On the Origin of Evolution: Tracing 'Darwin's Dangerous Idea' from Aristotle to DNA

On the Origin of Evolution: Tracing 'Darwin's Dangerous Idea' from Aristotle to DNA

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Author: John Gribbin

Format: Hardback

Number of Pages: 320


A Waterstones Best Book of 2020 The theory of evolution by natural selection did not spring fully formed and unprecedented from the brain of Charles Darwin. Rather it has been examined and debated by philosophers the world over for thousands of years. This lively history traces the evolution of the idea of evolution, showing how it has changed and been changed by different societies over time. It will put 'Darwin's Dangerous Idea' into its proper context, showing how it built on what went before and how it was developed in the twentieth century, through an understanding of genetics and the biochemical basis evolution. None of this diminishes the achievement of Darwin himself in perceiving the way evolution works at the level of individuals and species, but his contribution was one link in a chain that extends back into antiquity, and is still being forged today.



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C
Cian Pearce

On the Origin of Evolution: Tracing 'Darwin's Dangerous Idea' from Aristotle to DNA

L
Lindy Green

Clear and lucid but a little bit abridged , A good summary of the lead up to Darwin's thought and times with perhaps more needed for the C20th work. More complexity needs to be described and acknowledged. I would also have liked at least a chapter on the impact of Darwin's book at the time. The different responses were interesting across the Atlantic and in the non-English speaking world.

Description
Author: John Gribbin

Format: Hardback

Number of Pages: 320


A Waterstones Best Book of 2020 The theory of evolution by natural selection did not spring fully formed and unprecedented from the brain of Charles Darwin. Rather it has been examined and debated by philosophers the world over for thousands of years. This lively history traces the evolution of the idea of evolution, showing how it has changed and been changed by different societies over time. It will put 'Darwin's Dangerous Idea' into its proper context, showing how it built on what went before and how it was developed in the twentieth century, through an understanding of genetics and the biochemical basis evolution. None of this diminishes the achievement of Darwin himself in perceiving the way evolution works at the level of individuals and species, but his contribution was one link in a chain that extends back into antiquity, and is still being forged today.