What do you think?
Rate this book
Darwin's Island: The Galapagos in the Garden of England
This biography of Darwin explores his time spent in Britain, in particular Kent, and his years of work on the plants, animals and people that make their home in the land of his birth.
352 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2009
19 people are currently reading
580 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 - 30 of 33 reviews
June 19, 2016
This the fourth of Steve Jones's series of books based on the works of Charles Darwin. Jones's
Almost Like a Whale
(1999) having been based on
The Origin of Species
(1859) which was followed by
Y: The Descent of Men
(2002), based on Darwin's
Descent of Man
(1871), and
Coral: A Pessimist In Paradise
(2008) based on Darwin's work on coral reefs. As with most series, it's probably best to start from the beginning and Whale is also the best of the three.
Darwin's Island is based upon what we might refer to as Darwin's "lesser biological works"; Insectivorous Plants (), The Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals (), The Fertilisation of Orchids (), The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication (), The Movements and Habits of Climbing Plants (), The Power of Movement in Plants (), four volumes on pigeons, four on barnacles, The Effects of Cross and Self Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom (), The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species (), and The Formation of Vegetable Mould (). We also periodically revisit The Descent.
With such a variety of original material to work from, Jones inevitably presents very wide-ranging discourse. This is very much his style, like it or loath it. A background understanding of Darwin's life and work would be an advantage to the reader (too many biographies are available to list), but not necessary. No references or further reading suggestions are provided, which is always rather frustrating, and would normally lead me to deduct stars and generate a strong desire to beat the author over the head with his own book, but Jones doesn't really say anything unfamiliar or or controversial, and I'm in a good mood, so he just about gets away with a warning.
(I might add the dates to the above brackets at some point).
Darwin's Island is based upon what we might refer to as Darwin's "lesser biological works"; Insectivorous Plants (), The Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals (), The Fertilisation of Orchids (), The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication (), The Movements and Habits of Climbing Plants (), The Power of Movement in Plants (), four volumes on pigeons, four on barnacles, The Effects of Cross and Self Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom (), The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species (), and The Formation of Vegetable Mould (). We also periodically revisit The Descent.
With such a variety of original material to work from, Jones inevitably presents very wide-ranging discourse. This is very much his style, like it or loath it. A background understanding of Darwin's life and work would be an advantage to the reader (too many biographies are available to list), but not necessary. No references or further reading suggestions are provided, which is always rather frustrating, and would normally lead me to deduct stars and generate a strong desire to beat the author over the head with his own book, but Jones doesn't really say anything unfamiliar or or controversial, and I'm in a good mood, so he just about gets away with a warning.
(I might add the dates to the above brackets at some point).
February 25, 2023
This book has little, on the face of it, to do with an island in general or Darwin's home island of Great Britain in particular. In fact, it doesn't have that much to do with Darwin either except in that all roads to modern biology pass through Darwin. It is more the geography of an archipelago of sub-disciplines which in aggregate make up the island nation of the modern synthesis.
After a run of exciting science reading, I found this volume a little disappointing. It is packed with knowledge and very readable, but it doesn't really place Darwin at the centre of the narrative and as a summary of the science since Darwin it didn't tell me much that was new. On the other hand, I have been reading around this subject for decades, so the book might make a good layman's introduction to the broader science of biology if that layman didn't have my reading background. I certainly wouldn't add anything and there is lots of detail here.
The book's saving grace comes in the last two sections. Having covered the already well-travelled ground of embryology, sexual selection and biogeography, Jones finishes up with the activities of Earthworms and the current state of the natural world, and here the book shines for me. Earthworms are fascinating and far more important than you probably think. They are also a central element of Darwin's scientific life and a stunning object lesson in the power of indiscernible change over deep time. Their plight in many places also ties them to the subsequent chapter about the state of the planet. Sadly, much of Darwin's subject matter is already dead or dying only a century and a half later.
Read this book for a broad-sweep introduction to biological science and Darwin's place therein but perhaps not if you are already well-read in this area.
After a run of exciting science reading, I found this volume a little disappointing. It is packed with knowledge and very readable, but it doesn't really place Darwin at the centre of the narrative and as a summary of the science since Darwin it didn't tell me much that was new. On the other hand, I have been reading around this subject for decades, so the book might make a good layman's introduction to the broader science of biology if that layman didn't have my reading background. I certainly wouldn't add anything and there is lots of detail here.
The book's saving grace comes in the last two sections. Having covered the already well-travelled ground of embryology, sexual selection and biogeography, Jones finishes up with the activities of Earthworms and the current state of the natural world, and here the book shines for me. Earthworms are fascinating and far more important than you probably think. They are also a central element of Darwin's scientific life and a stunning object lesson in the power of indiscernible change over deep time. Their plight in many places also ties them to the subsequent chapter about the state of the planet. Sadly, much of Darwin's subject matter is already dead or dying only a century and a half later.
Read this book for a broad-sweep introduction to biological science and Darwin's place therein but perhaps not if you are already well-read in this area.
August 12, 2019
Updating Darwin and his scientific interests
Steve Jones, who is a professor of genetics at University College London and a most engaging writer on evolutionary biology, wrote this book to coincide with the bicentennial of Darwin's birth and the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the publication of "The Origin of Species." He calls his book "Darwin's Island" to emphasize the fact that the vast majority of Darwin's work was on the biota of the island of England following his return from the voyage of the Beagle and not on what he learned during the scant five weeks he spent in the Galapagos Islands as a young man.
Darwin wrote a four-volume work on barnacles (over a thousand pages); he wrote on "Orchids and Insects," on the "Expressions of Emotions," on the "Formation of Vegetable Mould by Earthworms," and of course on "The Descent of Man" and other works, comprising in total more than six million words. Jones' intent is to introduce the reader to the wider range of Darwin's work and by doing so demonstrate why Darwin is widely considered the greatest biologist who ever lived.
Jones' technique is to devote chapters to Darwin's many interests while bringing us up to date on the current understanding. Thus we read about what Darwin learned about worms, barnacles, insects, insectivore plants, sexual selection, our facial expressions, etc., and how that agrees with or differs from what modern science has discovered. What we find out is that Darwin was amazingly prescient in many areas mainly because he worked so diligently for so many years with the kind of enthusiasm few of us can muster. And it didn't hurt that he was a brilliant man.
Darwin could have been a man of leisure because of inherited wealth, but he was driven to discover as much as he could about the natural world. He immersed himself into scientific research, performing experiments as well as reading, and corresponding with other scientists and amateurs from around the world. He dug up the ground around Down House where he lived; he dissected specimens, he worried about the adaptive vigor of his children since he had married his cousin (hence his volume on "Cross and Self-Fertilisation"), he measured things, he explored the woods and streams and seashores of his English "archipelago"; he examined fossils, and all the while he pondered deeply on the nature of life and on how evolution works.
The effect of Jones' technique in showing both what Darwin knew in the 19th century and what we know today is to emphasize how the world has changed since Darwin's time. We learn how some species have circumnavigated the globe and caused other species to go extinct, especially how the "weediest" of all species, human beings, have altered and destroyed environments and brought about changes in our use of the natural world that would have probably appalled Darwin.
Being a geneticist, Jones knows very well what Darwin could only guess at, that is, how the traits of species are handed down, how "descent with modification" works. And that is another strength of this remarkable and very readable book, demonstrating as Jones does how much Darwin was able to understand and get right without any knowledge of the basic mechanism of inheritance as expressed in genetics. How he would have marveled at what we know today.
Jones closes by seeing a "triumphant of the average" as we and other weedy species scurry about the globe mating widely instead of closely as in Darwin's time when people and other creatures seldom encountered opportunities much distant from the place of their birth. He sees what I once called "the browning of society" as natural selection irons out the differences between equatorial humankind and those from northern climes, as Asians marry the English, as Russian tumble weeds spread across the American west. When once it was the rich who had the most children, today it is the poor. Jones notes that "The gulf has closed through restraint by the affluent rather than excess by the poor." He does not speculate on what this change will have on society, but posits that the opportunity for natural selection "is in steep decline," meaning I suppose that evolutionary change in humans will become increasingly static. Musing on how that will play out in the long run, Jones writes darkly: "For Homo sapiens, some nasty surprises no doubt lurk around the corner. Some day, evolution will take its revenge and we may fail in the struggle for existence against ourselves, the biggest ecological challenge of all." (p. 286)
--Dennis Littrell, author of “Understanding Evolution and Ourselves”
Steve Jones, who is a professor of genetics at University College London and a most engaging writer on evolutionary biology, wrote this book to coincide with the bicentennial of Darwin's birth and the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the publication of "The Origin of Species." He calls his book "Darwin's Island" to emphasize the fact that the vast majority of Darwin's work was on the biota of the island of England following his return from the voyage of the Beagle and not on what he learned during the scant five weeks he spent in the Galapagos Islands as a young man.
Darwin wrote a four-volume work on barnacles (over a thousand pages); he wrote on "Orchids and Insects," on the "Expressions of Emotions," on the "Formation of Vegetable Mould by Earthworms," and of course on "The Descent of Man" and other works, comprising in total more than six million words. Jones' intent is to introduce the reader to the wider range of Darwin's work and by doing so demonstrate why Darwin is widely considered the greatest biologist who ever lived.
Jones' technique is to devote chapters to Darwin's many interests while bringing us up to date on the current understanding. Thus we read about what Darwin learned about worms, barnacles, insects, insectivore plants, sexual selection, our facial expressions, etc., and how that agrees with or differs from what modern science has discovered. What we find out is that Darwin was amazingly prescient in many areas mainly because he worked so diligently for so many years with the kind of enthusiasm few of us can muster. And it didn't hurt that he was a brilliant man.
Darwin could have been a man of leisure because of inherited wealth, but he was driven to discover as much as he could about the natural world. He immersed himself into scientific research, performing experiments as well as reading, and corresponding with other scientists and amateurs from around the world. He dug up the ground around Down House where he lived; he dissected specimens, he worried about the adaptive vigor of his children since he had married his cousin (hence his volume on "Cross and Self-Fertilisation"), he measured things, he explored the woods and streams and seashores of his English "archipelago"; he examined fossils, and all the while he pondered deeply on the nature of life and on how evolution works.
The effect of Jones' technique in showing both what Darwin knew in the 19th century and what we know today is to emphasize how the world has changed since Darwin's time. We learn how some species have circumnavigated the globe and caused other species to go extinct, especially how the "weediest" of all species, human beings, have altered and destroyed environments and brought about changes in our use of the natural world that would have probably appalled Darwin.
Being a geneticist, Jones knows very well what Darwin could only guess at, that is, how the traits of species are handed down, how "descent with modification" works. And that is another strength of this remarkable and very readable book, demonstrating as Jones does how much Darwin was able to understand and get right without any knowledge of the basic mechanism of inheritance as expressed in genetics. How he would have marveled at what we know today.
Jones closes by seeing a "triumphant of the average" as we and other weedy species scurry about the globe mating widely instead of closely as in Darwin's time when people and other creatures seldom encountered opportunities much distant from the place of their birth. He sees what I once called "the browning of society" as natural selection irons out the differences between equatorial humankind and those from northern climes, as Asians marry the English, as Russian tumble weeds spread across the American west. When once it was the rich who had the most children, today it is the poor. Jones notes that "The gulf has closed through restraint by the affluent rather than excess by the poor." He does not speculate on what this change will have on society, but posits that the opportunity for natural selection "is in steep decline," meaning I suppose that evolutionary change in humans will become increasingly static. Musing on how that will play out in the long run, Jones writes darkly: "For Homo sapiens, some nasty surprises no doubt lurk around the corner. Some day, evolution will take its revenge and we may fail in the struggle for existence against ourselves, the biggest ecological challenge of all." (p. 286)
--Dennis Littrell, author of “Understanding Evolution and Ourselves”
December 5, 2020
An interesting book by geneticist Steve Jones. It's the fourth in a series about Darwin, reflecting his interests and updating them to the present day (which I think is about 2005); I haven't read the others, so I was missing some of the context. However, Darwin's thoughts on worms, barnacles, insects, insectivore plants, sexual selection and our facial expressions are interesting in themselves, and Jones' updating to current research is also pretty fascinating. I felt however that it lacked an overarching structure; the book is fairly granular, each chapter taking one (or more) of Darwin's publications on a particular subject, and linked to the others only in that Darwin cared about the topic. The title is provocative, making the point that the island that really mattered to Darwin was not one of the Galapagos archipelago but the one he was born, married and died on; but we don't get any corresponding exploration of Darwin's Englishness or Britishness. (I'd love to know where he stood on Irish issues, for instance.) It's also just a little out of date - Jones proclaims firmly that modern humans have no Neanderthal DNA, a view that was overturned in 2005. However, the writing is good and engaging, and I might look out for some of the earlier books in this series.
November 6, 2016
A highly entertaining and fascinating read that portrays the importance of Darwin's Theory of Evolution in an insightful and very well written way.
August 2, 2011
This book explores some of Darwin's lesser known works in the light of today's scientific insights. This in an amazing read for avid readers of popular science and gives many new insights. Particularly in regards to barnacles and orchids. Darwin never stopped asking questions and he explored much the countryside around his home in great detail and published the results. He was much more prolific than is generally known and the works discussed in this book strengthen his arguments in his famous tomes. Fascinating, through and through.
May 9, 2010
Man is the most vicious predator on this planet -- evolution is also the story of extinctions -- to be continued ...
December 31, 2020
Spent quite some time last night browsing the books shelves that were accessable to me looking for more light reading after finishing Blake Crouch's Dark Matter. I have heard Steve Jones on podcasts for some years and his dry sense of humour and razor sharp arguments have always appealed. So far his wit has not surfaced in the first 20 pages so perhaps his writing style is very different from his verbal delivery, but nevertheless the topic is fascinating, and exploration Of Darwin's other research excluding the big hitters that have dominated his story over the years. Looking forward to learning what else this heavyweight of biology worked on.
Now completed, I realise Mr Darwin was busy on a wide range of other groundbreaking biological research. Whilst some of his finding were off the mark, the majority paved the way for a great deal of our current understanding of reality - much of which was depressing in terms of the general trajectory of our impact on the planet. But to know this this of course helps us to at least know where we are going wrong, even if most of the human population takes no interest in putting it right.
Now completed, I realise Mr Darwin was busy on a wide range of other groundbreaking biological research. Whilst some of his finding were off the mark, the majority paved the way for a great deal of our current understanding of reality - much of which was depressing in terms of the general trajectory of our impact on the planet. But to know this this of course helps us to at least know where we are going wrong, even if most of the human population takes no interest in putting it right.
August 7, 2011
Darwin is most famous for his seminal work On the Origin of Species, and his journey on the Beagle. Upon his return Darwin spent the remainder of his life in England, studying plant and animal life there, eventually paving the way for modern biological study. Jones’ book chronicles these adventures, discussing the questions Darwin asked and the experiments he conducted, and then reviewing the research that has been done since Darwin on the various subjects. He includes diverse topics ranging from barnacles and earthworms, to plant domestication and plant sex. I had little interest in many subjects, but Jones’ anecdotal and simplified writing, as well as his propensity for infusing it with amazing facts, made this book very compelling and fun to read. I lost count of how many times I verbalized my amazement.
This is a popular science book that anyone can enjoy, whether you believe evolution is a fact, theory, or the crazy ramblings of an old bearded man. It is a book on science, life, and the inextricable fusion of all things. My only qualm was the lack of a bibliography or further reading section; as an academic I like to know the source of things, but also I want to learn more on many of these topics now!
This is a popular science book that anyone can enjoy, whether you believe evolution is a fact, theory, or the crazy ramblings of an old bearded man. It is a book on science, life, and the inextricable fusion of all things. My only qualm was the lack of a bibliography or further reading section; as an academic I like to know the source of things, but also I want to learn more on many of these topics now!
June 17, 2013
I don't usually think much about how far Darwin's work extended beyond the Origin of Species, but this book covered just that. Each chapter describes and expands on the ideas in one of his other books - works in natural history and evolutionary biology ranging from the effects of inbreeding to the activity of earthworms. Much of it was familiar to me, as it would be to anyone who has studied biology, but it was presented concisely and in simple, descriptive prose. The largest issue was the lack of a common thread throughout the book - beyond being obviously about Darwin and his work, it felt fairly eclectic. Still, I learned some things and particularly thought more about all that Darwin really contributed to biology.
January 27, 2020
Very good, extremely interesting and well written. Some of the most interesting things is how evolution was misunderstood, how my wife's and my genes affects our child and that the more different the genes the better the outcome. Barnacles, believe it or not, went from the most boring animal to one of the most fantastic (for me at least). The most saddest thing is to read how we humans destroy Earth. The author does not say it straight, but everywhere where there is money involve it is as if we just don't care what we do to the environment and animals. We eat wrong, farm wrong, mine wrong... all because we are the greediest of species. Let's try to live more environmentally friendly as far as possible.
December 31, 2020
Bit of a frustrating read. Much of the information contained is genuinely interesting and surprising but the book feels a little disorganised and directionless- both within chapters, and across the entire book. The book seems to lose sight of its stated goal in highlighting Darwin’s domestic research, packed as it is with discussions of orangutans and tropical lianas, and the book starts with it’s weakest chapter. Additionally, some of the discussion of race doesn’t seem to have aged well in the last 13 years.
April 23, 2015
This book was a bit different than I was expecting. I assumed it would be more of a direct account of Darwin's explorations beyond Origin of the Species. Instead, it expands on his original ideas, showing how we've evolved in our understanding of genetics thanks to his groundbreaking theories. The book is packed with information, but straightforward and easy to read – no scientific jargon, no tedious academic writing. Well worth the read!
October 3, 2024
This fits well alongside the early books of Richard Dawkins. It is full of wonder and amazement. Although it of course includes Darwin as a scaffold to the story of evolution it is essentially an explanation, with endless incredible examples, of the wonder of evolution. It is a mind expanding account which includes many references to the nature of the British Isles. Reading this book is an education.
January 2, 2026
Extremely interesting but not always as expressed clearly to read as in other books of this type, such as Henry Gee, so a point off for that. Learnt some amazing stuff tho, particularly the section on earthworms. Things written that are never thought about by 'normal' people and are mind-blowing. A few things out of date, such as the Neanderthals, but fantastic otherwise.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
January 3, 2021
Good book full of curious scientific and genetic stuff. While reading I've imagined all these ancient animals and plants. I recommend the book.
May 15, 2023
Filled with interesting facts!
July 6, 2023
I could not get into this book!
February 10, 2015
This book has not only a powerful way of giving insight into Darwin's extraordinary mind and scientific life, but also paints a sketchy portrait of the chaotic and random nature of evolutionary progress, both in living creatures, science, technology etc. It may be boring and repetitive for a professional in the field, but it is certainly an interesting introduction for the vast majority of curious individuals.
The only thing missing is a bit of consistency; there is a perpetual feeling that the writer wanted to spill all of his thoughts and experiences on paper, wandering through his mind, and flooding the reader with his consciousness about evolution, Darwin, genetics, society, science... This simply doesn't work, and many good concepts are probably lost in confusion. But the style does somehow fit into the whole picture, as an aesthetic metaphor of the chaotic nature of evolution itself.
The only thing missing is a bit of consistency; there is a perpetual feeling that the writer wanted to spill all of his thoughts and experiences on paper, wandering through his mind, and flooding the reader with his consciousness about evolution, Darwin, genetics, society, science... This simply doesn't work, and many good concepts are probably lost in confusion. But the style does somehow fit into the whole picture, as an aesthetic metaphor of the chaotic nature of evolution itself.
June 28, 2012
It seems to be a common misconception that The Origin of Species is the only book written (or merely the only one of any importance) by Darwin. This book seeks to disillusion the reader that holds this conception; it reads in part like a biography, charting the man's activities and efforts through life, and part like a modern update on his ideas, with the reflections only available from many passing years of scientific advance and insight. The author is profound with an injection of humour - making the book a pleasure to read, providing an overview of the worlds of biology and evolutionary science - and the man who is undoubtedly its greatest contributor.
April 2, 2013
Well written and informative. This opened my eyes to the breadth of Darwin's accomplishments. It was very interesting and kept my attention to the end.
My one qualm would be the use of statistics in a couple of parts seemed to have no continuity. While giving examples there would be a sudden switch between the units e.g. of distance. Since I'm awful at judging measurements in general and even worse at conversion, it felt as though the author might as well be rattling off a shopping list - what should have impressed me left me underwhelmed. It's just a little point but it irritated me.
Otherwise, a good book and well worth a read!
My one qualm would be the use of statistics in a couple of parts seemed to have no continuity. While giving examples there would be a sudden switch between the units e.g. of distance. Since I'm awful at judging measurements in general and even worse at conversion, it felt as though the author might as well be rattling off a shopping list - what should have impressed me left me underwhelmed. It's just a little point but it irritated me.
Otherwise, a good book and well worth a read!
November 14, 2014
Almost everyone has heard of Charles Darwin and knows about his Origin of the Species proposition.
However, in this book, Jones takes us through his slightly more pedestrian life in the English countryside and throws more immediate context to the theory, exploring Darwin’s marriage to his first cousin, and looks at his observations on greenhouse usage, as he applies what he learned on his visit to The Galapagos Islands to the world around him, travelling extensively throughout England.
An interesting read and one which opens up the reader’s mind (well mine at least) to many further thoughts and avenues to explore.
However, in this book, Jones takes us through his slightly more pedestrian life in the English countryside and throws more immediate context to the theory, exploring Darwin’s marriage to his first cousin, and looks at his observations on greenhouse usage, as he applies what he learned on his visit to The Galapagos Islands to the world around him, travelling extensively throughout England.
An interesting read and one which opens up the reader’s mind (well mine at least) to many further thoughts and avenues to explore.
November 20, 2010
Worthy, worthy, worthy. I wanted to enjoy this, following (another) rave review in the Sunday Times. It promised to throw our eyes open in wonder about how we share ancestry with plants, never mind animals, about why we are the race that we are, and why Darwin was a genius beyond compare. And yes, it was interesting, just not interesting enough to see me come downstairs on a weekend morning and look forward to getting back into the book before the Sunday papers. Good books are few and far between, but good science books are even rarer, it seems.
February 2, 2015
I think that this book was very interesting because it opened my mind to the ideas that were hidden for so many years. Charles Darwin is mostly known for only two things; The Voyage and The Origin of Species. What us, as readers, never knew was that Charles Darwin created numerous other beautiful works during his time a scientist. This hidden works were the basis of science itself and this book highlights the ins and outs of each topic. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the fundamentals of science and how they connect to todays world.
January 17, 2016
My relationship with all things Science had ended in 2006 after I completed my class 10 exams. So this read was quite out of my "domain" so to speak. But Steve Jones sounds like the kind of professor who would be a brilliant conversationalist at a dinner party. He keeps his sense of humour intact in the most unexpected places. I wish I could take pictures of all the brilliant bits that this book is made of but that won't even begin to cover its whole essence.
I look at flowers, bees, orchids...even worms... differently now. It has been so good to make your acquaintance Prof. Jones.
I look at flowers, bees, orchids...even worms... differently now. It has been so good to make your acquaintance Prof. Jones.
June 13, 2010
Jam-packed to the rafters with interesting facts that you can use to impress your friends, but also a portrait of a genius ahead of his time's conventions. This book examines Darwin's ideas and applies modern science to show just how accurate his findings were.
Fascinating and funny, this book's lead character emerges not only as a ginat intellect but also as a kind and loving man and, therefore, meybe the best person ever.
Fascinating and funny, this book's lead character emerges not only as a ginat intellect but also as a kind and loving man and, therefore, meybe the best person ever.
April 12, 2010
A tremendous book documenting and exploring the books arising from Darwin's fifty years of exploring the biology of his native land with their relevance to the present day and finally with a lament for our current condition.
September 5, 2013
Very impressive work. I can't say it was the most captivating book, but an amazing amount of effort must have gone into it, and given the subject matter, I would say he did a fairly good job of making it reachable to the masses. Anyway, I liked it.
June 23, 2009
Amazing, although i wasn't sure why the giraffe HAD to eat the friendly hippo in the last chapter.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews