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The Origin of Species

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 26,983 ratings · 906 reviews

The instant best-seller and source of controversy of 1859, this classic has lost none of its appeal or importance. A reprint of the original edition, value priced with a new jacket.

Hardcover, 703 pages

Published May 30th 2004 by Castle Books (first published 1859)

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Jan 12, 2013 Stephen M rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, textbook

Edits for NR because I love him that much.

This:
"This preservation of favourable variations and the rejection of injurious variations, I call Natural Selection. Variations neither useful not injurious would not be affected by natural selection, and would be left a fluctuating element, as perhaps we see in the species called polymorphic.

"We shall best understand the probable course of natural selection by taking the case of a country undergoing some physical change, for instance, of climate. The...more Edits for NR because I love him that much.

This:
"This preservation of favourable variations and the rejection of injurious variations, I call Natural Selection. Variations neither useful not injurious would not be affected by natural selection, and would be left a fluctuating element, as perhaps we see in the species called polymorphic.

"We shall best understand the probable course of natural selection by taking the case of a country undergoing some physical change, for instance, of climate. The proportional numbers of its inhabitants would almost immediately undergo a change, and some species might become extinct. We may conclude, from what we have seen of the intimate and complex manner in which the inhabitants of each country are bound together, that any change in the numerical proportions of some of the inhabitants, independently of the change of climate itself, would most seriously affect many of the others. If the country were open on its borders, new forms would certainly immigrate, and this also would seriously disturb the relations of some of the former inhabitants. Let it be remembered how powerful the influence of a single introduced tree or mammal has been shown to be. But in the case of an island, or of a country partly surrounded by barriers, into which new and better adapted forms could not freely enter, we should then have places in the economy of nature which would assuredly be better filled up, if some of the original inhabitants were in some manner modified; for, had the area been open immigration, these same places would have been seized on by intruders. In such case, ever slight modification, which in the course of ages chanced to arise, and which in any way favoured the individuals of any of the species, by better adapting them to their altered conditions, would tend to be preserved and natural selection would thus have free scope for the work of improvement.

"We have reason to believe, as stated in the first chapter, that a change in the conditions of life, by specially acting on the reproductive systems, cause or increases variability; and in the foregoing case the conditions of life are supposed to have undergone a changes, and this would manifestly be favourable to natural selection, by giving a better chance of profitable variations occurring; and unless profitable variations do occur, natural selection can do nothing." (I DIDN'T WRITE THIS. DARWIN DID IN THIS BOOK.)

Or This.(less)

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view all 58 comments

Derek Broughton I agree, it is exciting to see the initial formation of biologists. I've been working at a government scientific institution for over a decade, where...more
Jan 14, 2013 06:29am

Traveller Yes, whilst i am sure that the process, in a large amount of cases might initiate spontaneously, there definitely occurs a point where the process can...more
updated Jan 14, 2013 10:37am

May 10, 2012 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics, 100-significant-books, science, non-fiction

Decry or applaud it, there's no question this work has had a profound effect not just on science, but the culture at large. What I wouldn't read this book for is the science, or in an effort to either defend or refute the argument for evolution. The core of Darwin's argument certainly is still what was taught in my Catholic high school biology class (taught by a nun). In a nutshell, the theory is that given there are wide-ranging subtle Variations among organisms, the Malthusian Struggle for Exi...more Decry or applaud it, there's no question this work has had a profound effect not just on science, but the culture at large. What I wouldn't read this book for is the science, or in an effort to either defend or refute the argument for evolution. The core of Darwin's argument certainly is still what was taught in my Catholic high school biology class (taught by a nun). In a nutshell, the theory is that given there are wide-ranging subtle Variations among organisms, the Malthusian Struggle for Existence causes by means of Natural Selection of the inheritable traits that are the best Adaptations to the environment the Origin of Species or as Darwin calls it, the "theory of descent with modification."

But, after all, this book is now over 150 years old. Science is about explaining natural phenomenon and correcting mistakes through observation, experimentation and falsification--not dogma--and so is always a moving target. I know that. But I still raised an eyebrow when in the first chapter of the book Darwin said he believed the "most frequent cause of variability" was caused by the experiences of the parents before conception--such as cows' udders being larger in countries where they're milked because the habit of milking by itself alters in the reproductive organs what is inherited by the next generation. WTF Darwin? When Darwin first propounded his theory of evolution (a word never used in the book by the way) through natural selection, Mendel had yet to discover the basic principles of genetics in his experiments with peas and Watson and Crick had yet to unravel the structure of DNA. Nor was continental drift known and understood, so there were notable gaps in Darwin's reasoning that has since been filled. Stephen Jay Gould, one of the staunchest defenders and popularizers of evolution is famous within science particularly for where he differs from Darwin. Darwin thought changes in species were very gradual. Gould favors "punctuated equilibrium" where there are rapid changes followed by long periods of stability. That's why scientists today talk of the "theory of evolution," not of "Darwinism" as if a scientific principle is an unchanging creed and Origin of Species scripture.

So, the book is dated and filled with lots of details I'm sure are just plain wrong and might be onerous to unlearn. That does make me reluctant to give this book top marks despite its profound impact. Someone interested in modern evolutionary science would be better off picking up a copy of a book by Jared Diamond, Richard Dawkins, Carl Sagan (although by now I suppose his very readable Dragons of Eden is dated) or Stephen Jay Gould. So, was there no value in reading On the Origin of Species? I wouldn't say that. It's surprisingly readable--or at least understandable. There are definitely dry passages that were a slog to get through, my eyes glazing over as Darwin gave example after exhaustive example to make his points. However, I couldn't help but be impressed by the knowledge of nature shown by his wide-ranging examples from every continent from ants and bees and algae to pigeons to zebras. Given the way he cited various authorities and spoke about his own experiments, I definitely felt that here was a master generalist and enthusiast on nature. Moreover Darwin does have a gift for metaphor and illustrative examples. I was particularly taken by his explanation of "inter-crossing" and the function of sex in creating biological diversity. I also was struck by how cautious and civil in tone Darwin is in his arguments, devoting an entire chapter on what he saw could be the flaws and holes in his theory--particularly the issues of transitions between species and intermediate forms. Bottom line? Arguably this specific book had as much influence on the literature and politics of the next century as Freud or Marx, so I think there is historical value in reading this, preferably in the first edition (which is what I read) that exploded upon the world in 1859.(less)

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Sep 14, 2007 Pam rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone with an open mind

Shelves: purchase

such a freakin' genius! and the sadest part is, that his "science" literally killed him. if you've read a lot in Darwin (as I have) you come to understand that as a religious man, his studies seriously conflicted with his beliefs. I hate it when I hear someone say that Darwin says, "we come from monkeys." because that is not the case.

his theory is on EVOLUTION, not monkeys. all he wanted people to understand was adaptation and survival of the fittest is really a simple concept, and daily life- p...more

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Oct 27, 2007 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Are you an Evangelical Christian? Or, perhaps you are a student participating in one of nation's modern and progressive science classes, learning about the Origins of Man, but confused by the lack of scientifically observable studies missing from your text books. Fortunately for you, Darwin spent decades of his life documenting the observable changes in various species, hypothesizing about these changes and drawing some interesting conclusions about his life's work.

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Jul 25, 2007 Anouk rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

Darwin's The Origin of Species is the best eye-opener for people who want to understand the theory of evolution. With the current paradigm of creationism and its argument against evolution, it is the best book to refer too. Darwin's theory is very strong and realistic and can be easily related to today's universe.

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Jun 20, 2010 Joe rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, nonfiction

Having finished Origin, I am taking the liberty of adding a few comments at the top of what I posted when I first added it to my "currently-reading shelf."

To the would-be classics reader who is a bit daunted at the notion of tackling a fourteen chapter science book written in 19th Century technical terms I offer the suggestion that the back half of Origin is purely optional and can be let go. The first six chapters are the most enjoyable. Four is the big one, where Darwin presents the big pitch...more Having finished Origin, I am taking the liberty of adding a few comments at the top of what I posted when I first added it to my "currently-reading shelf."

To the would-be classics reader who is a bit daunted at the notion of tackling a fourteen chapter science book written in 19th Century technical terms I offer the suggestion that the back half of Origin is purely optional and can be let go. The first six chapters are the most enjoyable. Four is the big one, where Darwin presents the big pitch, with One through Three being the wind-up to prep the audience. Six is fairly unusual in science literature, being an effort to admit problems with the theory and making efforts to address them.

Chapter Seven, on instinct, is aumsing but not vital to the core of the work if your attention is already starting to wander. The rest that follow involve technical arguments that may be pointless to most modern readers. To follow why Darwin makes them one would have to conversant in the state of the art in zoology, botany and geology as it was 150 years ago. I skipped much of it.

A few points readers with only a casual knowledge of science may take from this book- Evolution predates Darwin, whose contribution is actually the mechanism of natural selection which explains how it works. He also contributed another mechanism, sexual selection, for traits inherited for their value in obtaining mates. Darwin offers an unexpected chuckle in a quote from Aristotle which suggestive of an understanding of something very much like natural selection.

>What follows is old commentary.

I am reading this one for the historical value, not the science. A big joke is that people of a certain outlook do try to read it for the science so they can refute it. Silly. Origin is as about as state of the art on evolution science as Newton is on 21st Century string theory. Ah, well.

What I have found interesting so far is the struggle Darwin goes through to make his argument in the absence of the kind of modern scientific language or terminology that would have made things simple and clear to his readers. Even more interesting is that Darwin had no clue as to the mechanics of inheritance and admitted as much (the discovery of DNA was a long way off in the future), and yet was able to work out so much on his own without that knowledge.

Cool factoid: Darwin took his time pondering his theories for many years before suddenly rushing to get them into print. It seems that while he was taking his time another naturalist named Wallace worked out natural selection too...and then wrote to Darwin for help in placing his findings in front of the right experts! You know how the science establishment is about giving credit to the first one to publish and forgetting the also-rans who came to the same conclusions just a tad too late. One party gets into the textbooks of future generations, while the other is lucky to become a footnote.

I'll post some stars when I'm done reading.(less)

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Charles Lee Re: Joe's review from Jun 20, 2010 :

Joe said, "while [Darwin] was taking his time another naturalist named Wallace worked out natural selection too......more Re: Joe's review from Jun 20, 2010 :

Joe said, "while [Darwin] was taking his time another naturalist named Wallace worked out natural selection too...and then wrote to Darwin for help in placing his findings in front of the right experts!
You know how the science establishment is about giving credit to the first one to publish and forgetting the also-rans who came to the same conclusions just a tad too late"

This does not give Darwin credit for coming up with a better explanation of the theory that Wallace would have offered in his much less diligently prepared essay.

Darwin did not consider Wallace's explanation as sufficiently rigorous, and was a bit dismayed (if I understand it properly) that Wallace was able to explain the theory in so short a tome, while he felt his own explanation was incomplete although several hundred pages in length.

I also feel that Darwin's religious dilemma (he was a devout Christina, who believed the Bible's "Theory of Creation," um, well, religiously) which caused Darwin to delay publication, maybe feeling that he needed more evidence, since his theory would overturn the 'ordinary view' (the theory of creation), as it inevitably did.

The first paragraph of "The Descent of Man" supports Darwin's concern for his revelations:

"THE NATURE of the following work will be best understood by a brief account of how it came to be written. During many years I collected notes on the origin or descent of man, without any intention of publishing on the subject, but rather with the determination not to publish, as I thought that I should thus only add to the prejudices against my views. It seemed to me sufficient to indicate, in the first edition of my Origin of Species, that by this work "light would be thrown on the origin of man and his history"; and this implies that man must be included with other organic beings in any general conclusion respecting his manner of appearance on this earth. Now the case wears a wholly different aspect."

Joe is correct when he says that evolution is not something Darwin invented, but merely observed as a more reasonable explanation of what so many others had to to explin, unsuccessfully before him.

Darwin was actually hired onto the Beagle's ocean voyage by the captain hhose objective was to map coastlines, but saw the voyage as a n opportuntiy to enlist the aid of a world-reknowned naturalist, and Bible-believer, to refute evolution.

Well, that didn't work out the the poor captain later found!

Charlie(less)
Nov 06, 2011 04:15pm

Apr 27, 2008 Ruth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

With my brand new shiny degree in geology/paleontology, this was the first book I read after commencement. I give it 5 stars for the importance of its text, not for its readability.

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May 01, 2013 أميــــرة marked it as في-خطة-الشراء

من الكتب اللي نفسي أشتريها من زمان بس ماكنتش حطّاها في قائمة الشراء خالص.
من الحاجات اللي قفلتني من الكتاب إنّي شفته مع واحد كان معايا في الهند، كان متأبّطه ورايح جاي بيه طول اليوم. المقدوني المتغطرس كما يجب أن يكون "أتاناس". مثال على عجرفة وغطرسة الرجل لمّا يبقى فاكر نفسه مفيش لا قبله ولا بعده، وبيعمل 50 حاجة في نفس الوقت لمجرد إنه يُثير الإعجاب. الصبح "جيم" وبالليل بيلعب جيتار، وبيدرس في اليابان، واضطّر يتعلم ياباني عشان يعرف يدرس، وطبعًا لما بيقول كده لحد بيفتح بُقه من الإعجاب. كنت من المشدوه...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Alejandro Teruel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ciencias, en-casa

Richard E. Leakey es un conocido paleoantropólogo con importantes descubrimientos de restos fósiles homínidos. En este libro se apoya en los consultores W. F. Bynum y J.A. Barrett para recortar la obra señera de Charles Darwin El Origen de las Especies. Según Leakey:

[E]l propósito de esta edición es a la vez hacer asequible la gran obra de Darwin al lector moderno y explicar de qué modo la investigación actual ha extendido nuestros conocimientos de los problemas con que se enfrentó. He seleccion

...more Richard E. Leakey es un conocido paleoantropólogo con importantes descubrimientos de restos fósiles homínidos. En este libro se apoya en los consultores W. F. Bynum y J.A. Barrett para recortar la obra señera de Charles Darwin El Origen de las Especies. Según Leakey:

[E]l propósito de esta edición es a la vez hacer asequible la gran obra de Darwin al lector moderno y explicar de qué modo la investigación actual ha extendido nuestros conocimientos de los problemas con que se enfrentó. He seleccionado el texto de la sexta edición de The Origin of the Species publicada en 1872 [...] El texto ha sido reducida a cerca de un tercio de su extensión original mediante la eliminación de muchas repeticiones, algunos de los ejemplos de Darwin y su tendencia a la verbosidad victoriana. En dos o tres ocasiones me he tomado la libertad de reordenar ligeramente el orden de los párrafos para hacer que el texto condensado se leyera más fácilmente, y al recortar éste he tenido que interpolar con frecuencia palabras o frases. Pero estas interpolaciones no cambian en modo alguno el sentido original de Darwin. No he intentado hacer que Darwin parezca más moderno de lo que era, puesto que se vale por si mismo. No obstante, en algunas ocasiones, cuando las investigaciones posteriores han demostrado que las argumentaciones de Darwin eran erróneas, he añadido cortas notas explicativas....

El libro también agrega muchas ilustraciones, tanto dibujos como fotografías, que ayudan al lector moderno que no es biólogo a identificar los animales y plantas a que se hace referencia y a entender gráficamente algunos conceptos a que se hace referencia.

La introducción escrita por Leakey es interesante y razonablemente completa dada su concisión, abarcando tanto algunos elementos pertinentes de la biografía de Darwin, su relación con Wallace y sus pares contemporáneos y predecesores más importantes. La introducción también toca dos personajes polémicos lamarckianos posteriores a Darwin, Paul Kammerer (1880-1926), defendido por el intelectual Arthur Koestler en su libro The Case of the Midwife Toad y el infame Trofim Denisovich Lysenko (1898-1976). Finalmente presenta las controversias más destacadas en evolución vigentes para cuando Leakey escribió su introducción, al final de la década de 1970:

...el problema de las mutaciones neutras, la universalidad de la selección natural como mecanismo evolutivo, la evolución del sexo, el origen del altruismo y la "sociobiología"...

(less)

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Apr 14, 2012 Pollopicu rated it 2 of 5 stars

What in the world made me want to read this Goliath of a science book? My goodness! I guess if I had to search deep within myself I would have to say I wanted to read anything Darwin, just to see what all the fuss was about, but mostly because of the reviews I read on Goodreads. I thought The Origin of Species would turn me into the science-loving person I always thought lurked inside me.
The main reason I finished it is because any science book that has had this much publicity deserves to be rea...more What in the world made me want to read this Goliath of a science book? My goodness! I guess if I had to search deep within myself I would have to say I wanted to read anything Darwin, just to see what all the fuss was about, but mostly because of the reviews I read on Goodreads. I thought The Origin of Species would turn me into the science-loving person I always thought lurked inside me.
The main reason I finished it is because any science book that has had this much publicity deserves to be read and finished.
First of all, it contained a considerable amount of text for a study which was only suppose to be a treatise. This book wasn't difficult to read, as many would have you think. It's not. In fact, it's pretty straight forward. But are you interested in reading 700 pages of things having to do with birds, aquatic mammals, cattle, beaks, gills, bills, plumage, fauna, fowl, pollen, eggs, and embryos? Don't get me wrong, I'm as interested to hear where we might have originated from as much as the next person, but if you take the book at face value, who would be interested in reading page after page of detailed observations of animals most of us will live a lifetime without even having encountered and if we do, so what. I say that as a lover of nature. I mean a LOVER of all things outdoors that have to do with looking at stuff, not reading about it. Where I live we often see herons, and gorgeous owls, foxes, snakes, etc, but I don't want to read 700 pages about them. I want to admire them for a while, but then keep it moving.
From what I gathered, it seems to me that scientists and naturalists can't even agree on the differences between species and varieties to begin with. A lot of these studies aren't even conclusive, which makes a lot of sense now since it's a book on the THEORY of evolution. I didn't stop to think of the literal definition of the word "theory". Had I paused for a moment to give it thought, I would've realized I would be committing weeks to a treatise that is basically speculation. To me that's a huge waste of time when there are so many other books out there to read. Give me history or give me straight up fiction by topics on theory seem pointless to me.
Also, the idea that Darwin's theory of evolution was indirectly responsible for the genocide of so many people during the Nazi era is simply horrific. I had no clue when I began reading this book that Hitler was a follower of Darwin's theory, taking it to heart (a bit too much) the supposed superiority of the white race, hence, making all other races inferior, and therefore extinguishing them. The Subtitle of The Species of Origin was suppose to be “The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life.” Darwin referred to inferior races as "savages", and by savages he meant people with darker skin, such as Native Americans and Africans. Darwin, being the prolific and respected scientist he was, influenced many people (through his work) to practice prejudice, racism and oppression. Hitler believed that the human gene pool could be improved by selective breeding, very much like that of cattle in farm breeding, thus protecting the "superior" race. This is simply horrifying.
In the end I'm glad I read this book, although I hated the actual reading part. Not so much because of what it contains, but because of the role it has played in our history, of which I was clueless about. In the frustration of reading this book, I made the effort to dig for more information about why so many modern day people are still fascinated by it, still not sure, but I did learn a lot from it, and it did inspire me to dig deep into other genocides that have been committed around the world in which this book may or may not have been indirectly responsible for. However, the book was absolutely tedious. It's like reading about a subject you absolutely loath, like sports, or construction. The part of the book that actually cracked me up was chapter XII (Geographical Distribution) because after having read what seemed like 200 pages of that, the next chapter (XIII) was called "Geographical Distribution continued", lol. At that point I was delirious and might have lost it. It's very rare for me to purposely not recommend reading what people consider a "required read", but this was a tough one. If you want to read it to add it to your library, go ahead, but I'm giving you fair warning, it's laborious like nothing you've ever read. You will have to see for yourself. (less)

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Mar 04, 2010 Jeremy added it

Shelves: science-writing

While this is obviously a hugely important piece of work that had major implications for evolutionary theory, ecology, and eventually genetics, it's one of the most dully written things I've come across. When he talks about the theory itself it's fine, but he spends so much time explaining things like pigeon coloring, and plant stamens, that I found myself throwing it down from sheer boredom. I was surprised by how tame the text was considering the firestorm of bullshit that asshole creationists...more

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May 24, 2009 Cora Judd rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone looking for a delightful surprise in one of those innumerable books they "ought to" read.

Richard Dawkins' narration of this book is excellent -- I enjoyed it immensely, however, without my semester of physical anthropology, the essential points would have required much more mental attention.

Dawkins inserts clarifying information throughout the book and while Darwin's writing is wonderfully clear, I think more of Dawkins' notes and updates would have been an enhancement.

I was surprised to see how diverse Darwin's background research was and how elegantly he wrote. He anticipated cou...more

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Jan 24, 2009 Kendall rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Scientists, creationists, intelligent desginers, everybody else

Recommended to Kendall by: My mother, who thought it was from the devil

Finally re-read after decades of good intentions. For a recondite classic it is full of surprises, mostly pleasant; its supposed impenetrability largely confined to parts we already knew were directed at specialists—I admit to slogging through the section on barnacles, for example. But Origins is highly readable, pleasurable even, almost in the way of an Edmund Wilson essay. Darwin proceeds deliberately through the mountain of evidence he collected over twenty years as he constructs a virtually...more

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Nov 25, 2008 Jefke rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In het Nederlands: "Over de oorsprong der soorten".

Toen enkele jaren geleden een nieuwe vertaling van dit meesterwerk uitkwam heb ik besloten om het te lezen.
Dit boek is de basis van één van de 3 grootste wetenschappelijke theorieën waarop onze huidige kennis is gebaseerd (Evolutietheorie, relativiteitstheorie en kwantummechanica).
Ondanks het feit dat de falsificatie van deze theorie vereist dat men ook de huidige kennis van de geneeskunde, de biologie en de geologie in vraag stelt, zijn er nog...more

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May 02, 2012 D.G. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, classics, audiobook, reviewed, great-narrator

My science education left a lot to be desired. I was never taught the Theory of Natural Selection in school but only heard it mentioned when some adults scoffed at it. Thankfully, my natural talents steered me away from a career in Biology or Genetics, so this lack of knowledge didn’t affect my career prospects. It just affected my understanding of the world.

I learned years later the basics of the theory but this just piqued my interest about reading the actual book. I always have problems with...more My science education left a lot to be desired. I was never taught the Theory of Natural Selection in school but only heard it mentioned when some adults scoffed at it. Thankfully, my natural talents steered me away from a career in Biology or Genetics, so this lack of knowledge didn’t affect my career prospects. It just affected my understanding of the world.

I learned years later the basics of the theory but this just piqued my interest about reading the actual book. I always have problems with Victorian authors (very long sentences) so the print version gave me some difficulty. If it weren’t for Richard Dawkins' excellent narration, I don’t know that I could have enjoyed this book as much.

I’m almost shocked that I was able to follow the concepts herein as well as I did. I am amazed that Mr. Darwin could write this book (one of the most important in the history of science and the whole world) in such clear, concise way, that a person with minimal understanding of the topic in general could follow along so well. The concepts are explained logically with tons of examples so the reader is not left dangling wondering what he meant. Not only that, but he also writes beautifully and the prose is sometimes as poetic as it is instructive:

As buds give rise by growth to fresh buds, and these, if vigorous, branch out and overtop on all sides many a feebler branch, so by generation I believe it has been with the great Tree of Life, which fills with its dead and broken branches the crust of the earth, and covers the surface with its ever branching and beautiful ramifications.

From the beginning, I understood this wasn’t a book I could listen in one sitting or while doing other things. I took it slowly and that allowed me to think things through. It made me think a lot about our place in the world and how sometimes we think we are above the system when in fact, we are just one creature among millions and not the most important in the grand scheme of nature (if we were to go extinct, the planet will continue merrily along.) It made reflect in our attempts to control nature, to see change as a bad thing, and our hubris that we can keep in check a process that has moved relentlessly forward for millions of years.

Darwin was certainly cognizant that his theory wouldn’t be accepted immediately: “Any one whose disposition leads him to attach more weight to unexplained difficulties than to the explanation of a certain number of facts will certainly reject my theory.” But I think he would be surprised by how much discussion there is still going on about the subject, specially given that DNA evidence has already proven he was correct in thinking that every living being sprouted from a single progenitor (mind staggering as it seems.)

As I already mentioned, Richard Dawkins is the narrator for this audiobook and he did an amazing job - you could tell he's probably read this book a million times and knows it like the back of his hand. His diction was very precise and clear; and his enthusiasm for the subject was contagious. It almost feels like Darwin is the one speaking.

Overall, a must read for anybody with an interest in learning how we came into being. (less)

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Mar 23, 2008 Barry added it

Shelves: science, evolution

It seems that every discussion of the evolution of evolution starts with that poor wrong-headed Lamarck and his idea of the inheritance of acquired characteristics. What a dummy! He thought Giraffe's necks got longer because each generation kept straining to reach ever higher leaves. Well, Darwin thought the same thing. In a section called Use and Disuse he says, "I think there can be little doubt that use in our domestic animals strengthens and enlarges certain parts, and disuse diminishes them...more It seems that every discussion of the evolution of evolution starts with that poor wrong-headed Lamarck and his idea of the inheritance of acquired characteristics. What a dummy! He thought Giraffe's necks got longer because each generation kept straining to reach ever higher leaves. Well, Darwin thought the same thing. In a section called Use and Disuse he says, "I think there can be little doubt that use in our domestic animals strengthens and enlarges certain parts, and disuse diminishes them; and that such modifications are inherited".

He's a genius anyway, even if he didn't know how mutations actually happened. His passion shines out of every page. He argues, that since varieties of horses, when bred together, often show the same pattern of stripes, the ancestor of all horses must have had those stripes. He says to believe otherwise is to "make the works of God mere mockery and deception; I would almost as soon believe with the old and ignorant cosmogonists, that fossil shells had never lived, but had been created in stone so as to mock the shells now living on the sea-shore".

There's a little unintended irony in his describing convergent evolution as being like two men independently hitting on the same invention. He actually had to rush this book into print to beat Wallace, who independently developed the same theory.

It's obvious that lifetime's observation went into this book. Just reading the examples of experiments he did and behavior he observed is exhausting. Dogged observer and experimenter that he was, he also gets a little mystical sometimes, talking about an unknown bond between species related to the "principle of life". He is also surprisingly parochial at times. At one point he refers to the "most impressive" observations of a "Mr. Smith of Jordan Hill".

He explains that, in light of his theory, classification should be regarded as demonstrating descent, not the plan of the Creator.

He published this document in a world in which almost everyone was a creationist. In the final chapter, he says, "Nothing at first can appear more difficult to believe than that the more complex organs and instincts should have been perfected, not by means superior to, though analagous with, human reason". He then goes on to explain why his theory is actualy indisputable. Tough guy.

His theory is called revolutionary, and he cites no contributors, as if he made the whole thing up himself. Yet, he seems to refer to battles between evolutionists and creationists. He talks about embryos displaying characteristics of earlier species. To him, the stamp of evolution could not be plainer, and creationists "willfully will not understand".

Carrying the implications of evolution theory back to the beginning of life, Darwin conjectures that animals descended from four or five progenitors, and plants, perhaps, less. Then he goes further, hypothesising "one primordial form, into which life was first breathed".
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Nov 24, 2007 Kyle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very convincing argument, hardly long at all, related in a calm voice that inspires interest in what must have consumed Darwin for over a decade - with all the experiments he writes about one can imagine him in his backyard, examining bird droppings, or in his lab, testing how long an apple would float in salt water. How he need to write how much he trusts others informing him, even his own son at one point. For all of his calm, rational explanation, there is still enough digs at contrary natura...more

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Jul 18, 2007 Ben rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can't imagine anything less necessary than writing a capsule review of the Origin of Species, but... it's a really great read. Darwin was unusually reflexive and tempered in his writing, probably owing at least in part to the heavy disapproval he know he would encounter from everyone from the clergy to other scientists, but props to him for writing in a way that is at once confident and humble. Reading this after Feyerabend's Against Method, the major thing I took away from it was that science...more

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Jul 31, 2009 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

I listened to an abridged audio version of this book and it was enough for me to get the point. This isn't the devil book that many people want it to be. Darwin doesn't spend much time on the theological implications of his theory. He is on a mission to present evidence of his theory.

What I wasn't expecting was how often he talked about the alternate theory of "creation," which has little to do with the biblical passages in Genesis and everything to do with the idea of spontaneous generation of...more

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Aug 02, 2008 Alan rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Charles Darwin, the revolutionary scientific theorists that introduced the theory of evolution to the world. His findings are praised by the scientific society and despised by religious establishments. Origins of Species is a amalgamation of Darwin's comprehensive analysis's on various physical characteristics of animals that corroborate the theory of evolution. He gives thorough explanations on the difference between evolution of domesticated animals and wild animals, in addition to countless b...more

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Feb 08, 2008 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone intersted in origins

Oos is the book that popularized the theory of materialistic origins, evolutionary theory. I think it is important for people to read. It's a good book, as long as you keep in mind that it was written in 1860, and has all the pomp and fluff of verbose 1860 English writing. The arguments themselves are fascinating. Creationist and materialist alike can gain some insight into the whole debate by reading this book. What I found most fascinating in the whole thing was just how much Darwin's understa...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I swear I cannot figure what all the fuss is about. This is a science book. It was sometimes a bit tough to read because of the depth into detail. If I were an anthropologist I'm sure I would more appreciate that detail, but as a layman it did at times seem too thick.

If I were lost in an uncivilized world and had only two books, I would want a Webster's dictionary and this Origin of Species. The dictionary to learn word definitions and this book to learn about the flora and fauna around me. For...more

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May 18, 2013 JP rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's been criticized as unscientific, evil, and dry. I found it quite impressive. Though there are places where the detail might be too much for the casual reader, it is a very solid scientific work. He presents a hypothesis, shows significant supporting evidence, and defends it against the most common criticisms. It is not possible to prove that everything started from something simpler but it is now hard to refute that the natural process of natural selection is working on today's species. He...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Siri added it · review of another edition

It is almost touching to read this book, holding such an important historical document in your hands – a book that has had such a profound impact on how we as humans would come to see our place in the world. It is important to note that Charles Darwin was far from the first that had begun to doubt the claims by the Church: that Earth was only a few thousand years old, and that everything had been created in the current state observed. Indeed, the reason why Darwin finally decided to publish On t...more It is almost touching to read this book, holding such an important historical document in your hands – a book that has had such a profound impact on how we as humans would come to see our place in the world. It is important to note that Charles Darwin was far from the first that had begun to doubt the claims by the Church: that Earth was only a few thousand years old, and that everything had been created in the current state observed. Indeed, the reason why Darwin finally decided to publish On the Origin of Species when he did, was because another man – Alfred Russel Wallace – published a paper sketching out similar ideas to those of Darwin. However, what was extraordinary about Darwin’s theory was that he brought together evidence from such varied fields as botany, zoology, geology and palaeontology to argue that the Earth was far older than a few thousand years old – perhaps millions of years old – and in this time animals and plants had gone through many changes – evolved – adapting to the changes in environment and to new habitats along the way, and that only those best adapted would survive and have offspring. Darwin didn’t get everything right: he couldn’t fathom that dogs have evolved from wolves, and he was reluctant to accept continental drift, but he argues very well for his theory of Natural Selection, and to this day, no other theory comes close to explain so well how life as we see it has arrived at its current state. Darwin was the first to truly grasp that we as humans are not created apart from the animals, set to above them in an elevated state to be their masters; we are ourselves very much part of nature, related – however distantly – to all life surrounding us, depending on its welfare for our own existence: “There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed lass or gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.”(less)

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Aug 06, 2011 Graham Tapper added it · review of another edition

It's taken me a while to finish this book, which I've been meaning to read forever. The reason is not that it's a difficult book to read; it isn't. Darwin explained his ideas in extraordinarily easy to understand language, which you may find surprising for what is, after all, basically a scientific document.

No, the reason that it took a while to finish is that I read it as an eBook, downloaded from Project Gutenberg, and read with eReader Pro on my Nokia 5230. Consequently I only carried on read...more It's taken me a while to finish this book, which I've been meaning to read forever. The reason is not that it's a difficult book to read; it isn't. Darwin explained his ideas in extraordinarily easy to understand language, which you may find surprising for what is, after all, basically a scientific document.

No, the reason that it took a while to finish is that I read it as an eBook, downloaded from Project Gutenberg, and read with eReader Pro on my Nokia 5230. Consequently I only carried on reading when it was convenient, such a on bus or train journeys and in bed, when I could switch off the bedroom light and read by the backlit screen of my phone.

Throughout Darwin's masterpiece he is constantly at pains to admit that, despite how much had been discovered by his day, there was still so much that remained unknown. A reader such as myself, today, is constantly thinking, "If only you had known then what we know now...".

He also regularly refers to the work of other scientists and gives due credit to their ideas and discoveries. Darwin's humility shines through in recognising that his ideas are not just his own but are in common with those of some very eminent people.

He is also constantly aware that he is arguing his corner against the then prevalent dogma of the creationists, who insisted that all things were created by a God. Creationism is nothing new; in Darwin's day it was the dominant belief; it's just remarkable that it survives today, in the light of the incontrovertible evidence against it.

Darwin elucidates his ideas in chapters which cover the subjects of the species and varieties of life created by man through cross-breading and compares this with how Nature does the same job, but at a far slower pace, by essentially the same means: the selection of characteristics, in the case of breeding, to meet a breeder's desires and in the case of Nature, to meet the changing demands of the environment.

In successive chapters he deals with heredity and, the area where he admits the greatest challenge to his ideas, the proof of gradual change brought about by heredity, as recorded in the geology of the Earth, or, more accurately, incompletely recorded. As we now realise and Darwin suspected, the likelihood of a fossil record for all stages of evolution of a life-form is so unlikely for any form that does not live in the sea that it is no surprise that there appear to be brand new forms of life appearing, seemingly out-of-the-blue.

But, his most deadly dagger in the heart of Creationism revolves around redundant features, such as the remnants of wings of birds and insects that cannot fly. His argument essentially is, If God is perfect and created anything, what possible reason could He have for creating creatures with features that serve no earthly purpose? The answer is, of course, He didn't: they evolved that way as the creature evolved to meet changing circumstances and requirements in order to avoid extinction.

I cannot recommend Darwin's book to highly. It isn't overly long and it certainly is largely very easy to read. He does go on about pigeons rather a lot and uses them regularly in his examples but then he was a pigeon breeder and so I suppose we can forgive him his passion.

Oh, and by the way, NOWHERE in Darwin's book does he ever claim that Man was descended from apes, so let's lay that lie to rest.(less)

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Mar 13, 2011 Peter added it · review of another edition

Buy this book and decide for your self!!: The Origin of Species is a great read and of interest to anyone who would like to make there own mind up about Darwinism rather than take for granted some ones else's opinion. Darwin makes this book very readable to the masses I my self am not I Biology student but managed to understand the book with relative ease and Darwin helps this along by using everyday language. This book is also of particular interest to any one who is interested in ideas and phi...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Sav rated it 5 of 5 stars

Charles Darwin: The Origin of Species, Barnes & Noble Classics, Copyright 2008, 446 pages

Although first published in 1859, Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species, captures his theory of evolution like no other scientific work to current date, scientifically describing natural selection, yet using language readable to non-scientists. Backing his theory with natural evidence, observations, and the experiments and theories of other scientists, Darwin clearly demonstrates that evolution exists,...more Charles Darwin: The Origin of Species, Barnes & Noble Classics, Copyright 2008, 446 pages

Although first published in 1859, Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species, captures his theory of evolution like no other scientific work to current date, scientifically describing natural selection, yet using language readable to non-scientists. Backing his theory with natural evidence, observations, and the experiments and theories of other scientists, Darwin clearly demonstrates that evolution exists, despite the doubt many people possess. Also included in The Origin of Species are Darwin’s theories on the Laws of Variation, the Struggle for Existence, Geographical Distribution, and Common Descent, all of which are organized in a way that logically explains evolutionary theory.

The “struggle for existence” affects all organisms, as many more organisms exist than the resources needed to sustain them, so some organisms survive, but others die off. Competition constantly exists between organisms, and often those organisms who survive bear variations that are beneficial for survival. Natural selection preserves those beneficial variations in populations of organisms, thus allowing them to survive and procreate. After being slowly acted on by natural selection over an extensive period of many generations, the population with the beneficial variation evolves into a new species. Organisms without the beneficial deviation will most likely become extinct, as the organisms without the helpful deviation are often outcompeted by those who possess it. Geographical distribution, as well as natural selection, also determines how species will evolve. As demonstrated Darwin’s theory of common descent, all species on earth descend from a single common ancestral species. Over time, the ancestral species’ descendants migrate to other areas of the world, developing methods of transport required to overcome geographical barriers, which restrict the spread of species, as those who cannot overcome the barriers often become isolated from those who do. The isolation of species separates populations of organisms into different environments, and then natural selection will act on populations of organisms so that they are well-adapted to survive in their particular environments. Populations which are geographically isolated from each other will evolve differently, as their environments differ from each other.

A masterpiece work, The Origin of Species is one of the greatest scientific works to date, laying the foundation for modern biology. I absolutely love the book, as Darwin explains evolution in an instructive way, but also includes interesting stories of how evolution acts on animals and plants, so The Origin of Species is entertaining as well as informative. The Origin of Species’ ability to explain evolution so thoroughly, yet so simply, is the book’s greatest strength. Extraordinarily well-written, Darwin’s evolutionary classic is easily read by non-scientists, as Darwin clearly explains all parts of his theory in simple terms, so background knowledge on evolution, although helpful, is not required to understand the book. In order to fully comprehend The Origin of Species, however, the reader needs some familiarity with nineteenth-century English language, as the sentence structure is longer and more complex than contemporary English. Therefore, The Origin of Species should not be read by those who have yet to attend high school, as in high school students develop an understanding for nineteenth-century English through their readings of complex English literature. I recommend that biology students or scientists in general should make it their goal to read The Origin of Species at least once, as it will provide them with fascinating scientific entertainment. Darwin supports most components of his arguments extremely well, backing them up with his observations, other scientific evidence, and plausible examples of evolution acting on organisms, but he admits that he cannot explain some parts of his argument, such as how complex organs develop from relatively simple organs. The fact that Darwin cannot support a few points of his argument is one of The Origin of Species’ weaknesses, along with the fact the book does not cover the new knowledge that forms modern evolutionary theory, as it was written in the 1800s, a time period that did not have all of the modern technology that allowed for the formation of the contemporary theory of evolution. Despite its weaknesses, The Origin of Species remains an evolutionary masterpiece that should be added to any prolific reader’s bucket list of books, for after all, it was so well-written and informative that it caused Charles Darwin to become the most renowned natural biologist in history.
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Feb 17, 2013 Pam rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-tech, non-fiction

"Nothing in Biology makes sense except in the light of evolution."

Never has that phrase made more sense to me than it does now that I've finished reading this book.

I've always stood by the theory of Evolution by Natural Selection because it simply fits, but I realize now that I never fully appreciated its value as a scientific theory

In Origin, Darwin discusses his reasons for arriving at the theory, details arguments made by other scientists against it and presents the reader with valid counter-...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Benjamin Nielsen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science

This book is surprisingly easy to follow. Darwin did not, of course, have access to the 150 years of scientific advancement we have now, but he was still surprisingly correct and the evidence he provides would be enough to silence even modern day creationists. It is also a great example of the humility of science and of Darwin himself. He calmly explains his reasoning and his conclusions and gives people example of exactly how to disprove his theory. Some of the more dated problems he brings up...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Dave marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: calibre, non-fiction, science

SUMMARY: 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 reacti...more

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About Charles Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist, eminent as a collector and geologist, who proposed and provided scientific evidence that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors through the process he called natural selection. The fact that evolution occurs became accepted by the scientific community and the general public in his lifetime, while his theory of natural selec...more Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist, eminent as a collector and geologist, who proposed and provided scientific evidence that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors through the process he called natural selection. The fact that evolution occurs became accepted by the scientific community and the general public in his lifetime, while his theory of natural selection came to be widely seen as the primary explanation of the process of evolution in the 1930s, and now forms the basis of modern evolutionary theory. In modified form, Darwin’s scientific discovery remains the foundation of biology, as it provides a unifying logical explanation for the diversity of life.

Darwin developed his interest in natural history while studying medicine at Edinburgh University, then theology at Cambridge. His five-year voyage on the Beagle established him as a 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 investigated the transmutation of species and conceived his theory of natural selection in 1838. 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 which described the same idea, prompting immediate joint publication of both of their theories.

His 1859 book On the Origin of Species established evolution by common descent as the dominant scientific explanation of diversification in nature. 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.

In recognition of Darwin’s pre-eminence, he was one of only five 19th century UK non-royal personages to be honoured by a state funeral, and was buried in Westminster Abbey, close to John Herschel and Isaac Newton.
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Quotes from The Origin of Species

“There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.” — 146 people liked it

“Nothing is easier than to admit in words the truth of the universal struggle for life, or more difficult--at least I have found it so--than constantly to bear this conclusion in mind.” — 19 people liked it

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