Book Description
The correspondence in this volume reveals the two sides of Darwin's life in a new intensity.It opens with a tragedy, the death of Darwin's oldest and best loved daughter, Anne, and goes on to show how Darwin sought relief from his loss through his work, with a single-minded but increasingly weary commitment to the completion of his cirripede monographs. In September 1854, as soon as the final proofs of the last barnacle volume had been returned to the printer, Darwin threw himself into a resumption of his species work.He followed up old ideas by initiating new experiments and establishing a worldwide correspondence that encompassed geographical distribution, variation, and plant and animal breeding.The wealth of letters through 1855 makes evident the frenzy of intellectual activity that followed Darwin's terse announcement in his diary: "Sept. 9th (1854) began sorting notes for Species Theory..."These letters are indispensable for the Darwin scholar both historically and biologically, while they provide the general reader with a fascinating look at the scientist at work. ... Read more

Book Description

Are they needed? To be sure. The Darwinian industry, industrious though it is, has failed to provide texts of more than a handful of Darwin's books. If you want to know what Darwin said about barnacles (still an essential reference to cirripedists, apart from any historical importance) you are forced to search shelves, or wait while someone does it for you;some have been in print for a century;various reprints have appeared and since vanished."
—Eric Korn,Times Literary Supplement

Charles Robert Darwin (1880-1882) has been widely recognized since his own time as one of the most influential writers in the history of Western thought. His books were widely read by specialists and the general public, and his influence had been extended by almost continuous public debate over the last 130 years. New York University Press' edition makes it possible for the first time to review Darwin's public literary output as a whole, plus his scientific journal articles, his private notebooks, and his correspondence.

This is the first complete edition containing all of Darwin's published books, featuring definitive texts recording original paginations with Darwin's indexes retained. All illustrations and plates are presented, inclucing 82 color plates of birds and mammals and several folding maps and plates. The set also features a general introduction and index, and textural introductions in each volume.

Book Description

Are they needed? To be sure. The Darwinian industry, industrious though it is, has failed to provide texts of more than a handful of Darwin's books. If you want to know what Darwin said about barnacles (still an essential reference to cirripedists, apart from any historical importance) you are forced to search shelves, or wait while someone does it for you;some have been in print for a century;various reprints have appeared and since vanished."
—Eric Korn,Times Literary Supplement

Charles Robert Darwin (1880-1882) has been widely recognized since his own time as one of the most influential writers in the history of Western thought. His books were widely read by specialists and the general public, and his influence had been extended by almost continuous public debate over the last 130 years. New York University Press' edition makes it possible for the first time to review Darwin's public literary output as a whole, plus his scientific journal articles, his private notebooks, and his correspondence.

This is the first complete edition containing all of Darwin's published books, featuring definitive texts recording original paginations with Darwin's indexes retained. All illustrations and plates are presented, inclucing 82 color plates of birds and mammals and several folding maps and plates. The set also features a general introduction and index, and textural introductions in each volume.

Product Description
This Elibron Classics edition is a facsimile reprint of a 1885 edition by Longmans, Green, and Co., London. ... Read more

Book Description

Are they needed? To be sure. The Darwinian industry, industrious though it is, has failed to provide texts of more than a handful of Darwin's books. If you want to know what Darwin said about barnacles (still an essential reference to cirripedists, apart from any historical importance) you are forced to search shelves, or wait while someone does it for you;some have been in print for a century;various reprints have appeared and since vanished."
—Eric Korn,Times Literary Supplement

Charles Robert Darwin (1880-1882) has been widely recognized since his own time as one of the most influential writers in the history of Western thought. His books were widely read by specialists and the general public, and his influence had been extended by almost continuous public debate over the last 130 years. New York University Press' edition makes it possible for the first time to review Darwin's public literary output as a whole, plus his scientific journal articles, his private notebooks, and his correspondence.

This is the first complete edition containing all of Darwin's published books, featuring definitive texts recording original paginations with Darwin's indexes retained. All illustrations and plates are presented, inclucing 82 color plates of birds and mammals and several folding maps and plates. The set also features a general introduction and index, and textural introductions in each volume.

Book Description
Volume 8 opens with Darwin eagerly scrutinizing each new review, as one by one all the major media of the day carried notices of the book.To those who express their views privately in letters, Darwin responds patiently and thoughtfully, answering their objections and attempting to guide their fuller understanding of the operation of natural selection.His more personal thoughts emerge in letters to his friends Joseph Dalton Hooker, Charles Lyell, and Thomas Henry Huxley. This volume presents a wealth of detailed information, giving the full range of response to the Origin and revealing how Victorians coped with a theory that many recognized would revolutionize thinking about the organic world and human ancestry. ... Read more

Book Description
As the sheer volume of his correspondence indicates, 1862 was a very productive year for Darwin. This was not only the case in his published output (two botanical papers and a book on the pollination mechanisms of orchids), but more particularly in the extent and breadth of the botanical experiments he carried out. The promotion of his theory of natural selection also continued: Darwin's own work expanded on it, Thomas Henry Huxley gave lectures about it and Henry Walter Bates invoked it to explain mimicry in butterflies. This volume concentrates on the progress of his scientific work, but also records the effects of Darwin's continuing ill health and the serious illness of two of his children. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Outstanding Scientic & Personal Darwin Biography!
This bio does a fine job in analyzing and comparing the great scientist's personal and family life, with his famous scientific research, writing, and early Beagle Explorations. Apparently, he had serious health problems, most in the digestive system, but overcame this adversity, among others, to write some of the greatest scientific documents ever. Of his ten children, three died young, including two as infants. His financial independence certainly helped matters, but the long and involved writing and research would probably have discouraged a lesser man. Truly well done thruout, and not overbearingly difficult for the scientific and biological layman, like this reviewer!

WELL WORTH THE READ
This biography gives a new slant to the study of Darwin.It is by no means a new slant, but the author has certainly presented it in a much better fashion, more through, than any previous biographicals on Darwin.The author's style is easy and interesting.I Would highly recommend the additon of this one to your collection.Well worth the read.Hope we get to see more from this author.

Darwin the hypochondriac
Most biographies are geared towards illustrating the life of a famous figure for the purpose of presenting or revisiting the accomplishments.This biography, however, does not give the central focus to the writings and finds of Charles Darwin; the thesis deals more with Darwin being a possible hypochondriac.

The preface and appendix discuss recent research regarding Darwin's being an invalid during parts of his life.Some research deals with a disease that he may have picked up in South America while on the voyage of the HMS Beagle; some research says that Darwin was merely obsessed with being sick and therefore created a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This brings us to the text.Although Darwin's life is shown to us, as well as some additional information on family and colleagues, the life is covered in regards to his worst periods of sickness.By plotting this out for us, Bowlby shows us that many of these periods are preceded by deaths of family members close to Darwin and by fierce scrutiny of his discoveries and writings.

Another idea is the family's way of dealing with intense emotion.Rather than express this emotion by crying or mourning, it was internalized.This internalization led to depression, which led to sickness.

This biography is written less as a narrative of Darwin's life, but more as a proof for the author's thoughts on Darwin's sickness.As a result, there are many points where the author becomes more noticeable.

This is still an intriguing book, and I would recommend reading it.

Evolution unknowingly affected Darwin's behavior.Masterfully
The life and times of Darwin are masterfully brought to our attention by child emotional development expert and pioneer John Bowlby. Darwin's biography and upbringing are masterfully revealed and how they relate to his lifelong behavior, health, choices, and decisions in life. A most interesting aspect of this book is how evolution unknowingly affected Darwin's behavior as he himself is formulating and writing his famous theories on evolution. Because of the voluminous and extremely revealing written personal and professional correspondence by Darwin and his acquaintances a very good record ofhis health can be deduced from it. A must for those interested in more details on Darwin's life and how evolution affected the emotions and behavior of the main founder of evolution himself; and written by child emotional development pioneer Bowlby.It is a very detailed and well written book. For a complete definitive traditional biography of Darwin you may want to go to a plethora of other books available on the subject.

Probably the best recent single volume Darwin Biography
My title probably says it all, but I will elaborate. I still think that janet Browne has made the best START to a biography, I just wish she would finish by giving us Vol. 2!In the meantime we have Bowlby and that isn't half bad.Full of interesting background material and written with a lively pace A NEW LIFE manages to steer through some of the perils of "psychohistory" that have damaged other authors and gives us an interesting and at times provocative look at Darwin and Darwin's time. Well worth the read. ... Read more

Book Description
A biographical, historical, and philosophical study of the impact of Darwinism on the intellectual climate of the nineteenth century, challenging the conventional view of Darwin's greatness. A thorough and masterly book. --Times Literary Supplement ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Darwin Undone
This is an excellent book written by a brilliant author.It details the line of progenitors leading up to Darwin's theory as well as the historical milieu in which Darwin swam during his lifetime and some of the forces, social and otherwise, that influenced him prior to Origin of Species and beyond.Himmelfarb gives an insightful criticism of Darwin's theory working simply from the internal organization of Darwin's thoughts.Himmelfarb is so brilliant in her analysis that my only criticism of the book is that she didn't critcize the theory in a more detailed fashion.

But it is a very readable and accessible book, and one that clearly points out some of the failings of Darwinian theory, many of which have been picked up by other critics over the years.However, I suspect that for the more sophisticated critic of Darwin, this book lacks sufficient scientific evidence--though it remains a fine history of the person, his theory, and its reception at the time of publication.

At Long Last!
All of the books I have ever read about Darwin either extoll him a a perfect, God-like creature, or vilify him as a demon.This book provides a comprehensive view of Darwin as he was, that is, as he saw himself and asothers saw him.I was surprised to read that Darwin had many predecessorsin the development of his theory, and that the flaws of the theory (whichare significant) were generally recognized long before the challenges ofmodern science pointed them out. If you want your fancies about Darwintickled, read others.If you want the facts, read Himmelfarb.I stronglyrecommend this book. ... Read more

Book Description
As a young boy, Charles Darwin hated school and was often scolded forconducting "useless" experiments. Yet his passion for the natural world was so strong that hesuffered through terrible seasickness during his five-year voyage aboard The Beagle. Darwincollected new creatures from the coasts of Africa, South America, and the Galapagos Islands, and expanded his groundbreaking ideas that would change people's understanding of the naturalworld. About 100 illustrations and a clear, exciting text will make Darwin and his theory ofevolution an exciting discovery for every young reader. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great introductory book
My 9 year old daughter read this book to me in about 4 days, at her own pace and enjoyed it much. It contains a consice but very informative review about Charles Darwin as a person while considering the influence of his time and environment on how he got to develop his theory. It contains just enough information about his theory of evolution to be meaningful and engaging for a 9 to 13 year old child without becoming boring or too complex. I highly recommend it.

fynn pinn
My son enjoys the whole serie, he says: "It describes things really well , it makes me think I were really there." ... Read more

Book Description
"Pleasure of imagination. . . . I a geologist have illdefined notion of land covered with ocean, former animals, slow force cracking surface &c truly poetical."—from Charles Darwin's Notebook M, 1838

The early nineteenth century was a golden age for the study of geology. New discoveries in the field were greeted with the same enthusiasm reserved today for advances in the biomedical sciences. In her long-awaited account of Charles Darwin's intellectual development, Sandra Herbert focuses on his geological training, research, and thought, asking both how geology influenced Darwin and how Darwin influenced the science. Elegantly written, extensively illustrated, and informed by the author's prodigious research in Darwin's papers and in the nineteenth-century history of earth sciences, Charles Darwin, Geologist provides a fresh perspective on the life and accomplishments of this exemplary thinker.

As Herbert reveals, Darwin's great ambition as a young scientist—one he only partially realized—was to create a "simple" geology based on movements of the earth's crust. (Only one part of his scheme has survived in close to the form in which he imagined it: a theory explaining the structure and distribution of coral reefs.) Darwin collected geological specimens and took extensive notes on geology during all of his travels. His grand adventure as a geologist took place during the circumnavigation of the earth by H.M.S. Beagle (1831-1836)—the same voyage that informed his magnum opus, On the Origin of Species.

Upon his return to England it was his geological findings that first excited scientific and public opinion. Geologists, including Darwin's former teachers, proved a receptive audience, the British government sponsored publication of his research, and the general public welcomed his discoveries about the earth's crust. Because of ill health, Darwin's years as a geological traveler ended much too soon: his last major geological fieldwork took place in Wales when he was only thirty-three. However, the experience had been transformative: the methods and hypotheses of Victorian-era geology, Herbert suggests, profoundly shaped Darwin's mind and his scientific methods as he worked toward a full-blown understanding of evolution and natural selection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Slightly disappointing
I'm not sure exactly what this book is. If your looking for a biography of Darwin you'll be disappointed.The editorial review says that it's an "account of Charles Darwin's intellectual development", and maybe that's why the book is a bit of a snoozer. But that is probably a good description. As a geologist myself, the title caught my eye. The book was written by a Sandra Herbert, a historian who appears to have a very impressive knowledge of science and the history of geology. The book has a wealth of very interesting information, and is very well researched, but it appears to lack direction and theme. Perhaps I was looking for a book written by a geologist, or someone with a contagious passion for geology. That passion doesn't seem to come across in this book.

She does implicitly pose a question near the end of the book, that I think perhaps should have been developed more thoroughly, and that is, what is Darwin's place in history as a geologist. In other words if he had never written "The Origin" how would he be remembered by modern scientists and historians? Would he be remembered along with prominent 19th century English geologists like Sedgwick, Murchison, and Lyell. Were his geological contributions that significant? But it could also be asked, was "The Origin" really a geological work? It could be argued that Darwin was never anything but a geologist, that "The Origin" addressed geologic problems such as the "species problem", extinctions in the fossil record, faunal succession, and was so successful that it's impacts were revolutionary in biology and all of natural science. Although the author does stress the significance of Darwin's geological contributions, I don't think she develops these points. ... Read more