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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 576.82092 EAN: 9780393329957 ISBN: 039332995X Label: W. W. Norton Manufacturer: W. W. Norton Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 304 Publication Date: July 30, 2007 Publisher: W. W. Norton Studio: W. W. Norton Editorial Review: Product Description: "Quammen brilliantly and powerfully re-creates the 19th century naturalist's intellectual and spiritual journey."—Los Angeles Times Book Review Twenty-one years passed between Charles Darwin's epiphany that "natural selection" formed the basis of evolution and the scientist's publication of On the Origin of Species. Why did Darwin delay, and what happened during the course of those two decades? The human drama and scientific basis of these years constitute a fascinating, tangled tale that elucidates the character of a cautious naturalist who initiated an intellectual revolution. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Conversational tone humanizes DarwinShort, informal biography of Mr. Darwin and his Big Idea. The conversational tone sometimes makes Darwin seem more human, more vulnerable, and conversely more persuasive--and at times is just anachronistic and annoying. Rating:  - Exactly how popular science ought to be writtenThere are several very good titles (as well as a couple of stinkers) in Norton's "Great Discoveries" series. For my money, David Quammen's little book on Darwin is the best. There are several reasons for this. In the first place, Quammen is simply a very good reader. His style is conversational without lapsing into vapid chattiness, so his book is fun to read. But although his style is friendly, he never dumbs down Darwin's central ideas nor the contemporary responses to them. He ... Read More Rating: - The Procrastinating Charles DarwinDarwin started writing his Beagle Journal in 1837 in "notebook A." He simultaneously started "notebook B," dedicated to his idea that species were perhaps not so immutable. Then came C, D, & E as he developed and organized his evidence. Midway through notebook C, he noted, "But Man, wonderful Man, is an exception." Three lines later, he recanted "...no, he is no exception." Hidden away in notebook N were metaphysical implications of his theory: Does a bee have a sense of communal responsibility? ... Read More Rating:  - Beware the audio book versonBe forewarned: the narrator of the audio book version is an unfortunate cross between J. Peterman from Seinfeld, Mike Wallace from 60 Minutes, and the narrator of old elementary school film strips. The content is very good (as described in other reviews posted here) but you should have a friendly warning about the audio version. The narrator will put you to sleep. Rating: - Short, Fast, and Informative"The Reluctant Mr. Darwin" by David Quammen is a concise, fun, and fast read. If you want to learn the bullet points about Charles Darwin's life and the formative people, events, and intellectual and social climate that surrounded Darwin's publication of the On the Origin of Species, then this book is for you. Quammen does not spend too much time on any one point, but maintains a theme that Darwin was not lazy in publishing his famous book many years after his voyage but reluctant, wanting to make sure ... Read More |
