Charles Darwin: Origins and Arguments (Pocket Essential series) by Bill Price

by Bill Price

The publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859 was the culmination of more than 20 years of work by Charles Darwin, and the ideas he presented in it would lead to a fundamental change in the way we think about life on earth. Evolution was controversial at the time and now, as the bicentenary of Darwin's birth approaches in 2009, it remains the subject of bitter argument. As revolutionary as the theory was, it did not come out of thin air, but developed within the context of the scientific and philosophical thinking of the period. In order to arrive at a better understanding of the current debate, this book looks at key moments in Darwin's life and at the relevant aspects of the intellectual climate of the time which, taken together, would lead him towards the theory. It goes on to consider how evolution has developed, how its opponents have responded, and how the arguments between scientific rationalism and religious faith are much the same now as they were in Darwin's day.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Bill Price is originally from Herefordshire and now lives in North West London. After working in various areas of the UK book trade for fifteen years, he become a full time freelance writer and is now the author of ten books. Most of these have reflected his interest in the history of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and, in particular, the First World War.

Reviews

[S.E. Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book, (it lost a star for me because the text was so small, it was a strain to read). I'd give it 3.5 in terms of the book alone. It provided a concise, well written summary of Darwin's work but an interesting overview of the arguments in society that The Origin of the Species created publication and as time passed.

[Daniels Moreno · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not just a simple biography book, its quite more interesting than i expected. I really liked author's approach by focusing on Darwin's Origin of Species work and then getting back to Darwin's life and how some of his life experiencies somehow influenced his work.