On the Origin of Species

By Charles Darwin

Darwin's theory of natural selection issued a profound challenge to orthodox thought and belief: no being or species has been specifically created; all are locked into a pitiless struggle for existence, with extinction looming for those not fitted for the task.

Yet (1859) is also a humane and inspirational vision of ecological interrelatedness, revealing the complex mutual interdependencies between animal and plant life, climate and physical environment, and-by implication-within the human world.

Written for the general reader, in a style that combines the rigour of science with the subtlety of literature, The Origin of Species remains one of the founding documents of the modern age.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9388841999
• ISBN13: 9789388841993
• Release Date: June 1994
• Publisher: Hawk Press
• Length: 458 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Need to know for cultural literacy.

Because these reviews are cross-posted, this is a review of ISBN-13: 9780517123201, with a cover that was definitely made to be provocative. It depicts an ape allying view of going from all fours to upright. If this is what you are looking for, then you need to read " 2001: A Space Odyssey" by Arthur C. Clarke. Other versions of the book will have the guts of Darwin with someone else's prologue and conclusions. You will need to ask before buying. ISBN: 9789388841993 - No introduction is credited. This is a quick review of the book, not a dissertation on Darwin or any other subject loosely related. At first, I did not know what to expect. I already read " The Voyage of the Beagle: Charles Darwin's Journal of Researches". I figured the book would be similar. However, I found "Origin" to be more complex and detailed. Considering that recent pieces of knowledge were not available to Charles Darwin, this book could have been written last week. Having to look from the outside without the knowledge of DNA or Plate Tectonics, he nailed how the environment and crossbreeding would affect natural selection. Speaking of natural selection, I thought he was going to give some great insight into a new concept. All it means is that species are not being mucked around by man (artificial selection). If you picked up Time magazine today, you would find all the things that Charles said would be nearly impossible to find or do. Yet he predicted that it is doable in theory. With an imperfect geological record, many things he was not able to find at the writing of this book have been found (according to the possibilities described in the book). The only drawback to the book was his constant apologizing. If he had more time and space, he could prove this and that. Or it looks like this, but who can say at this time? Or the same evidence can be interpreted 180 degrees differently. In the end, it is worth reading, and you will never look at life the same way again.