The Darwin Experience: The Story of the Man and His Theory of Evolution

by John van Wyhe

Celebrating both the bicentennial of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the electrifying publication of On the Origin of Species, here’s the story of the man and the theory that opened a new chapter in the history of science―transformed into an engaging interactive experience that invites readers to unfold natural selection, evolution, and their challenging implications just as Darwin’s contemporaries did a century and a half ago. The year 2009 will definitely be Darwin-centric, with major museum exhibitions, international symposiums, and much more, all scheduled to commemorate the double anniversary of a great scientist and the opening volleys of a controversy that still sparks debate and curiosity. Combining science, travel, culture, and history, this book is an elegant, richly illustrated volume that offers not just hundreds of full-color photographs but also a trove of removable facsimile documents that bring the subject alive. These fascinatingly diverse memorabilia include letters, maps, photographs, sketches, newspaper articles, and more, providing telling glimpses of Darwin’s life as never before, from his early expedition aboard the Beagle to his meticulous, seemingly arcane research in the Galápagos Islands to the practical observations and theoretical conclusions that won him a pivotal place in the history of science.

Genres: Science, History

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[James Hickel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant idea! A book that also contains hold-in-your-hand facsimiles of some of the critical documents in the evolution of, well, Darwin's theory of evolution.

I felt like I was taking almost the same journey of discovery that Darwin did, as pages of notes and illustrations about the voyage of the Beagle, morphed into a coherent theory of the existence of life on this planet. Other scientists probably understood this before Darwin, but kept quiet about it, for fear of attracting criticism. Darwin was the first to prominently put his controversial theory out there for public consumption.

There is also quite a bit about Darwin's personal life. I particularly liked the analysis that he wrote out to decide whether or not to get married. On one side of the page, he wrote "Marry." On the other side, "Not Marry." In the middle: "This is the question." And he wrote out thoughtful comments on both subjects. The end result: He married. And you get to hold a copy of this handwritten, life-changing sheet of paper in your own hand!

I wish more biographies and histories were written like this. It was very efficient, and packed a lot of information into an easily-readable format that leaves a lasting impression.

[John Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The maps of South America are great.

[Carol Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! It is packed with interesting details about Darwin's life, both scientific and personal. I had no idea of the breadth of Darwin's studies that included not only animals, humans and evolution, but the study of plants, barnacles, insects, geology, and paleontology. He even studied the expression of emotions by researching facial muscles in humans and animals (I wonder if this could be some of the earliest research on body language). It was fun to read some of Darwin's notes, letters, lists, maps and other items tucked away in pockets within the book. I especially enjoyed reading his pro's and con's list, "To Marry or Not to Marry", which clearly shows he was a scientist through and through! This is a book to treasure; a book to take your time with, to explore and absorb and ponder. Highly recommended.

[EchoHouseLibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Worms have played a more important part in the history of the world than most persons would at first suppose."
Anyone who can spend so much time observing quietly the way of the world, including earthworms (he wrote a whole book on them!), is an interesting person. Darwin certainly was...outside of his contributions to science which have withstood all modern tests.
Apart from the content this book is also visually interesting with drawings and bits of ephemera in pockets.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darwin is mainly known for his theory on evolution but this book makes you realize that he contributed to science much more by touching to geology and biology. He brought more to science than I first thought. The images and pictures are beautiful. The only thing is that I had facsimile documents missing which I find deceving but it is mainly written documents that are undecipherable because of the handwritting.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated overview of Charles Darwin's life and works. The book includes pockets of good quality facsimile documents from his voyages and writings such as maps, journal entries, and sketches. Darwin lovers (like me) will get the most fun out of this, but it's definitely worth a look for anyone curious about the life, travels, and works of this great man.