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On the origin of species by [Charles Darwin]

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Charles Darwin

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I am convinced that Natural Selection has been the main but not exclusive means of modification.
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Natural Selection almost inevitably causes much Extinction of the less improved forms of life and induces what I have called Divergence of Character.
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This preservation of favourable variations and the rejection of injurious variations, I call Natural Selection.
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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 an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Review

“Are they needed? To be sure. The Darwinian industry, industrious though it is, has failed to provide texts of more than a handful of Darwin's books. If you want to know what Darwin said about barnacles (still an essential reference to cirripedists, apart from any historical importance) you are forced to search shelves, or wait while someone does it for you; some have been in print for a century; various reprints have appeared and since vanished.”
-Eric Korn,Times Literary Supplement

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Book Description

A scholarly edition of the most famous scientific text in the world, with detailed information about its publishing history. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Originally published in 1859, Darwin's revolutionary idea is revisited in this spirited and profoundly enthralling reading by Professor Richard Dawkins, who in reading Darwin's material aloud manages to rediscover old ideas and unearth some dramatic subtleties in his prose. Dawkins offers a well-pronounced, pitch-perfect delivery and smartly never attempts to turn the reading into a performance from Darwin's point of view. Instead, Dawkins delivers the material from his own context as a modern-day interpreter of the classical work. Dawkins also splendidly adapts this abridgment, leaving out sections of Darwin's original theories that have been discredited by modern science. Dawkins says he believes his alterations are what Darwin himself would have wished for the recording, and the final result is an absolutely astounding glimpse into life as we know it. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Inside Flap

Perhaps the most readable and accessible of the great works of scientific imagination, The Origin of Species sold out on the day it was published in 1859. Theologians quickly labeled Charles Darwin the most dangerous man in England, and, as the Saturday Review noted, the uproar over the book quickly "passed beyond the bounds of the study and lecture-room into the drawing-room and the public street." Yet, after reading it, Darwin's friend and colleague T. H. Huxley had a different reaction: "How extremely stupid not to have thought of that."
Based largely on Darwin's experience as a naturalist while on a five-year voyage aboard H.M.S. Beagle, The Origin of Species set forth a theory of evolution and natural selection that challenged contemporary beliefs about divine providence and the immutability of species. A landmark contribution to philosophical and scientific thought, this edition also includes an introductory historical sketch and a glossary Darwin later added to the original text.
Charles Darwin grew up considered, by his own account, "a very ordinary boy, rather below the common standard of intellect." A quirk of fate kept him from the career his father had deemed appropriate--that of a country parson--when a botanist recommended Darwin for an appointment as a naturalist aboard H.M.S. Beagle from 1831 to 1836. Darwin is also the author of the five-volume work Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle (1839) and The Descent of Man (1871).

"From the Trade Paperback edition.

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Review

"Veteran narrator David Case...provides an authentic English accent that suits the material well; his diction is precise, making his narration easy to follow." ---Library Journal Starred Audio Review --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Book Description

Jim Endersby's major new scholarly edition debunks some of the myths that surround Darwin's book, and expores how it was originally written, published and read. Endersby provides a new, up-to-date and very readable introduction to this classic text and a level of scholarly apparatus unmatched by any other edition. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Review

“This edition of The Origin of Species is a welcome addition to the field. This volume brings together all the important primary material necessary to understanding Darwin and his milieu, giving students of Victorian science and the history of evolutionary biology a wonderful resource. Carroll combines Darwin's own work—including excerpts from his notebooks and letters, as well as appropriate passages from The Descent of Man—with excerpts from important precursors, supporters, and fellow scientists. The edition, in bringing all these materials together for the first time, is invaluable.” (Lesley B. Cormack )

“A pioneer in applying Darwinian thought to the analysis of literary texts, Joseph Carroll makes the Darwinian revolution beautifully intelligible in this edition by providing both a fine introduction and an illuminating collection of historical materials.” (Don Brown )

"Joseph Carroll, a pre-eminent Darwinian in the humanities and a world-class scholar, has produced a definitive edition of The Origin of Species, with a generous selection of other writings by Darwin and related authors. The critical and historical introduction—almost a small book in itself—is a major accomplishment, so well written, well informed, and altogether intelligent. The volume as a whole will be invaluable." (Harold Fromm ) --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

Variation Under Domestication

Causes of Variability—Effects of Habit—Correlation of Growth—Inheritance—Character of Domestic Varieties—Difficulty of distinguishing between Varieties and Species—Origin of Domestic Varieties from one or more Species—Domestic Pigeons, their Differences and Origin—Principle of Selection anciently followed, its Effects—Methodical and Unconscious Selection—Unknown Origin of our Domestic Productions—Circumstances favourable to Man's power of Selection

WHEN WE look to the individuals of the same variety or sub-variety of our older cultivated plants and animals, one of the first points which strikes us, is, that they generally differ much more from each other, than do the individuals of any one species or variety in a state of nature. When we reflect on the vast diversity of the plants and animals which have been cultivated, and which have varied during all ages under the most different climates and treatment, I think we are driven to conclude that this greater variability is simply due to our domestic productions having been raised under conditions of life not so uniform as, and somewhat different from, those to which the parent species have been exposed under nature. There is, also, I think, some probability in the view propounded by Andrew Knight, that this variability may be partly connected with excess of food. It seems pretty clear that organic beings must be exposed during several generations to the new conditions of life to cause any appreciable amount of variation; and that when the organisation has once begun to vary, it generally continues to vary for many generations. No case is on record of a variable being ceasing to be variable under cultivation. Our oldest cultivated plants, such as wheat, still often yield new varieties: our oldest domesticated animals are still capable of rapid improvement or modification.
It has been disputed at what period of life the causes of variability, whatever they may be, generally act; whether during the early or late period of development of the embryo, or at the instant of conception. Geoffroy St Hilaire's experiments show that unnatural treatment of the embryo causes monstrosities; and monstrosities cannot be separated by any clear line of distinction from mere variations. But I am strongly inclined to suspect that the most frequent cause of variability may be attributed to the male and female reproductive elements having been affected prior to the act of conception. Several reasons make me believe in this; but the chief one is the remarkable effect which confinement or cultivation has on the functions of the reproductive system; this system appearing to be far more susceptible than any other part of the organization, to the action of any change in the conditions of life. Nothing is more easy than to tame an animal, and few things more difficult than to get it to breed freely under confinement, even in the many cases when the male and female unite. How many animals there are which will not breed, though living long under not very close confinement in their native country! This is generally attributed to vitiated instincts; but how many cultivated plants display the utmost vigour, and yet rarely or never seed! In some few such cases it has been found out that very trifling changes, such as a little more or less water at some particular period of growth, will determine whether or not the plant sets a seed. I cannot here enter on the copious details which I have collected on this curious subject; but to show how singular the laws are which determine the reproduction of animals under confinement, I may just mention that carnivorous animals, even from the tropics, breed in this country pretty freely under confinement, with the exception of the plantigrades or bear family; whereas, carnivorous birds, with the rarest exceptions, hardly ever lay fertile eggs. Many exotic plants have pollen utterly worthless, in the same exact condition as in the most sterile hybrids. When, on the one hand, we see domesticated animals and plants, though often weak and sickly, yet breeding quite freely under confinement; and when, on the other hand, we see individuals, though taken young from a state of nature, perfectly tamed, long-lived, and healthy (of which I could give numerous instances), yet having their reproductive system so seriously affected by unperceived causes as to fail in acting, we need not be surprised at this system, when it does act under confinement, acting not quite regularly, and producing offspring not perfectly like their parents or variable.

Sterility has been said to be the bane of horticulture; but on this view we owe variability to the same cause which produces sterility; and variability is the source of all the choicest productions of the garden. I may add, that as some organisms will breed most freely under the most unnatural conditions (for instance, the rabbit and ferret kept in hutches), showing that their reproductive system has not been thus affected; so will some animals and plants withstand domestication or cultivation, and vary very slightly—perhaps hardly more than in a state of nature.

A long list could easily be given of 'sporting plants;' by this term gardeners mean a single bud or offset, which suddenly assumes a new and sometimes very different character from that of the rest of the plant. Such buds can be propagated by grafting, &c., and sometimes by seed. These 'sports' are extremely rare under nature, but far from rare under cultivation; and in this case we see that the treatment of the parent has affected a bud or offset, and not the ovules or pollen. But it is the opinion of most physiologists that there is no essential difference between a bud and an ovule in their earliest stages of formation; so that, in fact, 'sports' support my view, that variability may be largely attributed to the ovules or pollen, or to both, having been affected by the treatment of the parent prior to the act of conception. These cases anyhow show that variation is not necessarily connected, as some authors have supposed, with the act of generation.

Seedlings from the same fruit, and the young of the same litter, sometimes differ considerably from each other, though both the young and the parents, as Mxller has remarked, have apparently been exposed to exactly the same conditions of life; and this shows how unimportant the direct effects of the conditions of life are in comparison with the laws of reproduction, and of growth, and of inheritance; for had the action of the conditions been direct, if any of the young had varied, all would probably have varied in the same manner. To judge how much, in the case of any variation, we should attribute to the direct action of heat, moisture, light, food, &c., is most difficult: my impression is, that with animals such agencies have produced very little direct effect, though apparently more in the case of plants. Under this point of view, Mr Buckman's recent experiments on plants seem extremely valuable. When all or nearly all the individuals exposed to certain conditions are affected in the same way, the change at first appears to be directly due to such conditions; but in some cases it can be shown that quite opposite conditions produce similar changes of structure. Nevertheless some slight amount of change may, I think, be attributed to the direct action of the conditions of life—as, in some cases, increased size from amount of food, colour from particular kinds of food and from light, and perhaps the thickness of fur from climate.

Habit also has a deciding influence, as in the period of flowering with plants when transported from one climate to another. In animals it has a more marked effect; for instance, I find in the domestic duck that the bones of the wing weigh less and the bones of the leg more, in proportion to the whole skeleton, than do the same bones in the wild-duck; and I presume that this change may be safely attributed to the domestic duck flying much less, and walking more, than its wild parent. The great and inherited development of the udders in cows and goats in countries where they are habitually milked, in comparison with the state of these organs in other countries, is another instance of the effect of use. Not a single domestic animal can be named which has not in some country drooping ears; and the view suggested by some authors, that the drooping is due to the disuse of the muscles of the ear, from the animals not being much alarmed by danger, seems probable.

There are many laws regulating variation, some few of which can be dimly seen, and will be hereafter briefly mentioned. I will here only allude to what may be called correlation of growth. Any change in the embryo or larva will almost certainly entail changes in the mature animal. In monstrosities, the correlations between quite distinct parts are very curious; and many instances are given in Isidore Geoffroy St Hilaire's great work on this subject. Breeders believe that long limbs are almost always accompanied by an elongated head. Some instances of correlation are quite whimsical; thus cats with blue eyes are invariably deaf; colour and constitutional peculiarities go together, of which many remarkable cases could be given amongst animals and plants. From the facts collected by Heusinger, it appears that white sheep and pigs are differently affected from coloured individuals by certain vegetable poisons. Hairless dogs have imperfect teeth; long-haired and coarse-haired animals are apt to have, as is asserted, long or many horns; pigeons with feathered feet have skin between their outer toes; pigeons with short beaks have small feet, and those with long beaks large feet. Hence, if man goes on selecting, and thus augmenting, any peculiarity, he will almost certainly unconsciously modify other parts of the structure, owing to the mysterious laws of the correlation of growth.

The result of the various, quite unknown, or dimly seen laws of variation is infinitely complex and diversified. It is well worth while carefully to study the several treatises published on some of our old cultivated plants, as on the hyacinth, potato, even the dahlia, &c.; and it is really surprising to note the endless points in structure and constitution in which the varieties and subvarieties differ slightly from each other. The whole organization seems to have become plastic, and tends to depart in some small degree from that of the parental type.

Any variation which is not inherited is unimportant for us. But the number and diversity of inheritable deviations of structure, both those of slight and those of considerable physiological importance, is endless. Dr Prosper Lucas's treatise, in two large volumes, is the fullest and the best on this subject. No breeder doubts how strong is the tendency to inheritance: like produces like is his fundamental belief: doubts have been thrown on this principle by theoretical writers alone. When a deviation appears not unfrequently, and we see it in the father and child, we cannot tell whether it may not be due to the same original cause acting on both; but when amongst individuals, apparently exposed to the same conditions, any very rare deviation, due to some extraordinary combination of circumstances, appears in the parent—say, once amongst several million individuals—and it reappears in the child, the mere doctrine of chances almost compels us to attribute its reappearance to inheritance. Every one must have heard of cases of albinism, prickly skin, hairy bodies, &c., appearing in several members of the same family. If strange and rare deviations of structure are truly inherited, less strange and commoner deviations may be freely admitted to be inheritable. Perhaps the correct way of viewing the whole subject, would be, to look at the inheritance of every character what ever as the rule, and non-inheritance as the anomaly.

The laws governing inheritance are quite unknown; no one can say why the same peculiarity in different individuals of the same species, and in individuals of different species, is sometimes inherited and sometimes not so; why the child often reverts in certain characters to its grandfather or grandmother or other much more remote ancestor; why a peculiarity is often transmitted from one sex to both sexes, or to one sex alone, more commonly but not exclusively to the like sex. It is a fact of some little importance to us, that peculiarities appearing in the males of our domestic breed are often transmitted either exclusively, or in a much greater degree, to males alone. A much more important rule, which I think may be trusted, is that, whatever period of life a peculiarity first appears in, it tends to appear in the offspring at a corresponding age, though sometimes earlier. In many cases this could not be otherwise; thus the inherited peculiarities in the horns of cattle could appear only in the offspring when nearly mature; peculiarities in the silkworm are known to appear at the corresponding caterpillar or cocoon stage. But hereditary diseases and some other facts make me believe that the rule has a wider extension, and that when there is no apparent reason why a peculiarity should appear at any particular age, yet that it does tend to appear in the offspring at the same period at which it first appeared in the parent. I believe this rule to be of the highest importance in explaining the laws of embryology. These remarks are of course confined to the first appearance of the peculiarity, and not to its primary cause, which may have acted on the ovules or male element; in nearly the same manner as in the crossed offspring from a short-horned cow by a long-horned bull, the greater length of horn, though appearing late in life, is clearly due to the male element.

Having alluded to the subject of reversion, I may here refer to a statement often made by naturalists—namely, that our domestic varieties, when run wild, gradually but certainly revert in character to their aboriginal stocks. Hence it has been argued that no deductions can be drawn from domestic races to species in a state of nature. I have in vain endeavoured to discover on what decisive facts the above statement has so often and so boldly been made. There would be great difficulty in proving its truth: we may safely conclude that very many of the most strongly-marked domestic varieties could not possibly live in a wild state. In many cases we do not know what the aboriginal stock was, and so could not tell whether or not nearly perfect reversion had ensued. It would be quite necessary, in order to prevent the effects of intercrossing, that only a single variety should be turned loose in its new home. Nevertheless, as our varieties certainly do occasionally revert in some of their characters to ancestral forms, it seems to me not improbable, that if we could succeed in naturalising, or were to cultivate, during many generations, the several races, for instance, of the cabbage, in very poor soil (in which case, however, some effect would have to be attributed to the direct action of the poor soil), that they would to a large extent, or even wholly, revert to the wild aboriginal stock. Whether or not the experiment would succeed, is not of great importance for our line of argument; for by the experiment itself the conditions of life are changed. If it could be shown that our domestic varieties manifested a strong tendency to reversion,—that is, to lose their acquired characters, whilst kept under unchanged conditions, and whilst kept in a considerable body, so that free intercrossing might check, by blending together, any slight deviations of structure, in such case, I grant that we could deduce nothing from domestic varieties in regard to species. But there is not a shadow of evidence in favour of this view: to assert that we could not breed our cart and race-horses, long and short-horned cattle, and poultry of various breeds, and esculent vegetables, for an almost infinite number of generations, would be opposed to all experience. I may add, that when under nature the conditions of life do change, variations and reversions of character probably do occur; but natural selection, as will hereafter be explained, will determine how far the new characters thus arising shall be preserved. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Back Cover

Charles Darwin’s On The Origin of Species, in which he writes of his theories of evolution by natural selection, is one of the most important works of scientific study ever published.

This unabridged edition also includes a rich selection of primary source material: substantial selections from Darwin’s other works (Autobiography, notebooks, letters, Voyage of the Beagle, and The Descent of Man) and selections from Darwin’s sources and contemporaries (excerpts from Genesis, Paley, Lamarck, Spencer, Lyell, Malthus, Huxley, and Wallace).

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

About the Author

Charles Robert Darwin, FRS (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection, in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved in selective breeding. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From AudioFile

In celebration of the centenary of Charles Darwin's birth, Tantor has published a narration of his seminal work, THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. The package includes an ebook, a searchable electronic edition of the original book. David Case, a fine British narrator who died in 2005, presents Darwin's work as if the author were reading it. Choosing to narrate in the high-pitched, nasal tones of Darwin's era and class is clever acting, but it can be hard listening. Case also veers toward a monotone, which doesn't help listeners follow Darwin's descriptions of mollusk types and the variation of finch beaks. I read much of the ebook and tuned into the narration occasionally, which worked well. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

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ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008478VE8
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 16, 2012
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 636 KB
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Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 380 pages

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Charles Darwin

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Charles Robert Darwin, (/ˈdɑːrwɪn/; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist and geologist, best known for his contributions to evolutionary theory. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors, and in a joint publication with Alfred Russel Wallace introduced his scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection, in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved in selective breeding.

Darwin published his theory of evolution with compelling evidence in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species, overcoming scientific rejection of earlier concepts of transmutation of species. By the 1870s, the scientific community and much of the general public had accepted evolution as a fact. However, many favoured competing explanations and it was not until the emergence of the modern evolutionary synthesis from the 1930s to the 1950s that a broad consensus developed in which natural selection was the basic mechanism of evolution. In modified form, Darwin's scientific discovery is the unifying theory of the life sciences, explaining the diversity of life.

Darwin's early interest in nature led him to neglect his medical education at the University of Edinburgh; instead, he helped to investigate marine invertebrates. Studies at the University of Cambridge (Christ's College) encouraged his passion for natural science. His five-year voyage on HMS Beagle established him as an eminent geologist whose observations and theories supported Charles Lyell's uniformitarian ideas, and publication of his journal of the voyage made him famous as a popular author.

Puzzled by the geographical distribution of wildlife and fossils he collected on the voyage, Darwin began detailed investigations and in 1838 conceived his theory of natural selection. Although he discussed his ideas with several naturalists, he needed time for extensive research and his geological work had priority. He was writing up his theory in 1858 when Alfred Russel Wallace sent him an essay that described the same idea, prompting immediate joint publication of both of their theories. Darwin's work established evolutionary descent with modification as the dominant scientific explanation of diversification in nature. In 1871 he examined human evolution and sexual selection in The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, followed by The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. His research on plants was published in a series of books, and in his final book, he examined earthworms and their effect on soil.

Darwin has been described as one of the most influential figures in human history; he was honoured by burial in Westminster Abbey.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Henry Maull (1829–1914) and John Fox (1832–1907) (Maull & Fox) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

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Karl Janssen

A must-read for any lover of science and nature

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 2, 2017

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Charles Darwin’s scientific treatise, On the Origin of Species, originally published in 1859, is clearly one of the most important books ever published in terms of its influence on science, history, and human thought. As is often pointed out, Darwin didn’t invent the concept of evolution; the idea had been around since ancient times. With On the Origin of Species, however, Darwin put forward his theory of natural selection which explained, for the first time in defendable detail, the mechanism by which species adapt and evolve over time. The following review refers to the sixth edition of 1872, which is often considered the definitive edition. It contains numerous revisions by Darwin as well as his responses to critics of his theory.

The scientific importance of On the Origin of Species is unquestionable, but how does it hold up as a reading experience? The answer is surprisingly very well. Though the scientific concepts Darwin discusses are complex, with the exception of the Latin names of animals and plants there is nothing arcane or obscure about the vocabulary with which he expresses these ideas. One doesn’t need a PhD in biology to understand this book, only an interest in and a love of nature. Darwin’s logically structured argument is easy to follow and admirable for its ingenuity. While he delves into some very technical research, he also occasionally adds an analogy or metaphor that gives an almost literary flourish to the text, like when he compares the tree of life to a genealogy of human languages or the existence of rudimentary organs to the retention of silent letters in the spelling of words. It is a joy to follow Darwin on his intellectual journey as he constructs the path of his argument.

On the Origin of Species is more accessible and engaging than Darwin’s previous well-known work The Voyage of the Beagle, which, despite its elements of adventure memoir was primarily a collection of empirical data. In On the Origin of Species, Darwin combines meticulous observation of nature with theoretical genius. While reading the text, one can’t help but marvel at his encyclopedic knowledge. In addition to having traveled the world observing natural phenomena, he clearly read nearly every work of natural science available to a 19th-century Englishman. He also conducted in-depth research of his own into specific branches of the animal and plant kingdoms. The reader gets a vicarious sense of the thrill of discovery as Darwin relates the results of his experiments, such as counting the seeds in a teaspoon of dirt taken from a duck’s foot, or calculating the length of time seeds of various plants can float in seawater before they lose the ability to germinate.

As many are quick to point out, Darwin didn’t get everything right. While he established natural selection as the means by which evolution is achieved, he didn’t have the necessary knowledge to explain the mechanisms that drove natural selection. DNA had not yet been discovered, even Gregor Mendel’s experiments in genetics were largely unknown, and the idea of mutation didn’t materialize until the early 20th century. Rather than lessening the value of his work, however, this makes Darwin’s achievement all the more remarkable. Given the imperfections in the scientific knowledge at his disposal, not to mention the limitations on travel and scholarly communication, the fact that Darwin was able to conceptualize and clarify the complex forces that govern all life on Earth is just staggering. This is the book that truly defines the phrase “a work of genius.” Today we take the theory of evolution for granted, and we all think we know how it works, but there is still much to be learned from reading the original definitive masterwork on the subject.

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Christine A LaBranche

Missing pages

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 3, 2023

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I never bought a book that was missing pages. It's kind of laughable.

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pixieforpapa

Evolution, Creationism; Darwin and God

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 21, 2014

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The full title of this book is "On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of the Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life." In layman's terms, this book basically laid out the principles by which natural selection occurs. In other words, it offers an explanation for Evolution. On the surface, of course, this "theory" appears contrary to the traditionally-held, right-winged viewpoint of the Christian majority: Creationism. However, Charles Darwin himself believed in God. (Go figure!)

One of the reasons Darwin's book gained favor was probably because of the wording of the title of his book and, more specifically, the inclusion of the phrase, "Favoured Races." At a time of immense social and economic inequalities, the well off liked believing they were somehow BETTER than others. This book provided "evidence" of how this was so and how the "others" were God-forsaken peoples. (Let's not even discuss the break from England, the Catholics vs. the Protestants or the separation of church and state!) Then, this "favoured races" is strangely both supported and contradicted by the Constitution of the United States of America in which it states unequivocally that "...all men are CREATED equal." (Separate but Equal?) In this era in which abolitionism was in its infancy (as well as in current day), people choose which parts they like to believe and which parts to condemn based on what supports them the best. Add to this the atrocities committed in the name of racial superiority (slavery, the holocaust, etc.). Finally, as is the case with racism in general, it becomes easy to assume one is of the "favoured race" and that all others are, therefore, exempt.

It's easy to think all of these issues are in the past. However, every single one of these issues is still relevant today. Darwin, obviously a brilliant naturalist/scientist in his time, continues to be debated today. While many people believe in Evolution (the change of life over time), still others adamantly deny it and insist God created every living thing as it is today (Creationism). Most people conveniently acknowledge the scientific FACT of Evolution, while simultaneously believing that God made it possible by giving life and "creating" life in the first place. What do you believe?

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I see why this is considered such a great book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 18, 2017

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I finally got around to reading this famous scientific work. I have to say that I'm impressed with his clarity, logic, and scientific ability. He's blessed with a curiosity that is unbounded and the ability to test out all kinds of things using the scientific method.

It's interesting how research worked back in the mid-19th century. He didn't have Google and even if he did, most scientists back then hadn't asked the questions he was asking. For example, he wondered how seed could be transported across oceans; he concocted experiments to see if seeds would float in the ocean for a long period of time and still germinate. He also wondered if mud on birds feet would contain seeds; so he captured some birds and checked out the mud on their feet. There are many other examples where he did this sort of thing.

He also structured this book to answer all of the possible criticisms to his theories and did a very good job. He effectively cited the work of other scientists. I found this book a joy to read and see how the mind of a great scientist works. It's refreshing to see a scientist go against the consensus and powerfully support his radical new theory.

This book is highly recommended for everyone. It is eminently readable and convincing.

This book is controversial since there are many people that feel it is anti-God. I don't think so; to me, it simply shows that God did not create each and every species from 'nothing'. God is more like a farmer than a conjurer. I would think that the amazing versatility of life and its ability to adapt shows something that seems hard to imagine coming together by mere chance.

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Rohit Sharma

Where do we come from??

Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on November 30, 2017

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I have read about 175+ books in last two years and not exaggerating that almost every tenth book mentions either Darwin's theory or the book in question one way or the other. So much so that I was very curious for almost last two years to pick it up myself and read what actually he had written way back in 1859. I was shocked the way it gets mention not only in Non Fiction (mostly), but also in Fiction and even in a love story (Imagine it gets mentioned in a Jojo Moyes book too). But when I read Yuval Noah Harari's (Sapiens) and followed it with a book written way back in 60's about a court case where they debated over Bible Vs Darwin, it was simply too much for me to resist it anymore :). And then, my favorite Dan Brown came out with his new book called "Origin" exploring "Where do we come from" and "Where are we going". Curiosity actually killed the cat and I picked it up some 15 days ago, mind it, it isn't an easy read like any other book but way too interesting. Specially if you have any interest in "Origin", History, Geography, Biology and even Science, this is a must must read. Even if those subjects do not interest someone, it can be read for its literary merit too, I totally loved it. Although after reading I can claim that this book is actually a summary of his findings and these 700 pages are way too short to explain everything, going by his writing I am doubly sure that the actual theory must not be any less than 10000 pages for sure as he mentioned at so many places that he wasn't going in great details due to space constraints. On top of it, his findings weren't finished by the time he started writing this and as his health wasn't too good, his good friends and colleagues forced him to come out with this. Unbelievable that is to know and surprising is the entire book.

I had no idea before reading the book that what I was getting into, this isn't just a book or a theory given by the great Charles Darwin but an encyclopedia of knowledge about the origin of life on planet earth. How everything came to be and moved from one place to another, mind-blowing is his research, theory and conclusions which he kept open to debate with people and imagine even after 150 years, we are still debating on it. I just couldn't imagine what kind of Lab he must have at that time and how far and wide he must have traveled to gather the data he has put in his theory, unbelievable. Another fantastic thing about Darwin was, not once he was afraid of giving credit to so many of his colleagues, eminent scientists and professors as he kept mentioning their names with what they thought and how it helped him to come to the conclusions that he had drawn, simply too good. Starting from the bacteria's to germs to insects, birds, animals, humans and even dinosaurs, he hasn't left anything which doesn't gets a detailed mention in this book. I really wonder how deep and terrific would be his actual detailed findings which may not be available for us lesser mortals but the scientific community must have access to those works. Although those details may not make any sense to us unscientific and god fearing people, but he was always open to other parallel theories too and never made fun of them.

The way it covers the Human Origin timeline and the life on planet earth is just superb. Darwin was sure that no one can predict the exact time how long life has been here on this planet (at that time). The way he calculates the life as well as what data do we have in our hands as of now a mere negligible that we haven't yet explored an iota of what is actually there on this planet is simply mind-blowing and convincing too. This will now be one book that I am going to force every teenager that I know to read without fail, more than for sure Blyton's and Dahl's. Its an amazing encyclopedia that everyone should read. I am glad and sad both to have read a Kindle version of the book. Glad that I could actually access the meanings immediately by tapping on the terms that I had never previously heard and sad that it didn't had any of the diagrams that he made which should be available on a paperback :(. Also, now, I guess I have to go ahead and read Yuval Noah Harari's "Homo Deus" which takes it all to couple of steps ahead where Darwin left it. Surprisingly when I bought this book (almost a year ago) it was absolutely free on Amazon (for Kindle).

If you have read this, do let me know how you like it, if not, you've got to read this without fail. This will now-onward be one of my all time favorite Non-Fiction for sure. A very highly recommended back for all.

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yash

A must book. Just go for it can be understood by layman just annoyed with seller

Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on August 7, 2019

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Book is very good even its content is too good. At some place it is little bit confusing but not a big headache because it is too basic and can be understand if you go ahead or by using google. Very knowledgeable book should be read by everyone. 1 star is because of condition of book. Why seller or amazon give me a pathetic condition book.
Happy with book content, disappoint with condition of book. Seller was uRead-Store.

81 people found this helpful

Binay Kumar Jha

Best book

Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on January 19, 2020

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Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species, in which he writes of his theories of evolution by natural selection, is one of the most important works of scientific study ever published.

This unabridged edition also includes a rich selection of primary source material: substantial selections from Darwin’s other works (Autobiography, notebooks, letters, Voyage of the Beagle, and The Descent of Man) and selections from Darwin’s sources and contemporaries (excerpts from Genesis, Paley, Lamarck, Spencer, Lyell, Malthus, Huxley, and Wallace).

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Duane

On the Origin of Species

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 3, 2016

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Charles Darwin’s On the Origin Species written in the 1850s presents the theory of natural selection in an attempt to explain the complex relations between animals and plants both existing and extinct. Darwin’s theories are formed based on his voyage on the Beagle expedition, later research and correspondence with experts in various fields.

The starting chapters introduce the theory of natural selection, explaining why certain species thrive, while others decrease in number, how the members of nature are in competition with each other and why organisms tend to vary and change with time. Much of this work is based on experiments and observations seen within domestic animals and plants.

The later chapters defend the theory of natural selection against apparent inconsistencies, why geological records are incomplete, why we find species so widespread and how sterility can be inherited when the organisation is unable to reproduce and more.

The book is approachable for any audience, though the language is naturally dated. Having read the book, one can really appreciate the complex relations in the world and the individuals within it. Though the theory of natural selection is easy to accept, many thought provoking difficulties within the book really make it interesting. Well worth reading.

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