, how it came about, as well as the opinions of some of the people who have voiced disagreement about it. The format is a series of essays written by well-known scientists, historians and others. The editor has done a nice job of picking readings that are easy to understand but not so easy as to be on a child's level. There are some serious quotes in there by Darwin and his colleagues and other scientists, as well as some stuff by the creationists, who of course think evolution never happened. This book would be good for students, but adults will get plenty out of it too.