How to Read Darwin (2005) by Mark Ridley
I tried to read Charles
Darwin’s The Origin of Species one
day, but I couldn’t because the book is so thick and very technical. So I tried
to read a book about The Origin and
the man – How to Read Darwin – though it was easier to read yet at some points
I feel lost.
Charles Darwin is best
known for his work as a naturalist, developing a theory of evolution to explain
biological change. Darwin was “a
historical figure, who revolutionized biology, and his influence can be traced
into all corners of modern culture – not just in biology, but in philosophy,
the human sciences, theology, software engineering, literature and the plastic
arts.” Darwin was also a mastermind. Ridley in this book focus primary on The Origin of Species and secondly on The Descent of Man to understand the man
and his thoughts.
In the first part of The Origin, Darwin makes the case for
evolution (Fyi, Darwin himself used the expression ‘descent with modification’
rather than ‘evolution.’ The term ‘evolution’ came to be used soon after
Darwin’s book was published in 1859). According to the theory of evolution, the
various forms of life on Earth – trees and flowers, worms and whales – all
descend from common ancestors. The second part considers the process that
causes evolution Darwin argues “that the
process he calls natural selection drives evolution.” Then he also explain
about the terms “heredity” and “variation” for “his whole theory depended on
them.”
There are ten chapters in
this book:
1) ‘One Long Argument’
2) Natural Selection
3) Difficulties on Theory
4) Hybridism and Biodiversity
5) The Geological Succession
6) The Case for Evolution
7) The Social and Moral Faculties
8) Natural Selection as Affecting Civilized Nations
9) Sexual Selection
10) The Expression of the Emotions
I make it a habit to not
only read books that I agree with. I read widely. This book is among the books
that I don’t really agree with.
THINK BIG.
START SMALL. GO DEEP.
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