From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals)
by Charles Darwin, Edward O. Wilson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Charles Darwin, Edward O. WilsonEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2005-11-07
ISBN: 0393061345
Number of pages: 1706
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.
Book Reviews of From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals)
Book Review: So Simple a Beginning, So Profound a Journey
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had two worn-out paperback copies of Origin of Species and The Voyage of the Beagle for many years and enjoyed them greatly. But, my eyes are not quite as good as they used to be at reading small print, and besides I wanted nicer copies after all this time. I had never gotten around to The Descent of Man and The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, which I wanted to read in order to expand my understanding of Darwin and evolution. This edition itself is very nicely finished. The original illustrations have been beautifully restored. The essays by E.O. Wilson are informative and insightful. As others have said, tho', I wish that Dr. Wilson had expanded his essays. Good as they were, I wanted more. Darwin himself was a very good writer with a skill at clear explanation and an obvious love for nature and its subjects. Darwin is still one of the best at explaining the theory which he and Wallace originated. As a basic source of the most essential writings by Charles Darwin, this edition could not be much better. This is one to keep on your bookshelf for years to come. You have in your hands one of the greatest insights in all of human history and science, equal to the visions of Galileo, Newton, and Einstein. For me, evolution and the theory of natural selection surpass in importance any other other discovery in science, dealing as it does with the history of life and our place in nature. It should be lastly noted that "theory" should be taken in its scientific sense when talking about evolution. A theory is a description of how something works -- not something unproven. Evolution is proven and real. Intelligent Design, on the other hand, is an unproven and illogical proposition which explains nothing.
More From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals) reviews:
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Summary of From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals)
A gorgeous gift and a landmark work that is an essential addition to everyone's personal library. Never before have the four great works of Charles Darwin-Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle (1845), The Origin of Species? (1859), The Descent of Man ?(1871), and The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals ?(1872)- been collected under one cover. Undertaking this challenging endeavor 123 years after Darwin's death, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward O. Wilson has written an introductory essay for the occasion, while providing new, insightful introductions to each of the four volumes and an afterword that examines the fate of evolutionary theory in an era of religious resistance. In addition, Wilson has crafted a creative new index to accompany these four texts, which links the nineteenth-century, Darwinian evolutionary concepts to contemporary biological thought. Beautifully slipcased, and including restored versions of the original illustrations, From So Simple a Beginning turns our attention to the astounding power of the natural creative process and the magnificence of its products. 101 illustrations
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