Books for International Darwin Day

Acclaimed historian and biographer Paul Johnson turns his keen eye on Charles Darwin, the towering figure whose work continues to spur scientific debate.

“Deserves to be as widely read as were the originals when they were first published.” —Biological Journal of the Linneas Society.

Includes five chapters from The Origin of Species, complete and unabridged; significant extracts from the works that precede and develop the theory of evolution: The Voyage of the Beagle, The Descent of Man, and The Variations of Animals and Plants; scientific papers, travel writings, letters, and a family memorial; plus a chronology and biography.

How the meaningless process of natural selection produces purposeful beings who find meaning in the world.

Splendidly illustrated, this clever, witty, highly informative book is the perfect introduction to Darwin’s life and thought.

“A scintillating synthesis of history, biography and cultural commentary. . . . Gopnik is a writer of dazzling skill and daunting accomplishment.”
—Chicago Tribune

Charles Darwin’s account of the momentous voyage which set in motion the current of intellectual events leading to The Origin of Species.

A major reimagining of how evolutionary forces work, revealing how mating preferences—what Darwin termed “the taste for the beautiful”—create the extraordinary range of ornament in the animal world.

Applying his controversial theory of evolution to the origins of the human species, Charles Darwin’s The Descent of Man was the culmination of his life’s work.