The publication of Charles Darwin's masterpiece The Origin of Species in 1859 changed forever the way we think of life on Earth. Over eight score years later-and well over two centuries after his birth-Darwin's big idea has never been more relevant or challenging.
The Essential Guide to Evolution offers a lively and accessible introduction to Darwin, his theory of evolution and its sweeping consequences for science and society.
Features include:
The life and works of Charles Darwin, from frisky Beagle naturalist to bearded sage.The evidence for evolution-from disappearing limbs to DNA sequences.The evolutionary history of life on Earth and humanity's deep African roots.Why Darwin's breakthrough still provokes resistance-and how science and religion need not be at odds.The wider impact of evolutionary thinking-on philosophy and psychology, on genetic algorithms and Gospel manuscripts, on sexual selection and symphonic metal.Why evolution matters now more than ever-from battling pandemics to analysing genomes.Lavishly illustrated throughout, the book combines classic imagery with cutting-edge AI-generated reconstructions that bring the past vividly to life-from intimate encounters with Neanderthals to Darwin with a smile.