Aside from all the scientific worth of Darwin's works, he does write so very well that his books are quite a pleasure to read, even in the most technical sections. This BBC book (accompanying a 1970s TV series I've never seen) gathers together pieces of Darwin's writing from various sources, rearranging and editing them so that they read more in a chronologically/geographical order to fit in with his five-year journey on the Beagle, and occasionally illustrated with modern-day photos of the places he visits and contemporary drawings of the people mentioned therein. The proofreading and editing is pretty impeccable, while the subject matter is interesting to anyone with the slightest wanderlust, historical or scientific inclination. 4.5/5*