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On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection

On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin
By: (1809-1882)

Considered to be one of the books that changed the world and how we view ourselves, On The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin was met with incredulous horror when it was first published in 1859. The revolutionary, almost blasphemous ideas it described were seen as antithetical to the existing ideas of Creation contained in the Bible and other religious texts. It was mocked, reviled and the author was personally subjected to vicious persecution by the establishment and theologians.

In the years that followed its publication, the book became the subject of furious intellectual and social debate. For modern day readers, On The Origin of Species or The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life to give it its full title, represents not just a turning point in scientific discovery, but also the keystone of research and further inquiries into the field of human origin and an emergence from the Dark Ages of mere belief.

Charles Darwin was a typical product of upper class Victorian society. His privileged family background included teachers, doctors, clergymen and businessmen. A desultory career in school and college was followed by vague ambitions to join the Church. Later, he embarked on a course in medicine at Edinburgh, but gave it up after two years to join Robert Grant, a famous biologist and proponent of evolutionary theories propounded by French naturalists. In 1831, Darwin was invited to join the expedition on board the now famous HMS Beagle which was to conduct explorations in South America. Darwin was employed as naturalist/companion of Captain Fitzroy and the expedition lasted for five years. The ship traveled to various South American countries and returned via Australia and Mauritius to England.

Contrary to popular opinion, Darwin was certainly not the first to come up with the idea of Evolution. In fact, his own grandfather, Erasmus Darwin had proposed the idea in 1794. However Charles' contribution was to provide the mechanism via which evolutionary theory worked which he called “natural selection.” In On The Origin of Species he provides a wealth of observations on different species and how they adapt to their natural environment. His further work on pigeon breeding and studies in geology began to crystallize in the famous theory which says that species are not “created” but they “evolve.”

As a radical and profoundly original work which shook contemporary ideas to their foundation, On The Origin of Species is indeed a historically important and an informative read.


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Reviews (Rated: 4 Stars - 21 reviews)

Reviewer: - May 7, 2020
Fantastic! An eye opener that any religious fool needs to read!
Reviewer: - November 14, 2018
Subject: can not be proven
the possibility of all that happening at random is completly rediculous the possibility of the human enzyme (the building block of DNA wich is the buildingblock of life) coming together and being created at random is 1 in 10 to the power of forty thousand. wich is more than than the number of atoms in this universe
Reviewer: - October 25, 2018
Subject: Must read book
Its a must read book by everyone. it provides deep knowledge and understanding about the topic of evolution.
Reviewer: - May 24, 2018
Thank you for the grate books! Where I can find a transcription. As my english is poor it is dificul for me just lestening.
Reviewer: - March 25, 2018
Subject: Proof
Good readers. Sad to see so many religious fools that cant understand the true meaning of this ultimate book.
Reviewer: - February 24, 2018
Subject: No facts
Evolution is impossible.
Reviewer: - December 2, 2017
Dude, it's fantastic, so scientific and reasonable
Reviewer: - October 15, 2017
Wonderful resource fantastic book. Darwins logical mind and clear sky reasoning leave one wanting for more! I give it 6 stars
Reviewer: - March 30, 2017
Subject: Faakkkeee
God made us we aren't monkeys
Reviewer: - November 28, 2016
Subject: weep, creationist scum
This is a revolutionary book, but those too stupid to accept that keep complaining it's not scientific. Sorry, this has been proven over and over, creationism on the other hand... never.
Reviewer: - April 18, 2016
Subject: Class
This book is mathematically impossible. Darwin himself said if the cell was any more complex than I've surmised my entire theory breaks down. Get it out of the gene pool!
Reviewer: - September 21, 2015
no science here at all
Reviewer: - August 1, 2015
Subject: Earth Shaking
Revolutionary work that sits on the top shelf in position one of all prose.
Reviewer: - January 16, 2015
This book belongs under fiction
Reviewer: - November 2, 2014
Subject: Rubbish
I tried to read the boo, but it is boring and nothing seems to original. it is maybe evolution worshipers and materialists. I'm a science teacher and I can not see any science in this book. just a dogma and paradigm of denial.. ID sounds more sensible and logical for me...
Reviewer: - September 15, 2013
Present a theory and evidence, disprove, improve, start over. Remember, the earth was flat before we realized it was round and the center of the universe, today we believe it's round and the center of nothing.
Reviewer: - September 10, 2013
Great book. The readers did fine, but the change from reader to reader was a little distracting.
Reviewer: - August 10, 2013
Readers aren't great, but it's free. I'm certainly satisfied. Darwin's thinking over-draws conclusions a bit, but overall the science is sound. I find it humorously frustrating that two out of three comments so far are questioning the validity of Darwin's research and synthesis.
Reviewer: - June 28, 2013
Subject: Darwin's Doubt
Just finished "Darwin's Doubt" and still waiting for Science to produce a "Blade of Grass".
Reviewer: - May 31, 2013
Pure rubbish that has been disproved over and over again.
Reviewer: - May 15, 2013
Very bland and annoying voiced reader. She sounds almost robotic!


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