What do you think?
Rate this book
Charles Darwin The Making of a Scientist
This is a fascinating biography of the man whose revolutionary and controversial ideas have exerted an incalculable influence on twentieth-century thinking. Mr. Gallant writes of Darwin's boyhood...; of his time at Cambridge....: and of the years of meticulous research throughout the historic voyage of the BEAGLE, culminating in the publication of "The Origin of Species" in November of 1859.
172 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1972
1 person 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
August 18, 2022
A short ( 163 pages) book aimed at middle school students, published in 1972, about Charles Darwin (1809-1882). The author, Roy A. Gallant, focuses on Darwin's youth and his five-year voyage on the Beagle, from 1831 to 1836. He shows how Darwin developed his ideas leading to his book, "On the Origin of Species," published in 1859.
I've read other bios of Darwin which go into more depth about the man and his work, especially in his later life. But I do find it fascinating to read about Darwin's trip around the world on the Beagle, the stop in the Galapagos Islands perhaps the most interesting part of the voyage. His father had not wanted Charles to take the trip, but it was his Uncle "Jos," Josiah Wedgwood, who persuaded Dr. Darwin to let his son go on the Beagle voyage. If Darwin had not gone on that historic voyage, would he have developed his revolutionary theory concerning natural history--the theory of natural selection? I don't know...perhaps he would have become a country gentleman (and clergyman) collecting specimens and writing some books and now be a forgotten figure of the Victorian Age in England. But, remember, a young naturalist in the East Indies (present-day Indonesia) by the name of Alfred Russell Wallace wrote to Darwin about an idea he was working on. Darwin was shocked to read that Wallace's idea was the same as his. This was in 1858 and Darwin had not yet published anything about the theory he had been working on. Darwin's two good friends, Charles Lyell and Joseph Hooker, persuaded him to have an unpublished essay he had written on his theory be presented along with Wallace's essay at a meeting of the Linnean Society. It was recognized that Darwin had developed his theory of evolution first but Wallace was given credit for developing the same idea independently. If there were no "Darwinism," we would be saying the word "Wallaceism!"
Certainly Darwin's life is fascinating to read about but it is also important to understand his ideas and the impact they have had not only on science but on society.
I've read other bios of Darwin which go into more depth about the man and his work, especially in his later life. But I do find it fascinating to read about Darwin's trip around the world on the Beagle, the stop in the Galapagos Islands perhaps the most interesting part of the voyage. His father had not wanted Charles to take the trip, but it was his Uncle "Jos," Josiah Wedgwood, who persuaded Dr. Darwin to let his son go on the Beagle voyage. If Darwin had not gone on that historic voyage, would he have developed his revolutionary theory concerning natural history--the theory of natural selection? I don't know...perhaps he would have become a country gentleman (and clergyman) collecting specimens and writing some books and now be a forgotten figure of the Victorian Age in England. But, remember, a young naturalist in the East Indies (present-day Indonesia) by the name of Alfred Russell Wallace wrote to Darwin about an idea he was working on. Darwin was shocked to read that Wallace's idea was the same as his. This was in 1858 and Darwin had not yet published anything about the theory he had been working on. Darwin's two good friends, Charles Lyell and Joseph Hooker, persuaded him to have an unpublished essay he had written on his theory be presented along with Wallace's essay at a meeting of the Linnean Society. It was recognized that Darwin had developed his theory of evolution first but Wallace was given credit for developing the same idea independently. If there were no "Darwinism," we would be saying the word "Wallaceism!"
Certainly Darwin's life is fascinating to read about but it is also important to understand his ideas and the impact they have had not only on science but on society.
September 5, 2021
A good summary of Charles Darwin's life. It doesn't go into extensive detail into every aspect of his life, but it does go over the key points. Aimed at about a middle school grade level, it is an easy read that I was able to read in a day (with breaks).
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews