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Darwin's Origin of Species: A Biography…
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Darwin's Origin of Species: A Biography (Books That Changed the World) (original 2006; edition 2007)

by Janet Browne (Author)

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2791794,148 (3.73)4
Enjoyably informative...Darwin's a fascinating character in a very "un-flashy" way, and I was struck by the deep respect in the relationship with his wife, Emma, even though they were worlds apart in religious orientation. ( )
  bibleblaster | Jan 23, 2016 |
Showing 17 of 17
A good overview of the origin’s origin, it’s reception and it’s legacy. Wish it had been made even clearer that Darwin was not responsible for social Darwinism. ( )
  cspiwak | Mar 6, 2024 |
This book was disappointing, although not actually bad. I had hoped for more, since I have seen Janet Browne's biography of Darwin much praised. The promise of the title is that this book is about "The Origin", but it is not, it's just a capsule biography of Darwin and a discussion of the theory of evolution both as proposed by Darwin and as it has been amended and challenged more recently. You, the reader, can easily do better than this book. For a brief biography of Darwin himself, you could do far worse than to read Thomas Henry Huxley's obituary for the Royal Society in the volume of his collected essays titled "Darwiniana". For a more contemporary biography and a discussion of the meaning of and reactions to Darwin's theory you can try "The Reluctant Mr. Darwin" by David Quammen or indeed, "Charles Darwin: The Concise Story of an Extraordinary Man". If you want to get into more depth about the Darwinian legacy, "Darwin's Spectre: Evolutionary Biology in the Modern World" by Michael Rose, would be a better choice. Or, go to the source, "The Origin" is a very pleasant listen, especially as narrated by David Case.

Sadly, this book adds nothing to the existing corpus of Darwin biography and analysis. ( )
  themulhern | Nov 28, 2021 |
A great little introduction to Darwin and his most important work. Well researched, clear and readable.

Gareth Southwell is a philosopher, writer and illustrator.
  Gareth.Southwell | May 23, 2020 |
Enjoyably informative...Darwin's a fascinating character in a very "un-flashy" way, and I was struck by the deep respect in the relationship with his wife, Emma, even though they were worlds apart in religious orientation. ( )
  bibleblaster | Jan 23, 2016 |

Probably unsurprisingly, this jolly little book doesn't quite live up to its promise in the subtitle -- really it's a selective biography of Darwin himself, focusing on those elements of his life that related to Origin, from inception through composition to aftermath, plus the reactions of others to it. Browne is the author of one of the biographies of Darwin, the whopping two-volume (1200 pages) study comprising Voyaging (1996) and The Power of Place (2003), so obviously she knows what she's talking about; in consequence, I was slightly alarmed to come across the occasional footling mistake, such as spelling Stephen Jay Gould's first name with a "v" rather than a "ph". Such annoyances aside, this was a great read and surprisingly informative for a book that appears at first to be so slight.
( )
  JohnGrant1 | Aug 11, 2013 |
A nice introduction to a world-changing book; whilst remaining an easy read, Browne encompasses a longer timespan than I had expected, including an account of Darwin's time aboard HMS Beagle as well as the social ramifications of his theory up to the present day (eugenics, Intelligent Design, etc.). The effect writing his book had on Darwin's health is also touched upon which, as one who is ashamedly ignorant of Darwin's life, I was intrigued by. After reading Browne's short work and becoming a little more familiar with the context in which Darwin expounded his theory, I may finally stop procrastinating and actually read The Origin of Species!
  PickledOnion42 | Oct 30, 2012 |
A very short introduction to the topic, somewhat simplified. For a day's light reading, you could do a lot worse. ( )
  Devil_llama | Apr 11, 2011 |
An excellent telling of the effects of Darwin's work all the up to modern day. ( )
  MarkKeeffe | Jul 29, 2010 |
Enjoyably informative...Darwin's a fascinating character in a very "un-flashy" way, and I was struck by the deep respect in the relationship with his wife, Emma, even though they were worlds apart in religious orientation. ( )
  rodrichards | Sep 2, 2009 |
Enjoyably informative...Darwin's a fascinating character in a very "un-flashy" way, and I was struck by the deep respect in the relationship with his wife, Emma, even though they were worlds apart in religious orientation. ( )
  rodrichards | Sep 2, 2009 |
Enjoyably informative...Darwin's a fascinating character in a very "un-flashy" way, and I was struck by the deep respect in the relationship with his wife, Emma, even though they were worlds apart in religious orientation. ( )
  rodrichards | Sep 2, 2009 |
Got this based on Richard Lewontin's recommendation. It's short, and very good. Recommended.
  leeinaustin | May 22, 2009 |
On first publication in 1859, "The Origin of Species" became a controversial bestseller. Darwin's idea that organisms gradually evolve through natural selection overturned the belief that all animals were born out of nothing. Janet Browne's examination of "Origin of Species" is an indispensable guide to the theory that changed the way we see the world and our place in it. Janet Browne is a professor at the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL. Her major work has been a landmark two-volume biography of Charles Darwin, Voyaging (1995) and The Power of Place (2002).
  antimuzak | May 18, 2009 |
Dense yet brief, not a biography of Darwin but a story of the conception, creation and reception of the book that changed everything. Other men were cast out of society for promoting very similar theories: Darwin's mild-mannered character and lovely writing helped make "On the Origin of the Species" a hit. ( )
  irisiris | Sep 9, 2008 |
An interesting essay (not unlike an article from the New Yorker), that can be read in an evening. Part of the Books that Changed the World Series. ( )
  Sandydog1 | Jul 7, 2007 |
Listened as an audiobook. A very compentent, well-written introduction to Darwin and his most famous book. Provides the background. Brings the story into the present. I would recommend. It gets me ready to try the actual book. Also, I'm intrigued by the biography of a book.
  idiotgirl | Apr 20, 2007 |
As part of the "Books That Changed the World" series, Darwin biography Janet Browne has penned a short "biography" of Darwin's Origin of Species (forthcoming from Atlantic Monthly Press). Part overview of Darwin's life, part discussion about the book itself, and part an examination of the impact the Origin has had in the almost 150 years since its publication, Browne's book is both a decent introduction to the text and to Darwin's thinking.

The book's size is its most limiting factor. Undoubtedly constrained by the strictures of the series, Browne is unable to provide much more than a cursory glimpse at the convoluted and intense process by which the Origin came into being, not to mention the man behind that genesis. Its post-publication impact is assessed more thoroughly - Browne has done an admirable job reducing more than a century of scientific thought into forty pages or so.

There are more complete examinations of both Darwin and his works available, but for a readable and succinct survey, this is a good place to start.

http://philobiblos.blogspot.com/2006/12/book-review-darwins-origin-of-species.ht... ( )
1 vote JBD1 | Dec 3, 2006 |
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