Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species (published 1859) is a seminal work in scientific literature and arguably the pivotal work in evolutionary biology. This is a facsimile reprint of the first edition. The book's full title is On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. This book introduced the theory that populations evolve over the course of generations through a process of natural selection. Darwin's book was the culmination of evidence he had accumulated on the voyage of the Beagle in the 1830s and expanded through continuing investigations and experiments after his return. This book is readable even for the non-specialist.
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On the origin of species
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Extrait
Chapter One
Variation Under Domestication
Causes of Variability—Effects of Habit—Correlation of Growth—Inheritance—Character of Domestic Varieties—Difficulty of distinguishing between Varieties and Species—Origin of Domestic Varieties from one or more Species—Domestic Pigeons, their Differences and Origin—Principle of Selection anciently followed, its Effects—Methodical and Unconscious Selection—Unknown Origin of our Domestic Productions—Circumstances favourable to Man's power of Selection
WHEN WE look to the individuals of the same variety or sub-variety of our older cultivated plants and animals, one of the first points which strikes us, is, that they generally differ much more from each other, than do the individuals of any one species or variety in a state of nature. When we reflect on the vast diversity of the plants and animals which have been cultivated, and which have varied during all ages under the most different climates and treatment, I think we are driven to conclude that this greater variability is simply due to our domestic productions having been raised under conditions of life not so uniform as, and somewhat different from, those to which the parent species have been exposed under nature. There is, also, I think, some probability in the view propounded by Andrew Knight, that this variability may be partly connected with excess of food. It seems pretty clear that organic beings must be exposed during several generations to the new conditions of life to cause any appreciable amount of variation; and that when the organisation has once begun to vary, it generally continues to vary for many generations. No case is on record of a variable being ceasing to be variable under cultivation. Our oldest cultivated plants, such as wheat, still often yield new varieties: our oldest domesticated animals are still capable of rapid improvement or modification.
It has been disputed at what period of life the causes of variability, whatever they may be, generally act; whether during the early or late period of development of the embryo, or at the instant of conception. Geoffroy St Hilaire's experiments show that unnatural treatment of the embryo causes monstrosities; and monstrosities cannot be separated by any clear line of distinction from mere variations. But I am strongly inclined to suspect that the most frequent cause of variability may be attributed to the male and female reproductive elements having been affected prior to the act of conception. Several reasons make me believe in this; but the chief one is the remarkable effect which confinement or cultivation has on the functions of the reproductive system; this system appearing to be far more susceptible than any other part of the organization, to the action of any change in the conditions of life. Nothing is more easy than to tame an animal, and few things more difficult than to get it to breed freely under confinement, even in the many cases when the male and female unite. How many animals there are which will not breed, though living long under not very close confinement in their native country! This is generally attributed to vitiated instincts; but how many cultivated plants display the utmost vigour, and yet rarely or never seed! In some few such cases it has been found out that very trifling changes, such as a little more or less water at some particular period of growth, will determine whether or not the plant sets a seed. I cannot here enter on the copious details which I have collected on this curious subject; but to show how singular the laws are which determine the reproduction of animals under confinement, I may just mention that carnivorous animals, even from the tropics, breed in this country pretty freely under confinement, with the exception of the plantigrades or bear family; whereas, carnivorous birds, with the rarest exceptions, hardly ever lay fertile eggs. Many exotic plants have pollen utterly worthless, in the same exact condition as in the most sterile hybrids. When, on the one hand, we see domesticated animals and plants, though often weak and sickly, yet breeding quite freely under confinement; and when, on the other hand, we see individuals, though taken young from a state of nature, perfectly tamed, long-lived, and healthy (of which I could give numerous instances), yet having their reproductive system so seriously affected by unperceived causes as to fail in acting, we need not be surprised at this system, when it does act under confinement, acting not quite regularly, and producing offspring not perfectly like their parents or variable.
Sterility has been said to be the bane of horticulture; but on this view we owe variability to the same cause which produces sterility; and variability is the source of all the choicest productions of the garden. I may add, that as some organisms will breed most freely under the most unnatural conditions (for instance, the rabbit and ferret kept in hutches), showing that their reproductive system has not been thus affected; so will some animals and plants withstand domestication or cultivation, and vary very slightly—perhaps hardly more than in a state of nature.
A long list could easily be given of 'sporting plants;' by this term gardeners mean a single bud or offset, which suddenly assumes a new and sometimes very different character from that of the rest of the plant. Such buds can be propagated by grafting, &c., and sometimes by seed. These 'sports' are extremely rare under nature, but far from rare under cultivation; and in this case we see that the treatment of the parent has affected a bud or offset, and not the ovules or pollen. But it is the opinion of most physiologists that there is no essential difference between a bud and an ovule in their earliest stages of formation; so that, in fact, 'sports' support my view, that variability may be largely attributed to the ovules or pollen, or to both, having been affected by the treatment of the parent prior to the act of conception. These cases anyhow show that variation is not necessarily connected, as some authors have supposed, with the act of generation.
Seedlings from the same fruit, and the young of the same litter, sometimes differ considerably from each other, though both the young and the parents, as Mxller has remarked, have apparently been exposed to exactly the same conditions of life; and this shows how unimportant the direct effects of the conditions of life are in comparison with the laws of reproduction, and of growth, and of inheritance; for had the action of the conditions been direct, if any of the young had varied, all would probably have varied in the same manner. To judge how much, in the case of any variation, we should attribute to the direct action of heat, moisture, light, food, &c., is most difficult: my impression is, that with animals such agencies have produced very little direct effect, though apparently more in the case of plants. Under this point of view, Mr Buckman's recent experiments on plants seem extremely valuable. When all or nearly all the individuals exposed to certain conditions are affected in the same way, the change at first appears to be directly due to such conditions; but in some cases it can be shown that quite opposite conditions produce similar changes of structure. Nevertheless some slight amount of change may, I think, be attributed to the direct action of the conditions of life—as, in some cases, increased size from amount of food, colour from particular kinds of food and from light, and perhaps the thickness of fur from climate.
Habit also has a deciding influence, as in the period of flowering with plants when transported from one climate to another. In animals it has a more marked effect; for instance, I find in the domestic duck that the bones of the wing weigh less and the bones of the leg more, in proportion to the whole skeleton, than do the same bones in the wild-duck; and I presume that this change may be safely attributed to the domestic duck flying much less, and walking more, than its wild parent. The great and inherited development of the udders in cows and goats in countries where they are habitually milked, in comparison with the state of these organs in other countries, is another instance of the effect of use. Not a single domestic animal can be named which has not in some country drooping ears; and the view suggested by some authors, that the drooping is due to the disuse of the muscles of the ear, from the animals not being much alarmed by danger, seems probable.
There are many laws regulating variation, some few of which can be dimly seen, and will be hereafter briefly mentioned. I will here only allude to what may be called correlation of growth. Any change in the embryo or larva will almost certainly entail changes in the mature animal. In monstrosities, the correlations between quite distinct parts are very curious; and many instances are given in Isidore Geoffroy St Hilaire's great work on this subject. Breeders believe that long limbs are almost always accompanied by an elongated head. Some instances of correlation are quite whimsical; thus cats with blue eyes are invariably deaf; colour and constitutional peculiarities go together, of which many remarkable cases could be given amongst animals and plants. From the facts collected by Heusinger, it appears that white sheep and pigs are differently affected from coloured individuals by certain vegetable poisons. Hairless dogs have imperfect teeth; long-haired and coarse-haired animals are apt to have, as is asserted, long or many horns; pigeons with feathered feet have skin between their outer toes; pigeons with short beaks have small feet, and those with long beaks large feet. Hence, if man goes on selecting, and thus augmenting, any peculiarity, he will almost certainly unconsciously modify other parts of the structure, owing to the mysterious laws of the correlation of growth.
The result of the various, quite unknown, or dimly seen laws of variation is infinitely complex a... --Ce texte fait référence à l'édition Poche .
Variation Under Domestication
Causes of Variability—Effects of Habit—Correlation of Growth—Inheritance—Character of Domestic Varieties—Difficulty of distinguishing between Varieties and Species—Origin of Domestic Varieties from one or more Species—Domestic Pigeons, their Differences and Origin—Principle of Selection anciently followed, its Effects—Methodical and Unconscious Selection—Unknown Origin of our Domestic Productions—Circumstances favourable to Man's power of Selection
WHEN WE look to the individuals of the same variety or sub-variety of our older cultivated plants and animals, one of the first points which strikes us, is, that they generally differ much more from each other, than do the individuals of any one species or variety in a state of nature. When we reflect on the vast diversity of the plants and animals which have been cultivated, and which have varied during all ages under the most different climates and treatment, I think we are driven to conclude that this greater variability is simply due to our domestic productions having been raised under conditions of life not so uniform as, and somewhat different from, those to which the parent species have been exposed under nature. There is, also, I think, some probability in the view propounded by Andrew Knight, that this variability may be partly connected with excess of food. It seems pretty clear that organic beings must be exposed during several generations to the new conditions of life to cause any appreciable amount of variation; and that when the organisation has once begun to vary, it generally continues to vary for many generations. No case is on record of a variable being ceasing to be variable under cultivation. Our oldest cultivated plants, such as wheat, still often yield new varieties: our oldest domesticated animals are still capable of rapid improvement or modification.
It has been disputed at what period of life the causes of variability, whatever they may be, generally act; whether during the early or late period of development of the embryo, or at the instant of conception. Geoffroy St Hilaire's experiments show that unnatural treatment of the embryo causes monstrosities; and monstrosities cannot be separated by any clear line of distinction from mere variations. But I am strongly inclined to suspect that the most frequent cause of variability may be attributed to the male and female reproductive elements having been affected prior to the act of conception. Several reasons make me believe in this; but the chief one is the remarkable effect which confinement or cultivation has on the functions of the reproductive system; this system appearing to be far more susceptible than any other part of the organization, to the action of any change in the conditions of life. Nothing is more easy than to tame an animal, and few things more difficult than to get it to breed freely under confinement, even in the many cases when the male and female unite. How many animals there are which will not breed, though living long under not very close confinement in their native country! This is generally attributed to vitiated instincts; but how many cultivated plants display the utmost vigour, and yet rarely or never seed! In some few such cases it has been found out that very trifling changes, such as a little more or less water at some particular period of growth, will determine whether or not the plant sets a seed. I cannot here enter on the copious details which I have collected on this curious subject; but to show how singular the laws are which determine the reproduction of animals under confinement, I may just mention that carnivorous animals, even from the tropics, breed in this country pretty freely under confinement, with the exception of the plantigrades or bear family; whereas, carnivorous birds, with the rarest exceptions, hardly ever lay fertile eggs. Many exotic plants have pollen utterly worthless, in the same exact condition as in the most sterile hybrids. When, on the one hand, we see domesticated animals and plants, though often weak and sickly, yet breeding quite freely under confinement; and when, on the other hand, we see individuals, though taken young from a state of nature, perfectly tamed, long-lived, and healthy (of which I could give numerous instances), yet having their reproductive system so seriously affected by unperceived causes as to fail in acting, we need not be surprised at this system, when it does act under confinement, acting not quite regularly, and producing offspring not perfectly like their parents or variable.
Sterility has been said to be the bane of horticulture; but on this view we owe variability to the same cause which produces sterility; and variability is the source of all the choicest productions of the garden. I may add, that as some organisms will breed most freely under the most unnatural conditions (for instance, the rabbit and ferret kept in hutches), showing that their reproductive system has not been thus affected; so will some animals and plants withstand domestication or cultivation, and vary very slightly—perhaps hardly more than in a state of nature.
A long list could easily be given of 'sporting plants;' by this term gardeners mean a single bud or offset, which suddenly assumes a new and sometimes very different character from that of the rest of the plant. Such buds can be propagated by grafting, &c., and sometimes by seed. These 'sports' are extremely rare under nature, but far from rare under cultivation; and in this case we see that the treatment of the parent has affected a bud or offset, and not the ovules or pollen. But it is the opinion of most physiologists that there is no essential difference between a bud and an ovule in their earliest stages of formation; so that, in fact, 'sports' support my view, that variability may be largely attributed to the ovules or pollen, or to both, having been affected by the treatment of the parent prior to the act of conception. These cases anyhow show that variation is not necessarily connected, as some authors have supposed, with the act of generation.
Seedlings from the same fruit, and the young of the same litter, sometimes differ considerably from each other, though both the young and the parents, as Mxller has remarked, have apparently been exposed to exactly the same conditions of life; and this shows how unimportant the direct effects of the conditions of life are in comparison with the laws of reproduction, and of growth, and of inheritance; for had the action of the conditions been direct, if any of the young had varied, all would probably have varied in the same manner. To judge how much, in the case of any variation, we should attribute to the direct action of heat, moisture, light, food, &c., is most difficult: my impression is, that with animals such agencies have produced very little direct effect, though apparently more in the case of plants. Under this point of view, Mr Buckman's recent experiments on plants seem extremely valuable. When all or nearly all the individuals exposed to certain conditions are affected in the same way, the change at first appears to be directly due to such conditions; but in some cases it can be shown that quite opposite conditions produce similar changes of structure. Nevertheless some slight amount of change may, I think, be attributed to the direct action of the conditions of life—as, in some cases, increased size from amount of food, colour from particular kinds of food and from light, and perhaps the thickness of fur from climate.
Habit also has a deciding influence, as in the period of flowering with plants when transported from one climate to another. In animals it has a more marked effect; for instance, I find in the domestic duck that the bones of the wing weigh less and the bones of the leg more, in proportion to the whole skeleton, than do the same bones in the wild-duck; and I presume that this change may be safely attributed to the domestic duck flying much less, and walking more, than its wild parent. The great and inherited development of the udders in cows and goats in countries where they are habitually milked, in comparison with the state of these organs in other countries, is another instance of the effect of use. Not a single domestic animal can be named which has not in some country drooping ears; and the view suggested by some authors, that the drooping is due to the disuse of the muscles of the ear, from the animals not being much alarmed by danger, seems probable.
There are many laws regulating variation, some few of which can be dimly seen, and will be hereafter briefly mentioned. I will here only allude to what may be called correlation of growth. Any change in the embryo or larva will almost certainly entail changes in the mature animal. In monstrosities, the correlations between quite distinct parts are very curious; and many instances are given in Isidore Geoffroy St Hilaire's great work on this subject. Breeders believe that long limbs are almost always accompanied by an elongated head. Some instances of correlation are quite whimsical; thus cats with blue eyes are invariably deaf; colour and constitutional peculiarities go together, of which many remarkable cases could be given amongst animals and plants. From the facts collected by Heusinger, it appears that white sheep and pigs are differently affected from coloured individuals by certain vegetable poisons. Hairless dogs have imperfect teeth; long-haired and coarse-haired animals are apt to have, as is asserted, long or many horns; pigeons with feathered feet have skin between their outer toes; pigeons with short beaks have small feet, and those with long beaks large feet. Hence, if man goes on selecting, and thus augmenting, any peculiarity, he will almost certainly unconsciously modify other parts of the structure, owing to the mysterious laws of the correlation of growth.
The result of the various, quite unknown, or dimly seen laws of variation is infinitely complex a... --Ce texte fait référence à l'édition Poche .
Revue de presse
'[This] anniversary edition of the Origin of Species is one of the best editions available and a highly recommended book, especially for students and newcomers in Darwin's world.' Newsletter, International History, Philosophy and Science Teaching Group
'There is no way to understand Darwin unless one reads his own writings: the Origin of Species is an excellent starting point to read Darwin and I will argue that this Cambridge anniversary edition is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to read the book, especially if he knows absolutely nothing about it. Science and Education Journal --Ce texte fait référence à l'édition Relié .
'There is no way to understand Darwin unless one reads his own writings: the Origin of Species is an excellent starting point to read Darwin and I will argue that this Cambridge anniversary edition is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to read the book, especially if he knows absolutely nothing about it. Science and Education Journal --Ce texte fait référence à l'édition Relié .
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Première phrase
When on board H.M.S. Beagle, as naturalist, I was much struck with certain facts in the distribution of the inhabitants of South America, and in the geological relations of the present to the past inhabitants of that continent. Lire la première page Parcourir les pages échantillon
Couverture | Copyright | Table des matières | Extrait | Index | Quatrième de couverture
When on board H.M.S. Beagle, as naturalist, I was much struck with certain facts in the distribution of the inhabitants of South America, and in the geological relations of the present to the past inhabitants of that continent. Lire la première page Parcourir les pages échantillon
Couverture | Copyright | Table des matières | Extrait | Index | Quatrième de couverture
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1 internautes sur 1 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile
Par LELOUP
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Ce livre est particulièrement intéressant bien que difficile à lire, car il pose les bases de la biologie actuelle. Je suis cependant déçue par l'édition illustrée, car bien que les photos soient magnifiques elles ne sont la plupart du temps pas en rapport avec le texte ( ce qui aurait pu être utile, à moins d'être un spécialiste des différentes espèces de pigeon par exemple). Les extraits du "Voyage du beagle", la aussi, n'apportent pas grand chose à l'oeuvre.
This book is really interesting though difficult to read, because it settles the bases of actual biolgy. I am still disappointed by the illustrated edition, though the pictures are wonderful they are most of the time not connected with the text (which could have been useful, except if you are well aware of the different kinds of pigeons for exemple). The extracts of "Voyage of the Beagle", once again, do not bring much to the book.
This book is really interesting though difficult to read, because it settles the bases of actual biolgy. I am still disappointed by the illustrated edition, though the pictures are wonderful they are most of the time not connected with the text (which could have been useful, except if you are well aware of the different kinds of pigeons for exemple). The extracts of "Voyage of the Beagle", once again, do not bring much to the book.
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Gorgeous edition of the classic text, crammed with goodies
17 février 2009
Par JMB1014
- Publié sur Amazon.com
Format:Relié|Achat authentifié par Amazon
This edition of "On the Origin of Species" is invaluable to anyone who has been suffering without Darwin's most important work, or getting by with only a stripped-down version. The text is the first edition of the six editions Darwin oversaw in his lifetime. It's the version scientists now regard as the most powerful and passionate statement of Darwin's views. But besides the full (unabridged) "Origin," this large-format book is replete with other materials. The word "sumptuous" comes to mind. There are hundreds of amazing illustrations, maps and diagrams, many in full color. Also included are scores of substantial excerpts from other works by Darwin and correspondence between him and his contemporaries. This makes the book a treasure to have, because it is so incredibly rich in contextual materials.
For instance, pictures of T.H. Huxley are included along with Huxley's letter to Darwin, where Huxley asserted his (not altogether unconditional) support for Darwin's argument and added that he was sharpening his claws and beak in readiness - that is, to help defend Darwin from his opponents. I was also delighted with the many beautiful photographs taken in the Galapagos Islands and of life forms found there, to say nothing of the pictures of Darwin, his family, colleagues and adversaries that are interspersed throughout the book, and Darwin's own drawings, the pictures of Darwin's home near Downe, his desk, models and a detailed diagram of the H.M.S. Beagle, and so on. There is also a chronology of Darwin's life to 1864. Reading this, you are getting far more than one book: the many excerpts from Darwin's earlier and later writings, and all the illustrations and other materials, provide considerable historical context for the "Origin," its development and reception, making this almost certainly the definitive edition.
If you have never read Darwin's masterpiece, this book is a first-class reason to do so. His prose is elegant - even, at times, eloquent. The argument unfolds logically and clearly. Darwin was an utterly unpretentious English gentleman, after all, who lived during the Victorian era; he was, and remains, a highly agreeable companion. (If you enjoy travel literature, Darwin's earlier "Voyage of the Beagle" is also highly readable and fascinating. It sold well in his lifetime and reads almost like an adventure story. Many excerpts from "Voyage" appear in the book under review. They may tempt you to read the other book.) "On the Origin of Species" was written to be read by anyone - it is not merely for scientists or experts. Small wonder that the first edition sold out the same day it was released.
One of the most striking things about the "Origin" is how careful, even cautious, Darwin is in drawing inferences from the piles of data he had before him. (In fact, he devoted an entire chapter to describing potential objections to his own arguments. That takes candor to a very high level. Yet creationists often just read that chapter in order to find objections to evolution, as if Darwin had not already thought the matter through, and as if modern science had not already resolved those objections, since Darwin so thoughtfully and disarmingly enumerated them.) Darwin's argument thus has more force than it would if he made claims that the data did not so clearly support. Darwin's great virtue as a scientist is that he did not let his own beliefs prejudice his investigations: he let the evidence speak plainly for itself. He was humble, painstaking and forthright.
Since I originally prepared this review, another superb edition of "On the Origin of Species" has been published by Harvard's Belknap Press, which provides excellent and substantial annotations to a facsimile of the original 1859 text, on the same pages as the text itself. That is a handsome volume which is immensely helpful because the annotations (prepared by James T. Costa, a biologist himself) explain so much. Darwin's writing is precise and clear but lay readers often have questions - or would, if we knew what to ask - that are answered in the annotations. Professor Costa updates much of what is being said in the text with current scientific knowledge, explains why Darwin is saying what he is saying, and generally offers valuable insights. The result is to make Darwin's book even more accessible to the general reader. Regrettably, that volume does not have all the rich contextual materials, illustrations and selections from other works that distinguish the edition under review here. Still, if your objective is to read Darwin's seminal work and comprehend it, Costa's is doubtless as good a book as there is. Thus, while it would be ideal if both of these books could be combined, we should be vastly grateful that two such outstanding editions of this important work became available at reasonable cost during the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of "On the Origin of Species." You can take your pick, or if you really love Darwin and science, get both (as I did).
While I recommend reading "on the Origin of Species" in any edition, this is a lavish and eminently worthwhile volume, which I have added to the several editions I already own.
For instance, pictures of T.H. Huxley are included along with Huxley's letter to Darwin, where Huxley asserted his (not altogether unconditional) support for Darwin's argument and added that he was sharpening his claws and beak in readiness - that is, to help defend Darwin from his opponents. I was also delighted with the many beautiful photographs taken in the Galapagos Islands and of life forms found there, to say nothing of the pictures of Darwin, his family, colleagues and adversaries that are interspersed throughout the book, and Darwin's own drawings, the pictures of Darwin's home near Downe, his desk, models and a detailed diagram of the H.M.S. Beagle, and so on. There is also a chronology of Darwin's life to 1864. Reading this, you are getting far more than one book: the many excerpts from Darwin's earlier and later writings, and all the illustrations and other materials, provide considerable historical context for the "Origin," its development and reception, making this almost certainly the definitive edition.
If you have never read Darwin's masterpiece, this book is a first-class reason to do so. His prose is elegant - even, at times, eloquent. The argument unfolds logically and clearly. Darwin was an utterly unpretentious English gentleman, after all, who lived during the Victorian era; he was, and remains, a highly agreeable companion. (If you enjoy travel literature, Darwin's earlier "Voyage of the Beagle" is also highly readable and fascinating. It sold well in his lifetime and reads almost like an adventure story. Many excerpts from "Voyage" appear in the book under review. They may tempt you to read the other book.) "On the Origin of Species" was written to be read by anyone - it is not merely for scientists or experts. Small wonder that the first edition sold out the same day it was released.
One of the most striking things about the "Origin" is how careful, even cautious, Darwin is in drawing inferences from the piles of data he had before him. (In fact, he devoted an entire chapter to describing potential objections to his own arguments. That takes candor to a very high level. Yet creationists often just read that chapter in order to find objections to evolution, as if Darwin had not already thought the matter through, and as if modern science had not already resolved those objections, since Darwin so thoughtfully and disarmingly enumerated them.) Darwin's argument thus has more force than it would if he made claims that the data did not so clearly support. Darwin's great virtue as a scientist is that he did not let his own beliefs prejudice his investigations: he let the evidence speak plainly for itself. He was humble, painstaking and forthright.
Since I originally prepared this review, another superb edition of "On the Origin of Species" has been published by Harvard's Belknap Press, which provides excellent and substantial annotations to a facsimile of the original 1859 text, on the same pages as the text itself. That is a handsome volume which is immensely helpful because the annotations (prepared by James T. Costa, a biologist himself) explain so much. Darwin's writing is precise and clear but lay readers often have questions - or would, if we knew what to ask - that are answered in the annotations. Professor Costa updates much of what is being said in the text with current scientific knowledge, explains why Darwin is saying what he is saying, and generally offers valuable insights. The result is to make Darwin's book even more accessible to the general reader. Regrettably, that volume does not have all the rich contextual materials, illustrations and selections from other works that distinguish the edition under review here. Still, if your objective is to read Darwin's seminal work and comprehend it, Costa's is doubtless as good a book as there is. Thus, while it would be ideal if both of these books could be combined, we should be vastly grateful that two such outstanding editions of this important work became available at reasonable cost during the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of "On the Origin of Species." You can take your pick, or if you really love Darwin and science, get both (as I did).
While I recommend reading "on the Origin of Species" in any edition, this is a lavish and eminently worthwhile volume, which I have added to the several editions I already own.
56 internautes sur 58 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile
5.0 étoiles sur 5
The "Origin" Made Far More Accesible For Ordinary Readers
4 mai 2009
Par JMB1014
- Publié sur Amazon.com
Format:Relié
This is an excellent versions of "On the Origin of Species," especially for non-specialist readers. Professor James T. Costa, who edited this book and prepared the excellent annotations, is a biologist himself and an insightful student of Darwin. He presents a facsimile of the first edition of Darwin's classic volume (accepted as the most passionate and unalloyed version of Darwin's original views, compared to the five versions that he oversaw subsequently) in a broad format: on each page, the text lies next to commentary and interpretation by Professor Costa. Darwin's writing is precise and clear but the lay reader often has questions - or would, if we knew what to ask - that are answered in the annotations. The result is a handsome edition with thought-provoking insights that vastly enhance the reader's interest and understanding. Each comment is keyed to the pertinent place in the text to which it refers by the use of an arrow and the comments provide a gloss, as it were, on those passages. Costa summarizes, explains and points out what is coming up, indicates where the same themes or ideas reappear, offers valuable context or present-day perspectives on what Darwin is saying, and so forth. These annotations are not necessarily just brief remarks but are often substantive, meaty, and very worthwile. They make the original text resonate in ways that no one but an expert would necessarily have anticipated. The result is a far more rewarding book than the "Origin" would be alone, and that is saying something.
To take just one small example, Costa explains what may puzzle many readers, namely, why Darwin starts out with a discussion of plants and animals under domestication. His comments reduce the confusion people feel (I know I did, initially) when they start reading, thus making it likelier that general readers will not be put off by the book from the outset. The reader is thus helpfully guided through Darwin's seminal work by a companionable expert.
Costa has prepared a worthwhile introduction in which he discloses his ambition that this edition will help to persuade modern students to read Darwin's original book, thereby enhancing understanding (and preventing misunderstanding) of evolution. He also laments and is perplexed by the fact that Americans seem so inclined to litigate over whether such widely accepted science can be taught in public schools. I gather he hopes by this edition to forestall some of the misunderstanding that can give rise to such litigation.
I hope Costa succeeds.
A set of biographical notes helps readers understand Darwin's references to other people and indicates where in the text one will find those references. I also inspected the bibliography/references and found it substantial and helpful, if a bit on the individualistic side. There is an index as well.
This is an attractive volume, stylishly presented by Harvard University's Belknap Press. There are no illustrations or diagrams apart from those found in the original first edition, however. The price is reasonable. Although I already have several editions of "On the Origin of Species," I was quick to buy this one. As a non-specialist, I have found the annotations extremely useful, informative, and even entertaining.
To take just one small example, Costa explains what may puzzle many readers, namely, why Darwin starts out with a discussion of plants and animals under domestication. His comments reduce the confusion people feel (I know I did, initially) when they start reading, thus making it likelier that general readers will not be put off by the book from the outset. The reader is thus helpfully guided through Darwin's seminal work by a companionable expert.
Costa has prepared a worthwhile introduction in which he discloses his ambition that this edition will help to persuade modern students to read Darwin's original book, thereby enhancing understanding (and preventing misunderstanding) of evolution. He also laments and is perplexed by the fact that Americans seem so inclined to litigate over whether such widely accepted science can be taught in public schools. I gather he hopes by this edition to forestall some of the misunderstanding that can give rise to such litigation.
I hope Costa succeeds.
A set of biographical notes helps readers understand Darwin's references to other people and indicates where in the text one will find those references. I also inspected the bibliography/references and found it substantial and helpful, if a bit on the individualistic side. There is an index as well.
This is an attractive volume, stylishly presented by Harvard University's Belknap Press. There are no illustrations or diagrams apart from those found in the original first edition, however. The price is reasonable. Although I already have several editions of "On the Origin of Species," I was quick to buy this one. As a non-specialist, I have found the annotations extremely useful, informative, and even entertaining.
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Beware of anti-science content in this "trojan" edition of Origin
20 octobre 2009
Par John Rummel
- Publié sur Amazon.com
Format:Broché
Darwin's Origin of Species is, of course, an icon of scientific writing. It is eminently readable and accessible to nonscientists and should be read by everyone. This edition though, the "150th Anniversary Edition" is an intentional Trojan horse published exclusively to serve as a vehicle for Ray Comfort's 50 page introduction. Comfort is a young-earth creationist and rejects Darwin's theory wholesale. Every reader of this review should contact Amazon and ask them to differentiate this edition of "Origin" from legitimate republications of this epic work. Comfort's 50 page intro is an embarrassing affront to scientific honesty and integrity. Anybody who has followed his antics on the internet knows not to take him seriously, but by attaching his name and his screed to Darwin's work, and then having Amazon market it as though it's a legitimate complement to this volume, is abhorrent.
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