Charles Darwin: Destroyer of Myths

by Andrew Norman

Charles Darwin did not deliberately set out to be the “destroyer of mythical beliefs,” some of which, in his early days as a young Christian, he had previously espoused. He was a modest man who liked to avoid controversy of any kind, yet paradoxically, he was to be the cause of the greatest controversy in the history of science and religion.

When Darwin embarked on the HMS Beagle in late December 1831, bound for the southern hemisphere, he could not have imagined that the experience would lead him to formulate a theory that would totally revolutionize the way in which we viewed the natural world. He did not come to his conclusions about the origin and evolution of all life on Earth quickly, though, for just as the living organisms to which his theory applied had evolved over millions of years, so his thinking evolved as his own life progressed.

How did this thoughtful, methodical scientist come to have such an impact on his time—and on ours? These questions and more are what Andrew Norman seeks to answer in this biography of the author of The Origin of Species.

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

In 1970 he qualified in medicine and worked as a family doctor in the UK until 1983 when sustaining a back injury.
Then deciding to use his diagnostic skills in a different way and become a writer.

Reviews

[Owl Pellet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Cliff’s Note version of Charles Darwin, his work, family, worldview and influence on Western Civilization. That’s ok by me since I already knew something of The Origin of the Species and his theory on natural selection. The rest of the book provided the major points of those people and the circumstances which influenced him. I can’t say it was always an enjoyable read but it most certainly was an educational one.

The author extensively employs the words of people who knew him or his work to tell the story. The book contains an extensive list of notations and references documenting this. The narrative sometimes seems uneven as the author skips from source to source while sometimes interjecting his own views.

In addition, the book sometimes steps out of Darwin’s life story and speculated on how his theories influenced philosophies like religion and eugenics. Then the author returns to Darwin. I’m down with the speculation but wished he had stuck to Darwin, the man and his life, and then written of his work’s ramifications.

[John Findlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading biographies of famous people, and particularly like to read about the great scientists of the world. Previously I have read biographies of DaVinci, Einstein, Edison, Bell, amongst others. One thing they all seem to share is a complete devotion to their work. Darwin certainly qualifies as one of the greatest of all time. That said, this particular biography did not really "bring him to life" for me. It reads more like a lengthy Wikipedia article that lists all the key events in Darwin's life, and all his accomplishments, of which there were many. But it says little about what he was like as a person. For instance, early in the book he undertakes his 5 year voyage on the Beagle, traveling around the world. Yet nothing is said about what life was like during that historic voyage. We are told where he went, and what he studied, but not about how he spent his time, who he was friends with, and how his many individual trips were arranged. Darwin appears to have been a very warm person with many friends, yet we learn about them primarily through letters. He was reportedly very close to his parents and siblings, yet we learn little about them. He had a close and loving relationship with his wife, Emma, yet almost nothing is said about her other than her strong religious sentiment. He loved his children, yet there is little said about his interaction with them. The book details his scientific arguments with his colleagues. It also mentions the ways that his theory of Natural Selection has been misused by others. Substantial time is spent on the debate between religion and the science of Natural Selection. In short, I came away from this reading with a much greater appreciation of Darwin, the scientist. His work was much greater in scope than I had previously appreciated. But I did not learn enough about Darwin the man. Regardless, this is a book worth reading.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Try to think about all the different ways we think about life, reality, and evolution. The jokes and comments we make, telling someone to evolve as an insult or saying someone must have won the darwin award. Or how we make connections in relation to our ancestry, specifically what traits we may have inherited from our grandparents.
All of this and so much more is a possibility because of one quiet man's study and lifelong assertion that evolution is a real thing. It's mind-boggling to think of all the implications, all the thoughts, discussions, stories, that have come out of Darwin's discovery.

[Tai Odunsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

should have been titled: Charles Darwin: A Life

[Sonya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I did not like the cadence or narration of this book. It distracted me from the story itself. I could not finish it.