Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.

Quantity:

More Buying Choices

61 used & new from $15.98

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Share with Friends

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)

See larger image

See all product images
See 1 customer image

Share your own customer images

Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

Tell the Publisher! I�d like to read this book on Kindle Don�t have a Kindle? Get yours here.

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) (Hardcover)

by Charles Darwin (Author), Edward O. Wilson (Author)

4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)

List Price:	$39.95
Price:	$26.37 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
You Save:	$13.58 (34%)

In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

37 new from $24.97 24 used from $15.98

Frequently Bought Together

On the Origin of Species: The Illustrated Edition

Price For All Three: $58.59

Show availability and shipping details

This item: 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) by Charles Darwin
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
The Autobiography of Charles Darwin: 1809-1882 by Charles Darwin
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
On the Origin of Species: The Illustrated Edition by Charles Darwin
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary Edition--with a new Introduction by the Author

by Richard Dawkins

4.3 out of 5 stars (310) $13.57

The God Delusion

by Richard Dawkins

3.8 out of 5 stars (1,423) $10.37

On the Origin of Species: The Illustrated Edition

by Charles Darwin

4.7 out of 5 stars (12) $22.05

The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe without Design

by Richard Dawkins

3.8 out of 5 stars (350) $11.53

Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body (Vintage)

by Neil Shubin

4.6 out of 5 stars (126) $10.04

› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A gorgeous gift and a landmark work that is an essential addition to everyone's personal library. Never before have the four great works of Charles Darwin—Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle (1845), The Origin of Species (1859), The Descent of Man (1871), and The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals (1872)— been collected under one cover. Undertaking this challenging endeavor 123 years after Darwin's death, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward O. Wilson has written an introductory essay for the occasion, while providing new, insightful introductions to each of the four volumes and an afterword that examines the fate of evolutionary theory in an era of religious resistance. In addition, Wilson has crafted a creative new index to accompany these four texts, which links the nineteenth-century, Darwinian evolutionary concepts to contemporary biological thought. Beautifully slipcased, and including restored versions of the original illustrations, From So Simple a Beginning turns our attention to the astounding power of the natural creative process and the magnificence of its products. 101 illustrations.

About the Author
Edward O. Wilson, a Harvard professor for nearly five decades, is the author of more than twenty books and the recipient of two Pulitzer Prizes and the National Medal of Science. He lives in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Product Details

Hardcover: 1706 pages
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.; 1 edition (November 7, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0393061345
ISBN-13: 978-0393061345
Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.5 x 2.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,768 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

#15 in	Books > Science > History & Philosophy > History of Science
#15 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Evolution
#21 in	Books > Arts & Photography > History & Criticism

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	79% buy the item featured on this page: 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) 4.4 out of 5 stars (25) $26.37
	10% buy On the Origin of Species: The Illustrated Edition 4.7 out of 5 stars (12) $22.05
	5% buy The Origin Of Species: 150th Anniversary Edition 4.0 out of 5 stars (28) $6.95
	3% buy On the Origin of Species: By Means of Natural Selection (Dover Thrift Editions) 4.7 out of 5 stars (6) $5.00

Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

science(21)

evolution(19)

darwin(15)

evolutionary theory(13)

classic(7)

genetics(7)

history of science(6)

excellent(3)

religion(3)

nature(2)

deceit(1)

See all 19 tags...

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Reviews

25 Reviews

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

92 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Darwin's fine writing is not entirely well served here, June 12, 2006

By	55anonymous55 "55anonymous55" - See all my reviews

Darwin was not just a top-notch scientist but also a gifted author. He had a very lively mind, and he read everything, which means he had a gift for finding just the right example to illustrate his point. And he always tries to make his case with modesty and thoughtfulness, the best way to convince a skeptic.

This edition of Darwin's four most famous works is beautifully printed and physically attractive. It's also sturdily bound, a good idea given the huge page count. However, there are two aspects of this edition that I regret:

--The footnotes are all printed as endnotes, so you have to flip back and forth. (This seems so strange to me: any word processing program can handle footnotes without difficulty, so why can't publishers cope with them?)

--I also regret that the distinguished editor, E. O. Wilson, did not add his own footnotes. When I read Darwin's more speculative remarks, I'd like to know: "Did this pan out; was Darwin in fact right on this point?". The books would benefit greatly from follow-up remarks, in light of the huge progress made in evolutionary theory since Darwin's day. Wilson's own vast knowledge would have made him an ideal candidate to provide such commentary.

But don't let my quibbles deter you. These books are deeply inspiring and very much worth your time.

Comment Comments (3) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

54 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best One-Volume Collection of Darwin's Primary Works, February 27, 2006

By	Jamyang Norbu (Monteagle, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I know of at least three publishers, Norton, Running Press and Barnes & Noble, who have recently come out with single volume collections of Darwin's four major works. This particular collection published by Norton is by far the most complete and useful. First of all the book has been edited by the eminent Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson. Wilson provides an introductory essay for the collection and separate introductions for the four books. The essays are clear and informative, though I would have liked them to be longer. Still we are provided with separate indexes for all four books including a general index. The Running Press collection, by comparison, lacks an index and has, furthermore, had most illustrations removed.

The only complaint I have about the Norton book is that Darwin's footnotes have been converted to endnotes. A bit of an annoyance.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

67 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The most important idea ever presented..., December 20, 2005

By	Dennis R. Mitton "tolstoy" (pacific nw, usa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I think it was Gould who lamented the fact that so few people have actually read Darwin. I'll admit that he's not always easy reading but it's almost always rewarding and this small collection puts his four primary works right on your desk.

Darwin's writings are far from the last word on evolution and natural selection and enormous strides have been made since he first presented his ideas. That doesn't diminish the importance of these works though. Feynman always went back to the original authors in his study of physics and found that it gave him a tremendous edge in understanding new ideas: once you have a firm foundation and basis of understanding it's easier to see how new ideas fit in or change the central dogma. In the same way these volumes are necessary for an understanding of the historical questions concerning evolution and for the still current debates.

I found the introduction and notes by Wilson to be a real help that added to the text. Darwin's ideas are seminal and still so controversial to out culture at large that we still fight over them. Reading through this collection can help gain a deeper perspective into Darwin, his ideas, and the entire study of evolution.

Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 25 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A Cumbersome Masterpiece
This single volume edition of Darwin's four most noted books masterfully brings together his pioneering analysis and conclusions. Read more

Published 1 day ago by Robert L. Youngs

5.0 out of 5 stars Darwin was a GENIUS

It all started after a friend told me about "Darwin and the Beagle" by Alan Moorehead. I purchased it and read it all through, found it very interesting, but I wanted to... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Anna Von Maier

5.0 out of 5 stars So Simple a Beginning, So Profound a Journey
I have had two worn-out paperback copies of Origin of Species and The Voyage of the Beagle for many years and enjoyed them greatly. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Michael Eaton

1.0 out of 5 stars so simple a b
NOT MADE WELL .THE BEINDING WAS CRACKED. I WILL NEVER BY A NEW BOOK FROM AMAZOM AGAIN.

Published 3 months ago by Scott Philips

5.0 out of 5 stars greaat
This book is wonderful, although it's only one tome it's beautifully binded and it just looks amazing.
I'm happy to have it. Read more

Published 3 months ago by C. Ovidiu

4.0 out of 5 stars Great collection, giant volume.
This is a collection of Darwin's four best known books, and it's a great read for any natural science enthusiast. Read more

Published 15 months ago by Barry M. Murphy

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabolous
This book is excellent! It has all of the four greatest works by Darwin, all facsimile editions (exact original) and written by Wilson, a great evolutionary biologist. Read more

Published 19 months ago by Moridin

5.0 out of 5 stars great book
this is a great book, it is really neat that all 4 volumes are in one book. it was a great price for these volumes

Published 21 months ago by Lisa M. Spengler

3.0 out of 5 stars A good choice, but there may be others too
Having also considered the alternative collection "The Evolution Of An
Idea by James Watson " I arrived at this work, from the couple dozen
small newspaper-style,... Read more

Published 21 months ago by Pork Chop

5.0 out of 5 stars A life changing volume
A long time ago, I criticized the theory of Darwin, before I escaped
fundamental Christianity -- and before I had ever read his works. Read more

Published on June 10, 2007 by G. D. Grubbs

› See all 25 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; }

Customer Discussions

Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (0 discussions)

	Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
	No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight

Start a new discussion

Topic:

First post:

Receive e-mail when new posts are made

Prompts for sign-in

[Cancel]

Guidelines

Active discussions in related forums

Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
science The emperor of evolution has no clothes. Who is the Emperor?	1950	25 seconds ago
science Global warming is nothing but a hoax and a scare tactic	8850	4 minutes ago
science Step up and point out the flaws of evolution/science	2582	11 minutes ago
textbook Does anyone use Discovering Geometry: An Investigative Approach?	5	1 hour ago
evolution How has creationism affected your view of the Christian faith?	146	9 hours ago
textbook Textbooks for Kindle DX?	38	1 day ago
evolution Economic Evolution and the Finanical Crisis	0	2 days ago