The Darwin Experience: The Story of the Man and His Theory of Evolution [Hardcover]

John Van Wyhe (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 20, 2009

Celebrating both the bicentennial of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the electrifying publication of On the Origin of Species, here’s the story of the man and the theory that opened a new chapter in the history of science—transformed into an engaging interactive experience that invites readers to unfold natural selection, evolution, and their challenging implications just as Darwin’s contemporaries did a century and a half ago.

The year 2009 will definitely be Darwin-centric, with major museum exhibitions, international symposiums, and much more, all scheduled to commemorate the double anniversary of a great scientist and the opening volleys of a controversy that still sparks debate and curiosity. Combining science, travel, culture, and history, this book is an elegant, richly illustrated volume that offers not just hundreds of full-color photographs but also a trove of removable facsimile documents that bring the subject alive.

These fascinatingly diverse memorabilia include letters, maps, photographs, sketches, newspaper articles, and more, providing telling glimpses of Darwin’s life as never before, from his early expedition aboard the Beagle to his meticulous, seemingly arcane research in the Galápagos Islands to the practical observations and theoretical conclusions that won him a pivotal place in the history of science.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. John Van Wyhe, historian of science at Cambridge University, is the founder and director of The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online and Member of Council for the British Society for the History of Science.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (October 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1426204736
• ISBN-13: 978-1426204739
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 1.5 x 11.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,015,579 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Book's experience cannot be duplicated via e-books...ever! January 23, 2010

By Carl W. Sedon

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is one example of how the current craze of e-books cannot ever replace the visceral/tactile experience of this 'book'. I say that because this is not simply a book but an unfolding experience through clever inserts, drawings, etv. that draws in the viewer/reader into darwin's world. More of a piece of artwork than just a book/journal. KUDOS!! A must buy for any reader of natural history and if you are a tactile/visual artist like myself ...well, run to Amazon right now and order this gem!!

3.0 out of 5 stars When graphic designers go wild February 27, 2013

By Karl Janssen

Format:Hardcover

The Darwin Experience is a memorial tribute to the illustrious scientific genius Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. It was published in 2008 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of his birth. Much attention and painstaking detail has been given to the graphic design of this book. Though not a lengthy work, this little coffee table book comes in its own slipcase. With only 57 pages of text, it is much more a book to be looked at than to be read.

Despite the emphasis on packaging, the text is actually pretty good. Scientific historian John Van Wyhe gives a commendable, concise summary of Darwin's life and career that is accessible to readers with little prior knowledge of Darwin, yet filled with enough lesser-known facts to keep the interest of those already somewhat familiar with Darwin's writings. In such a small space, Van Wyhe is required to be brutally brief in his summations of The Voyage of the Beagle, On the Origin of Species, and The Descent of Man, but he shines a helpful light on some of Darwin's more obscure works and areas of research which may not be familiar even to some of Darwin's most avid admirers.

Each "chapter" of the book is a two-page spread, consisting of an article on a particular period of Darwin's life or a specific book that he wrote. This is accompanied by two sidebars, usually featuring extended quotes either from Darwin's work or from someone praising him, along with six or seven illustrations. Unfortunately, all this content is crammed into a package which is terribly overdesigned, and most of the images are poorly reproduced. Although printed on smooth matte paper, each page features a faux background of yellowed, weathered paper. On top of this is often a screened background image of an old engraving. Sometimes on top of that will be a Victorian wallpaper pattern. Then on top of that is the text in tiny six-point type, rendered in a dizzying array of fonts chosen for their antiquated appearance rather than for legibility. Visually, the result is an overindulgent mess.

One of the major selling points of this package is the inclusion of a number of facsimile documents. These are reproductions of Darwin's letters, pages from his journals, maps or illustrations from his books, and other sundry documents such as a Chilean passport or a ticket to his funeral. These are either strategically affixed to or stuffed into pockets in each page. While the idea is a good one, the problem with these facsimile documents is that without fail they are all poorly reproduced. The scans are blurry, like everything else they are printed on a faux weathered background, and for some reason in almost all cases black lines and letters have been replaced by a hazy light gray. Darwin's handwriting is hard enough to read, but this design treatment renders it almost totally illegible.

The faults of this book lie not with its author but with its design and production. The attempt to create a sensational artifact has resulted in the making of a disappointing book. The Darwin Experience begs to be judged on the merits of its bells and whistles, and in that respect it fails. Readers with a true reverence for Darwin may nonetheless find some enjoyment in Van Wyhe's admirable tribute. By all means, look for a used or remaindered copy, because it's definitely not worth the full price.