What do you think?
Rate this book
The Survival of Charles Darwin
A study of Darwin's life and the legacy of Darwinism introduces the many individuals who have perpetuated and extended the controversial theory of evolution
449 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1984
1 person is currently reading
66 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 28, 2024
Along with the Science (which is highly detailed throughout the book) this covers the changes to the theory over time (both during and beyond Darwins death) as new technologies were introduced to the battle of science over theology.
It is comparable in some way with astronomy where the universe is placed before us but from our point in time and our point of view it is like staring into the sky through a pinhole camera.
In this instance we are looking at a sparse fossil record, numerous observations and experiments in real time, an evolving science both biologically, chemically and mathematically, all against the burden of a theology based on no tangible scientific evidence.
Darwin was hesitant to release his ideas to the public and rightly so as he has, and continues to have, many adversaries.
These include...
The Creationists. (Darwin himself was to be part of the clergy in his early days).
Competition between Fellow Scientists. (Observation vs Theory, Taxonomy vs Statistics, Physiology vs Biochemistry)
Fundamentalists. (The influence is still very real (notably in the United States).
The Science itself, Ideas evolving over top of previous ones as the science improved.
Apes vs Man. (Conciousness).
This book is a journey from the early 1800's to modern times, a good read, presenting the Science of Evolution along with the temperament of the participants over time.
It is comparable in some way with astronomy where the universe is placed before us but from our point in time and our point of view it is like staring into the sky through a pinhole camera.
In this instance we are looking at a sparse fossil record, numerous observations and experiments in real time, an evolving science both biologically, chemically and mathematically, all against the burden of a theology based on no tangible scientific evidence.
Darwin was hesitant to release his ideas to the public and rightly so as he has, and continues to have, many adversaries.
These include...
The Creationists. (Darwin himself was to be part of the clergy in his early days).
Competition between Fellow Scientists. (Observation vs Theory, Taxonomy vs Statistics, Physiology vs Biochemistry)
Fundamentalists. (The influence is still very real (notably in the United States).
The Science itself, Ideas evolving over top of previous ones as the science improved.
Apes vs Man. (Conciousness).
This book is a journey from the early 1800's to modern times, a good read, presenting the Science of Evolution along with the temperament of the participants over time.
October 3, 2025
The blurb on the dustcover flap describes this as a dual biography of Darwin and his idea, and that's a good description. It's a good, solid book from which Darwin's character emerges alongside the endless controversies relating to his idea. I found some of the latter discussions a little tedious but maybe that's because I'm entranced by big ideas and less interested in the nuts and bolts of making them work.
It's a good book and worth a read, but don't expect a page-turner.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews