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On The Origin of Species Illustrated and Bundled with the Autobiography

by Charles Darwin

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 55,247 ratings · 1,319 reviews

On The Origin of Species not only sent an unmatched impact to Biology but also to economy and social science.

The book has an active table for readers to access each chapter of the following titles:
1) ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES – Charles Darwin
2) THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF CHARLES DARWIN – Charles Darwin

The collection is must read for readers who are interested in the evolution th ...more

Kindle Edition , 511 pages

Published June 16th 2013 (first published 1859)

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Sep 14, 2007 Pam rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone with an open mind

Shelves: purchase

such a freakin' genius! and the sadest part is, that his "science" literally killed him. if you've read a lot in Darwin (as I have) you come to understand that as a religious man, his studies seriously conflicted with his beliefs. I hate it when I hear someone say that Darwin says, "we come from monkeys." because that is not the case.

his theory is on EVOLUTION, not monkeys. all he wanted people to understand was adaptation and survival of the fittest is really a simple concept, and daily life- p ...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Manny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Creationists

Shelves: science , history-and-biography , linguistics-and-philosophy

Dear Carol,

Thank you for your mail, and of course I remember meeting you on the flight last month! It was a very interesting discussion and I'm still thinking about it. The semester has now started here at Creationist U and I am working hard, but I found time to read the book you recommended. And I'm glad I did, because it was really a lot better than I thought it would be.

I guess I was expecting Darwin to be like Richard Dawkins, but he was respectful of religious ideas. And it was great that h Dear Carol,

Thank you for your mail, and of course I remember meeting you on the flight last month! It was a very interesting discussion and I'm still thinking about it. The semester has now started here at Creationist U and I am working hard, but I found time to read the book you recommended. And I'm glad I did, because it was really a lot better than I thought it would be.

I guess I was expecting Darwin to be like Richard Dawkins, but he was respectful of religious ideas. And it was great that he liked Paley's Natural Theology so much... he says he almost knew it by heart! We read Paley last year in History of Creation Science, and I also thought it was a terrific book. So I could see Darwin was an open-minded person who was prepared to look at both sides of the question. Richard Dawkins could learn a lot from that!

The way he sets up his argument is smart. He starts off talking about how stockbreeders can improve their breed - well, I'm a country boy, and I could see he knew his stuff. This is someone who's spent time down at the farm and understands how country people feel about livestock. And I liked that he'd done all that work raising pigeons. Not the kind of scientist who just hangs out at the lab all day.

After that, he introduces his Big Idea about the survival of the fittest and he almost made evolution sound sensible. He's a good writer. And then he was honest when he explained all the problems with the theory. He really got me - I was wondering if he was going to mention any of that stuff, and a page later he came out and said just what I was thinking! Nice work, Mr. Darwin. But I did wonder what he was doing, cutting out the ground from under his own feet. He said he could explain things like the eye and how bees could evolve to make honeycombs, but even if he was real good at making his case, I wasn't buying any.

So by the halfway mark, I figured he was done, but like ol' Dubya used to say, I misunderestimated him - he'd saved all his best stuff for last. He had some good shots! I got to admit, he made me think. Why does God put the species that look alike in the same place? Like he says, it is weird how you have a mountain range, and there's one kind of animals and plants on one side, and a different kind on the other side. God's ways are inscrutable to us, but why does He care about those mountains? And the islands, they were even worse. He says if you look at the species on a lot of islands, you don't have any mammals there, except you do have bats. Why? I could see where he was going with this one - the bats could blow in off the mainland and evolve, but other mammals couldn't do that. I admit it, I don't have an answer, except maybe God's testing our faith again. But I can see not everyone will like that. I'm still wondering about those bats! Okay Mr. Darwin, I said it already but I'll say it again, you were a smart guy.

So how's life at MIT? And I hope you read the book I recommended to you. A Canticle for Leibowitz will show you that faith and science have more in common than you might think!

Take care,

Bob
...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Stephen M rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy , textbook

Edits for NR because I love him that much.

This :
"This preservation of favourable variations and the rejection of injurious variations, I call Natural Selection. Variations neither useful not injurious would not be affected by natural selection, and would be left a fluctuating element, as perhaps we see in the species called polymorphic.

"We shall best understand the probable course of natural selection by taking the case of a country undergoing some physical change, for instance, of climate. The Edits for NR because I love him that much.

This :
"This preservation of favourable variations and the rejection of injurious variations, I call Natural Selection. Variations neither useful not injurious would not be affected by natural selection, and would be left a fluctuating element, as perhaps we see in the species called polymorphic.

"We shall best understand the probable course of natural selection by taking the case of a country undergoing some physical change, for instance, of climate. The proportional numbers of its inhabitants would almost immediately undergo a change, and some species might become extinct. We may conclude, from what we have seen of the intimate and complex manner in which the inhabitants of each country are bound together, that any change in the numerical proportions of some of the inhabitants, independently of the change of climate itself, would most seriously affect many of the others. If the country were open on its borders, new forms would certainly immigrate, and this also would seriously disturb the relations of some of the former inhabitants. Let it be remembered how powerful the influence of a single introduced tree or mammal has been shown to be. But in the case of an island, or of a country partly surrounded by barriers, into which new and better adapted forms could not freely enter, we should then have places in the economy of nature which would assuredly be better filled up, if some of the original inhabitants were in some manner modified; for, had the area been open immigration, these same places would have been seized on by intruders. In such case, ever slight modification, which in the course of ages chanced to arise, and which in any way favoured the individuals of any of the species, by better adapting them to their altered conditions, would tend to be preserved and natural selection would thus have free scope for the work of improvement.

"We have reason to believe, as stated in the first chapter, that a change in the conditions of life, by specially acting on the reproductive systems, cause or increases variability; and in the foregoing case the conditions of life are supposed to have undergone a changes, and this would manifestly be favourable to natural selection, by giving a better chance of profitable variations occurring; and unless profitable variations do occur, natural selection can do nothing." (I DIDN'T WRITE THIS. DARWIN DID IN THIS BOOK.)

Or This . ...more

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Jul 02, 2014 Thabit rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

قد يكون هذا الكتاب هو أعظم كتاب انتجته البشرية. داروين غير كل شيء في مسار البشرية من نظرة البشر لأنفسهم حتى نظرة البشر تجاه الكون والطبيعة

من اكبر المغالطات التي تواجهها اليوم عملية التطور اعتبارها بأنها نظرية. مصطلح نظرية دارون أو نظرية التطور كانت صالحة قبل قرن ولكن اليوم عملية التطور هي حقيقة علمية مدعومة بأدلة لا تعد ولا تحصى ولكن البشر يخافون من أن يتم اعتبارهم كسائر المخلوقات الأرضية المتصلة ببعض إذ إننا نحب الشعور بالامتياز والتفوق على الغير ونوهم أنفسنا بأننا موجودين على سطح الأرض لغاية أ قد يكون هذا الكتاب هو أعظم كتاب انتجته البشرية. داروين غير كل شيء في مسار البشرية من نظرة البشر لأنفسهم حتى نظرة البشر تجاه الكون والطبيعة

من اكبر المغالطات التي تواجهها اليوم عملية التطور اعتبارها بأنها نظرية. مصطلح نظرية دارون أو نظرية التطور كانت صالحة قبل قرن ولكن اليوم عملية التطور هي حقيقة علمية مدعومة بأدلة لا تعد ولا تحصى ولكن البشر يخافون من أن يتم اعتبارهم كسائر المخلوقات الأرضية المتصلة ببعض إذ إننا نحب الشعور بالامتياز والتفوق على الغير ونوهم أنفسنا بأننا موجودين على سطح الأرض لغاية أعلى وأسمى كنوع من استوهام الطمأنينة

المغالطة الكبرى الثانية الإعتقاد بأن كتاب أصل الأنواع يتفصل في كيفية تطور الإنسان "الهابليس إلى الرودلفينسيس إلى الإيريكتس إلى الهيديلبيرجينسيس إلى النيانديرثالينسيس إلى الإنسان الحالي" بل الكتاب يظهر نماذج متنوعة من الكائنات الحية ومراحل تطورها مع تضاريس الطبيعة ولا يتدخل في موضوع التطور البشري

المغالطة الثالثة الظن بأن عملية التطور البشرية تدل على أن أصل الإنسان قرد! الإنسان في التصنيف العلمي الحديث يعتبر "من ناحية التعداد والانتشار" اكبر نوع من فصائل القردة في العالم إذ إن الإنسان بنفسه هو احد فصائل القردة مع حيوان الغاب والغوريلا و الشيمبانزي والأدلة كما ذكرت مسبقاً لا تعد ولا تحصى. الرد الكافي يكمن في الحمض النووي للشيمبانزي إذ إنه يتشابه في 98% مع الحمض النووي البشري والباقي "2%" من الحمض النووي تختلف في الخلايا الدماغية. نحن البشر نتشارك مع كل الكائنات الحية "النباتات، الأسماك، الطيور، الزواحف الخ" نسب محددة من الحمض النووي وهذا ليس إلا إثبات إلى أننا البشر أبناء الطبيعة

أما المغالطة الأخيرة والأكبر هو الإعتقاد بأن في عملية التطور يتطور الفصيل مثلاً البشري الإيركيتيس بين ليلة وضحاها إلى الفصيل البشري الهيديلبيرجينسيس ولكن الذي لا يعرفه الغالب هو أن هذه العملية تأخذ فترة طويلة جداً تصل إلى مئات الآلاف من السنين أو أكثر ليتم إنتاج فصيل آخر متطور بحكم تضاريس الطبيعة. على سبيل المثال عندما استعمر الأوروبيون البرازيل اخذوا معهم أحد أنواع الطيور إلى احدى الجزر بالقرب من الامازون في القرن السادس عشر وعندما زار داروين بعد أربع قرون البرازيل في رحلة إستكشافية استكشف بأن هذا الفصيل من الطير قد تطور إلى أربع فصائل وكل فصيلة تعيش في بيئة محددة ومختلفة عن غيرها رغم أنهم قبل قرون كانوا من فصيل واحد ولكن التضاريس الطبيعية ساهمت في تغيير مظاهر الطيور على حسب الأجواء التي استقرت فيها بعد أن هاجرت فالفصيل الذي يعيش في بيئة قاسية يتحمل التعب أكثر من غيره والفصيل الذي يعيش في بيئة بها فاكهة صلبة يمتلك منقار اكبر وأقوى من غيره وهكذا

نحن نعيش في القرن الواحد والعشرين وما زال الغالبية العظمى من العرب يؤمنون بأنهم من طين وصلصال وينكرون التطور بحجة التدخل الغربي لزعزعة الدين ولكن إنكار التطور في هذا القرن هو أشبه بمن يقول بأن الأرض مسطحة أو أن الشمس تدور حول الأرض! التاريخ يعلمنا بأن العلم لا يُقهر ودائماً ما يفرض نفسه على العادات والتقاليد وأساطير الأولين مهما اختلفت الأنفس ...more

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May 10, 2012 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics , 100-significant-books , science , non-fiction , ebooks

Decry or applaud it, there's no question this work has had a profound effect not just on science, but the culture at large. What I wouldn't read this book for is the science, or in an effort to either defend or refute the argument for evolution. The core of Darwin's argument certainly is still what was taught in my Catholic high school biology class (taught by a nun). In a nutshell, the theory is that given there are wide-ranging subtle Variations among organisms, the Malthusian Struggle for Exi Decry or applaud it, there's no question this work has had a profound effect not just on science, but the culture at large. What I wouldn't read this book for is the science, or in an effort to either defend or refute the argument for evolution. The core of Darwin's argument certainly is still what was taught in my Catholic high school biology class (taught by a nun). In a nutshell, the theory is that given there are wide-ranging subtle Variations among organisms, the Malthusian Struggle for Existence causes by means of Natural Selection of the inheritable traits that are the best Adaptations to the environment the Origin of Species or as Darwin calls it, the "theory of descent with modification."

But, after all, this book is now over 150 years old. Science is about explaining natural phenomenon and correcting mistakes through observation, experimentation and falsification--not dogma--and so is always a moving target. I know that. But I still raised an eyebrow when in the first chapter of the book Darwin said he believed the "most frequent cause of variability" was caused by the experiences of the parents before conception--such as cows' udders being larger in countries where they're milked because the habit of milking by itself alters in the reproductive organs what is inherited by the next generation. WTF Darwin? When Darwin first propounded his theory of evolution (a word never used in the book by the way) through natural selection, Mendel had yet to discover the basic principles of genetics in his experiments with peas and Watson and Crick had yet to unravel the structure of DNA. Nor was continental drift known and understood, so there were notable gaps in Darwin's reasoning that has since been filled. Stephen Jay Gould, one of the staunchest defenders and popularizers of evolution is famous within science particularly for where he differs from Darwin. Darwin thought changes in species were very gradual. Gould favors "punctuated equilibrium" where there are rapid changes followed by long periods of stability. That's why scientists today talk of the "theory of evolution," not of "Darwinism" as if a scientific principle is an unchanging creed and Origin of Species scripture.

So, the book is dated and filled with lots of details I'm sure are just plain wrong and might be onerous to unlearn. That does make me reluctant to give this book top marks despite its profound impact. Someone interested in modern evolutionary science would be better off picking up a copy of a book by Jared Diamond, Richard Dawkins, Carl Sagan (although by now I suppose his very readable Dragons of Eden is dated) or Stephen Jay Gould. So, was there no value in reading On the Origin of Species ? I wouldn't say that. It's surprisingly readable--or at least understandable. There are definitely dry passages that were a slog to get through, my eyes glazing over as Darwin gave example after exhaustive example to make his points. However, I couldn't help but be impressed by the knowledge of nature shown by his wide-ranging examples from every continent from ants and bees and algae to pigeons to zebras. Given the way he cited various authorities and spoke about his own experiments, I definitely felt that here was a master generalist and enthusiast on nature. Moreover Darwin does have a gift for metaphor and illustrative examples. I was particularly taken by his explanation of "inter-crossing" and the function of sex in creating biological diversity. I also was struck by how cautious and civil in tone Darwin is in his arguments, devoting an entire chapter on what he saw could be the flaws and holes in his theory--particularly the issues of transitions between species and intermediate forms. Bottom line? Arguably this specific book had as much influence on the literature and politics of the next century as Freud or Marx, so I think there is historical value in reading this, preferably in the first edition (which is what I read) that exploded upon the world in 1859. ...more

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Oct 27, 2007 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Are you an Evangelical Christian? Or, perhaps you are a student participating in one of nation's modern and progressive science classes, learning about the Origins of Man, but confused by the lack of scientifically observable studies missing from your text books. Fortunately for you, Darwin spent decades of his life documenting the observable changes in various species, hypothesizing about these changes and drawing some interesting conclusions about his life's work.

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Feb 11, 2011 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I swear I cannot figure what all the fuss is about. This is a science book. It was sometimes a bit tough to read because of the depth into detail. If I were an anthropologist I'm sure I would more appreciate that detail, but as a layman it did at times seem too thick.

If I were lost in an uncivilized world and had only two books, I would want a Webster's dictionary and this Origin of Species. The dictionary to learn word definitions and this book to learn about the flora and fauna around me. For ...more

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Jul 20, 2015 Vane J. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics , non-fiction , 2015

This is not exactly what I would call "fun reading," but it's worth it. At times, it was hard getting through this book, mainly because it's dense and sometimes Darwin tended to drag and not get to the point, but I'm glad I finally read it. However, I think I should have read this at another point of my life - I mean, it was exasperating to read something I had just studied at a biology course I was taking. I still don't regret reading this. If you're considering on whether picking this book or ...more

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Evelyn (devours and digests words) :D I love it when you can learn something out of a book. So yeah deffo reading this before I die. And it's classics whoop!
Jul 21, 2015 01:18AM

Vane J. Evelyn (devours and digests words) wrote: ":D I love it when you can learn something out of a book. So yeah deffo reading this before I die. And it's ...more
Jul 21, 2015 11:21AM

Sep 20, 2014 Darwin8u rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014 , aere-perennius

It is amazing to think that this mild, scientific book published a little less than 155 years ago caused (and is still causing) such a complete storm. I'm surprised at how adapted we have become (or at least the segment of those people on the planet who don't reject Darwin's theory of natural selection as counter to their own idea of the way God makes and shakes) to Darwin's revolutionary idea(s).

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Like with many of the pantheon of scientific geniuses (Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, etc) there was ...more

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Steve Your Jesse Pinkman persona at the end gives the perfect summation.
Mar 17, 2014 11:32AM

Darwin8u Steve wrote: "Your Jesse Pinkman persona at the end gives the perfect summation."

Thanks. Although, technically, I think female mouldywarps are called ...more
Mar 17, 2014 11:41AM

May 24, 2009 Cora Judd rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone looking for a delightful surprise in one of those innumerable books they "ought to" read.

Richard Dawkins' narration of this book is excellent -- I enjoyed it immensely, however, without my semester of physical anthropology, the essential points would have required much more mental attention.

Dawkins inserts clarifying information throughout the book and while Darwin's writing is wonderfully clear, I think more of Dawkins' notes and updates would have been an enhancement.

I was surprised to see how diverse Darwin's background research was and how elegantly he wrote. He anticipated cou ...more

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May 02, 2012 D.G. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction , classics , audiobook , reviewed , great-narrator

My science education left a lot to be desired. I was never taught the Theory of Natural Selection in school but only heard it mentioned when some adults scoffed at it. Thankfully, my natural talents steered me away from a career in Biology or Genetics, so this lack of knowledge didn’t affect my career prospects. It just affected my understanding of the world.

I learned years later the basics of the theory but this just piqued my interest about reading the actual book. I always have problems with My science education left a lot to be desired. I was never taught the Theory of Natural Selection in school but only heard it mentioned when some adults scoffed at it. Thankfully, my natural talents steered me away from a career in Biology or Genetics, so this lack of knowledge didn’t affect my career prospects. It just affected my understanding of the world.

I learned years later the basics of the theory but this just piqued my interest about reading the actual book. I always have problems with Victorian authors (very long sentences) so the print version gave me some difficulty. If it weren’t for Richard Dawkins' excellent narration, I don’t know that I could have enjoyed this book as much.

I’m almost shocked that I was able to follow the concepts herein as well as I did. I am amazed that Mr. Darwin could write this book (one of the most important in the history of science and the whole world) in such clear, concise way, that a person with minimal understanding of the topic in general could follow along so well. The concepts are explained logically with tons of examples so the reader is not left dangling wondering what he meant. Not only that, but he also writes beautifully and the prose is sometimes as poetic as it is instructive:

As buds give rise by growth to fresh buds, and these, if vigorous, branch out and overtop on all sides many a feebler branch, so by generation I believe it has been with the great Tree of Life, which fills with its dead and broken branches the crust of the earth, and covers the surface with its ever branching and beautiful ramifications.

From the beginning, I understood this wasn’t a book I could listen in one sitting or while doing other things. I took it slowly and that allowed me to think things through. It made me think a lot about our place in the world and how sometimes we think we are above the system when in fact, we are just one creature among millions and not the most important in the grand scheme of nature (if we were to go extinct, the planet will continue merrily along.) It made reflect in our attempts to control nature, to see change as a bad thing, and our hubris that we can keep in check a process that has moved relentlessly forward for millions of years.

Darwin was certainly cognizant that his theory wouldn’t be accepted immediately: “Any one whose disposition leads him to attach more weight to unexplained difficulties than to the explanation of a certain number of facts will certainly reject my theory.” But I think he would be surprised by how much discussion there is still going on about the subject, specially given that DNA evidence has already proven he was correct in thinking that every living being sprouted from a single progenitor (mind staggering as it seems.)

As I already mentioned, Richard Dawkins is the narrator for this audiobook and he did an amazing job - you could tell he's probably read this book a million times and knows it like the back of his hand. His diction was very precise and clear; and his enthusiasm for the subject was contagious. It almost feels like Darwin is the one speaking.

Overall, a must read for anybody with an interest in learning how we came into being. ...more

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Jun 20, 2010 Joe rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics , nonfiction

Having finished Origin, I am taking the liberty of adding a few comments at the top of what I posted when I first added it to my "currently-reading shelf."

To the would-be classics reader who is a bit daunted at the notion of tackling a fourteen chapter science book written in 19th Century technical terms I offer the suggestion that the back half of Origin is purely optional and can be let go. The first six chapters are the most enjoyable. Four is the big one, where Darwin presents the big pitch Having finished Origin, I am taking the liberty of adding a few comments at the top of what I posted when I first added it to my "currently-reading shelf."

To the would-be classics reader who is a bit daunted at the notion of tackling a fourteen chapter science book written in 19th Century technical terms I offer the suggestion that the back half of Origin is purely optional and can be let go. The first six chapters are the most enjoyable. Four is the big one, where Darwin presents the big pitch, with One through Three being the wind-up to prep the audience. Six is fairly unusual in science literature, being an effort to admit problems with the theory and making efforts to address them.

Chapter Seven, on instinct, is aumsing but not vital to the core of the work if your attention is already starting to wander. The rest that follow involve technical arguments that may be pointless to most modern readers. To follow why Darwin makes them one would have to conversant in the state of the art in zoology, botany and geology as it was 150 years ago. I skipped much of it.

A few points readers with only a casual knowledge of science may take from this book- Evolution predates Darwin, whose contribution is actually the mechanism of natural selection which explains how it works. He also contributed another mechanism, sexual selection, for traits inherited for their value in obtaining mates. Darwin offers an unexpected chuckle in a quote from Aristotle which suggestive of an understanding of something very much like natural selection.

>What follows is old commentary.

I am reading this one for the historical value, not the science. A big joke is that people of a certain outlook do try to read it for the science so they can refute it. Silly. Origin is as about as state of the art on evolution science as Newton is on 21st Century string theory. Ah, well.

What I have found interesting so far is the struggle Darwin goes through to make his argument in the absence of the kind of modern scientific language or terminology that would have made things simple and clear to his readers. Even more interesting is that Darwin had no clue as to the mechanics of inheritance and admitted as much (the discovery of DNA was a long way off in the future), and yet was able to work out so much on his own without that knowledge.

Cool factoid: Darwin took his time pondering his theories for many years before suddenly rushing to get them into print. It seems that while he was taking his time another naturalist named Wallace worked out natural selection too...and then wrote to Darwin for help in placing his findings in front of the right experts! You know how the science establishment is about giving credit to the first one to publish and forgetting the also-rans who came to the same conclusions just a tad too late. One party gets into the textbooks of future generations, while the other is lucky to become a footnote.

I'll post some stars when I'm done reading. ...more

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Aug 06, 2010 Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: easton-press , science , classics-european , 1800s , non-fiction

3.0 to 3.5 stars. Not anything like what I would call a "fun" read, but I am really happy that I finally read this book given the tremendous influence it has had on the history on modern scientific thinking. The book itself, while dry, is fairly accessible and is not bogged down with overly complex scientific jargon. I would read a couple of chapters a day in between my "pleasure" reading and it made the book much easier to absorb. Definitely worth reading.

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Sep 27, 2015 Emadeddin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014-reads , remarkable , best-of-2014 , to-buy , science , فلسفة-وعلم-ودين , في-الطريق-إلى-الإيمان

[ أنا لا أرى أي سبب وجيه في أن تُسبب الآراء التي قد تم تقديمها في هذا الكتاب أي صدمة للمشاعر الدينية الخاصة بأي فرد.
وقد قام كاتب مرموق ولاهوتي بمكاتبتي بخصوص أنه قد تعلّم بالتدريج أن يرى أن التصور الراقي الخاص بالألوهية هو على نفس الدرجة تماماً من الإيمان بأنه قد قام بخلق العدد القليل من الأشكال الحية الأصلية القادرة على التطور الذاتي إلى أشكال أخرى وضرورية ]

[ إن هناك شيئاً من الفخامة في هذا المنظور للحياة، في أنه قد تمّ نفخها بواسطة الخالق بداخل العدد القليل من الأشكال أو في شكل واحد ]

هذا الكتاب بالفعل ورغم الانتقادات .. هو كتاب ضخم وفخم ورائع بلا شك.
واضح من خلال كل فصوله وكلماته أنه كُتِب على مهل وكان نتيجة رحلة بحث مضنية ومشبعة بالإخلاص والتفاني.
لقد ذُهِلت لمعرفة أن غالبية الانتقادات التي وجّهت للنظرية قد تم توجيهها من قِبَل داروين نفسه! وكان يعترف في كل من هذه الاعتراضات بصعوبتها محاولاً تقديم تفسيرات وردود عليها. ولكنه في حالات كثيرة كان يعترف للامانة العلمية بأنه لا يملك جوابا مرضيا عن بعض الاعتراضات القوية.
ما أعجبني وأدهشني في شخصية العالم الكبير تشارلز داروين .. هو أنه كان شديد التواضع في بحثه. ففي مواضع كثيرة وعديدة كان يعترف بعجزه عن رد بعض الاعتراضات .. كما انه حين يذكر اسم أحد العلماء المعارضين له كان يذكره بشيء من التقدير والتبجيل رغم اختلافه معه. وحين يرد على بعض الاعتراضات البسيطة التي يطرحها العلماء هنا وهناك .. كان يرد بشكل محترم جداً ومتواضع جداً وبأسلوب خالٍ تماماً من الاستحقار والتصغير. على العكس تماماً ممن يدّعون في عصرنا الحديث انهم من أتباع داروين ومحبيه الذين يستصغرون ويستحقرون كل من يخالفهم ويعتبرون أنفسهم آلهة وغيرهم عبيد و جهلة!

قبل قراءة الكتاب بفترة طويلة، كانت عندي تلك الفكرة الساذجة بأن داروين قال بأن الإنسان اصله قرد! ولا أنكر أنني كنت مقتنعاً بصحَّة نسبتها إلى داروين تماماً. ولكن والحمد لله انجلى كذب هذه الفكرة عندي حتى قبل قراءة الكتاب .. ولكنني مع ذلك حين بدأت قراءته عزمت على أن أكتشف أصل تلك الفكرة المغلوطة وفيما إذا كان لها وجود في أصل الأنواع أم لا. وها أنا ذا انتهيت من قراءة الكتاب ولم أجد أي إشارة لفكرة " أصل الإنسان قرد " إطلاقا.
على ما اظُنّ أن هذه الفكرة آثارها موجودة في كتاب داروين الآخر "نشأة الإنسان". ومنه نشأت الفكرة المغلوطة التي تداولها الناس بعدها بشكل جنوني.

طبعا لا بد أن أقول بأن داروين لم يُعطي تفسيراً مقبولا لبعض الاعتراضات الخطيرة التي كانت وما زالت موجهة للنظرية (وقد اعترف هو بذلك كما أسلفت) .. وأخطر هذه الاعتراضات هو ما يتعلق بالانفجار الكمبري.
أنا أعتبر نفسي من المقتنعين بالنظرية بنسبة كبيرة .. ولكن هذه الاعتراضات كبيرة وجديرة بالاهتمام .. فضلاً عن أنها لم تلق جوابا مرضيا حتى الآن.
ولكن على كل حال، سواءً كانت النظرية صحيحة مئة بالمئة .. أو خاطئة مئة بالمئة .. فهذا لا علاقة له بالتأثير على قضية الدين والوجود الإلهي. هذه العلاقة التي يحاول البعض إلصاقها بالنظرية هي باعتقادي خرافة، تماماً كفكرة أن الإنسان قرد!! كلاهما ناشئان عن سوء فهم وتقدير. وكما قال صاحب النظرية في الاقتباس الذي أوردته في بداية التعليق .. أن النظرية لا يجب أن تؤثر على الاعتقاد الديني .. بل على العكس هي تعكس منظورا أكثر فخامة للحياة وللإله.
ولكن عندما تتدخل التحيزات الأيديولوجية في هذا الموضوع تضيع الموضوعية العلمية. أنا أعتقد أن داروين مثل جميع المفكرين العظماء .. تصيبهم دائماً بعد موتهم لعنة الأتباع المُحرِّفين!

أنصح بشدة بقراءة هذا العمل الضخم، لكل من يحملون صوراً نمطية سواءً ضد أو مع النظرية. نعم، فالصور النمطية الغالِطة ليست فقط إلى جانب من هم ضد النظرية .. بل هناك صور نمطية غالِطة لا بأس بها في جانب من هم مع النظرية! وكما يقولون .. الحُبّ، مثل الكره، أعمى!

...more

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Hadil Zawahreh عدنان ابراهيم بدأ بسلسلة عن التطور وعن داروين اذا زهقت من الكتاب وحبيت تشوف اشي فيجوال :3
Dec 22, 2014 06:06AM

Emadeddin نعم. بنزل بالحلقات أول بأول .. للآن حلقتين :) :) سلسلة راااائعة بأسلوب الدكتور عدنان المتميز.
انا قربت أخلص الكتاب .. وبعديه للتوسع والتوضيح راح أبدأ ...more
Dec 22, 2014 06:15AM

Apr 14, 2012 Pollopicu rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What in the world made me want to read this Goliath of a science book? My goodness! I guess if I had to search deep within myself I would have to say I wanted to read anything Darwin, just to see what all the fuss was about, but mostly because of the reviews I read on Goodreads. I thought The Origin of Species would turn me into the science-loving person I always thought lurked inside me.
The main reason I finished it is because any science book that has had this much publicity deserves to be rea What in the world made me want to read this Goliath of a science book? My goodness! I guess if I had to search deep within myself I would have to say I wanted to read anything Darwin, just to see what all the fuss was about, but mostly because of the reviews I read on Goodreads. I thought The Origin of Species would turn me into the science-loving person I always thought lurked inside me.
The main reason I finished it is because any science book that has had this much publicity deserves to be read and finished.
First of all, it contained a considerable amount of text for a study which was only suppose to be a treatise. This book wasn't difficult to read, as many would have you think. It's not. In fact, it's pretty straight forward. But are you interested in reading 700 pages of things having to do with birds, aquatic mammals, cattle, beaks, gills, bills, plumage, fauna, fowl, pollen, eggs, and embryos? Don't get me wrong, I'm as interested to hear where we might have originated from as much as the next person, but if you take the book at face value, who would be interested in reading page after page of detailed observations of animals most of us will live a lifetime without even having encountered and if we do, so what. I say that as a lover of nature. I mean a LOVER of all things outdoors that have to do with looking at stuff, not reading about it. Where I live we often see herons, and gorgeous owls, foxes, snakes, etc, but I don't want to read 700 pages about them. I want to admire them for a while, but then keep it moving.
From what I gathered, it seems to me that scientists and naturalists can't even agree on the differences between species and varieties to begin with. A lot of these studies aren't even conclusive, which makes a lot of sense now since it's a book on the THEORY of evolution. I didn't stop to think of the literal definition of the word "theory". Had I paused for a moment to give it thought, I would've realized I would be committing weeks to a treatise that is basically speculation. To me that's a huge waste of time when there are so many other books out there to read. Give me history or give me straight up fiction by topics on theory seem pointless to me.
Also, the idea that Darwin's theory of evolution was indirectly responsible for the genocide of so many people during the Nazi era is simply horrific. I had no clue when I began reading this book that Hitler was a follower of Darwin's theory, taking it to heart (a bit too much) the supposed superiority of the white race, hence, making all other races inferior, and therefore extinguishing them. The Subtitle of The Species of Origin was suppose to be “The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life.” Darwin referred to inferior races as "savages", and by savages he meant people with darker skin, such as Native Americans and Africans. Darwin, being the prolific and respected scientist he was, influenced many people (through his work) to practice prejudice, racism and oppression. Hitler believed that the human gene pool could be improved by selective breeding, very much like that of cattle in farm breeding, thus protecting the "superior" race. This is simply horrifying.
In the end I'm glad I read this book, although I hated the actual reading part. Not so much because of what it contains, but because of the role it has played in our history, of which I was clueless about. In the frustration of reading this book, I made the effort to dig for more information about why so many modern day people are still fascinated by it, still not sure, but I did learn a lot from it, and it did inspire me to dig deep into other genocides that have been committed around the world in which this book may or may not have been indirectly responsible for. However, the book was absolutely tedious. It's like reading about a subject you absolutely loath, like sports, or construction. The part of the book that actually cracked me up was chapter XII (Geographical Distribution) because after having read what seemed like 200 pages of that, the next chapter (XIII) was called "Geographical Distribution continued", lol. At that point I was delirious and might have lost it. It's very rare for me to purposely not recommend reading what people consider a "required read", but this was a tough one. If you want to read it to add it to your library, go ahead, but I'm giving you fair warning, it's laborious like nothing you've ever read. You will have to see for yourself. ...more

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Apr 02, 2015 Rosa Ramôa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

O Homem não veio do macaco...Entre o homem e o macaco há apenas um antepassado comum
A adaptação e sobrevivência do mais apto!!!
Aparentemente um conceito simples!

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Apr 27, 2008 Ruth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

With my brand new shiny degree in geology/paleontology, this was the first book I read after commencement. I give it 5 stars for the importance of its text, not for its readability.

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Jan 24, 2009 Kendall rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Scientists, creationists, intelligent desginers, everybody else

Recommended to Kendall by: My mother, who thought it was from the devil

Finally re-read after decades of good intentions. For a recondite classic it is full of surprises, mostly pleasant; its supposed impenetrability largely confined to parts we already knew were directed at specialists—I admit to slogging through the section on barnacles, for example. But Origins is highly readable, pleasurable even, almost in the way of an Edmund Wilson essay. Darwin proceeds deliberately through the mountain of evidence he collected over twenty years as he constructs a virtually ...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Cassandra Kay Silva rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science

It took me awhile to drag myself into reading this one. People have always commented that it was so dull and that it was convoluted and hard to follow and I have always believed in evolution and found modern books very accessible on the subject so I thought why bother? Then again I have a thing for classics, and as my list of books on evolution grew I started to chide myself that I still had not even read from Darwin's own hand. So I bent to the grain and pulled it out. This book was nothing lik It took me awhile to drag myself into reading this one. People have always commented that it was so dull and that it was convoluted and hard to follow and I have always believed in evolution and found modern books very accessible on the subject so I thought why bother? Then again I have a thing for classics, and as my list of books on evolution grew I started to chide myself that I still had not even read from Darwin's own hand. So I bent to the grain and pulled it out. This book was nothing like what I expected. Absolutely NOTHING like what I expected.

If you read this with an open mind, slowly and take each of his points into consideration you find an absolute flawless logic to his argument. It is well presented and actually I find that compared to many scientific articles it is clearly written for the wider audience. Darwin wants you to get it. He wrote as plainly and carefully as he could. He did not propose his idea half assed or hurriedly. I was floored to find that all of my favorite arguments for evolution came straight from the horses mouth as it were. Darwin got it. He really really got it. He went at it from every angle he could, geological time scales, fossils, birds, plants, animals, interactions, sexual selection, selection on islands, selection in various terrains. He broke it down bit by bit and said: Look guys, I hardly wanted to buy this myself but this is how it is. Just look! See for yourself. Make up your own mind.

His methodical manner is hard to shy away from. He did not come up with an idea and let others run with it. He did the research, he talked to people, he took it from all angles and presented it in the clearest manner possible.

Yes I have to admit that the writing was a bit dry, but the river of content was overflowing, and the proposal was elegant and clear. What a wonderful contribution. I am honored to have read this work and chide myself yet again for my hesitation. ...more

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Sep 25, 2013 Clif Hostetler rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science

My book group selected this book for discussion probably because of the historic impact it has had on the field of science. However, I found it to be very worthy of respect from a literary viewpoint. Charles Darwin's writing comes across as a methodical thinker and patient explainer to many recalcitrant readers who are determined not to believe a word he says. He had me convinced after only a couple dozen pages, but he kept doing what seemed to me to be piling on observation after observation, e My book group selected this book for discussion probably because of the historic impact it has had on the field of science. However, I found it to be very worthy of respect from a literary viewpoint. Charles Darwin's writing comes across as a methodical thinker and patient explainer to many recalcitrant readers who are determined not to believe a word he says. He had me convinced after only a couple dozen pages, but he kept doing what seemed to me to be piling on observation after observation, explanation after explanation, until after a while I felt like crying out, "Enough already, I believe!"

Frankly, I was impressed by the breadth of knowledge about the natural world already accumulated by the middle of the 19th century as demonstrated by this book. There are obvious things poor old Darwin didn't know about, one of them being the laws of genealogy discovered by Gregor Johann Mendel. Mendel was a contemporary of Darwin, and I have heard that a published copy of Mendel's study was on Darwin's book shelves but it hadn't been opened or read. Of course Darwin wasn't the only person who ignored Mendel. Mendel's work wasn't appreciated for it contribution to understanding inherited traits until after his death. Meanwhile Darwin is writing this book giving many observations regarding the variability of crossings of various plants and animals, but doesn't understand why.

Also, Darwin was plagued with physicists of the time who calculated that earth couldn't be as old as needed for Darwin's theory of natural selection to accomplish all the required changes. The physicists were basing their calculations of the rate cooling of the core of the earth. Of course they were wrong; What they didn't know about was radioactive decay which gives off heat they weren't making allowances for. It turns out the earth is even older than Darwin would have guessed.

And of course the really big advance of science that Darwin didn't know about was the DNA double helix. Darwin insists that life forms need to be classed according to genealogy, and he speculates that in the future scientists will be able to classify life forms more accurately as more knowledge is obtained about them. Darwin would be amazed to know how precisely genealogy can be determined these days. For example, it can be determined that humans are more closely related to fungi than to photosynthetic plants.

I listened to the audio version of this book. This is an example of a book that is much easier to listen to than to read because of all the big Latin words used in describing species. Having the words read aloud made them fit into the context of the sentence much better than if I were trying to read (and probably skip over) those unfamiliar words.

There were six editions of "Origin of Species" in Darwin's life time. It could be argued that the 1859 edition is the second best version of this book with the 1860 British edition being slightly better in that it contains some insignificant, but non-substantive, corrections. The editions of 1861, 1866, 1869, and 1872 are all inferior. In them Darwin made changes and expansions in an effort to meet the objections that arose during those times. The modifications expanded the book and clouded the argument. Since most of the objections that were raised would be regarded as silly today, Darwin's arguments against them are of interest for social history, but not for Darwin's theory. I think that most published copies today are based on the 1872 edition. If you have an earlier edition you will find that it is shorter and, as indicated above, is probably better.

The following quotation is from the sixth edition and not in the earlier editions. It is from a section of the book on instincts and follows a couple paragraphs discussing the habit of some birds to lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species. Mr. Darwin has just sighted some of the observations of the nesting habits of a type of cowbird [ Molothrus Bonariensis ] written by a naturalist colleague.

"Mr. Hudson is a strong disbeliever in evolution, but he appears to have been much struck by the imperfect instincts of the Molothrus Bonariensis that he quotes my words and asks, 'must we consider these habits not as an especially endowed or created instincts but as small consequences of one general law, namely transitions?' "

I take from the above that Darwin was enjoying the irony of a naturalist from the creationist camp finding it difficult to attribute to God the endowment of the slothful nest making habits to the cowbird. Since the behavior is repugnant it must have been caused by that old nasty evolution stuff (i.e. the work of the devil). ...more

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Feb 03, 2010 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010

Where importance of its content is concerned, five stars aren't enough. It would have to be included on any short list of 'classics of science'. I have docked a star to reflect the fact that it's not always easy reading - there's that verbose quality to its style that characterizes most writing from the Victorian era.

That said, I should point out that "The Origin of Species" is completely understandable to any general reader willing to give it a careful reading. You don't have to be a biologist Where importance of its content is concerned, five stars aren't enough. It would have to be included on any short list of 'classics of science'. I have docked a star to reflect the fact that it's not always easy reading - there's that verbose quality to its style that characterizes most writing from the Victorian era.

That said, I should point out that "The Origin of Species" is completely understandable to any general reader willing to give it a careful reading. You don't have to be a biologist to follow Darwin's argument.

Two aspects of the book are astonishing; both underscore the brilliance of Darwin's accomplishment. The first is just how right he got things; the second is that he managed to fit all the major pieces of the puzzle in place with no knowledge of the actual mechanics of heredity. Mendel's work on genetics adn the elucidation of the structure of DNA would subsequently flesh out the details of the scheme proposed by Darwin; one has to bear in mind the actual state of knowledge in Darwin's time, and the prevailing intellectual climate, to appreciate fully the revolutionary nature of his argument.

Upon re-reading the book this past weekend, I was reminded of certain endearing aspects that I had forgotten. One is Darwin's willingness to point out, and try to answer, what he perceived as the potential weaknesses in his argument. This is another: "Believing that it is always best to study some special group, I have, after deliberation, taken up domestic pigeons". Not quite as glamorous as the beasties he got to see from The Beagle, but he's continually observing, gathering data from any source available, always asking questions.

You gotta love this book. But you gotta read it to love it. ...more

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Apr 13, 2015 Hussain Ali rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: العلوم

أصل الأنواع
نظرية النشوء والارتقاء
تشالز داروين

قبل الحديث عن تجربتي مع هذا الكتاب ينبغي علي الإشارة بعض الأمور الضرورية. التعرف على قوانين وسنن الطبيعة يمر بمراحل عدة أولها ملاحظة شيء ما، ومن بعد الملاحظة توضع فرضية مبنية على أسس علمية لتفسير الظاهرة الملاحظة، وعند اختبار هذه الفرضية عن طريق العديد من العلماء وتوصلهم إلى نفس النتيجة تصبح نظرية علمية مقبولة في الوسط العلمي، فمفهوم النظرية العلمية يختلف عن المفهوم الدارج للنظرية في المجالات الأخرى والتي غالبًا تعادل الفرضية العلمية، ومن المشين -وليس أصل الأنواع
نظرية النشوء والارتقاء
تشالز داروين

قبل الحديث عن تجربتي مع هذا الكتاب ينبغي علي الإشارة بعض الأمور الضرورية. التعرف على قوانين وسنن الطبيعة يمر بمراحل عدة أولها ملاحظة شيء ما، ومن بعد الملاحظة توضع فرضية مبنية على أسس علمية لتفسير الظاهرة الملاحظة، وعند اختبار هذه الفرضية عن طريق العديد من العلماء وتوصلهم إلى نفس النتيجة تصبح نظرية علمية مقبولة في الوسط العلمي، فمفهوم النظرية العلمية يختلف عن المفهوم الدارج للنظرية في المجالات الأخرى والتي غالبًا تعادل الفرضية العلمية، ومن المشين -وليس بالغريب عنا- أن نرفض النظريات العلمية المحترمة كونها "مجرد نظرية"، للعلم فقط تكنولجية هذا الموبايل الذي بين أيديكم كلها مبنية على نظريات، والسيارات والصواريخ التي تخترق الفضاء والأقمار الصناعية كلها مبنية على نظريات وليس على حقائق علمية غير قابلة للدحض.

بالنسبة للكتاب، في كل صفحة تجد فيه شدة ملاحظة غاية في الروعة، وتتساءل كيف لرجل أن يلاحظ كل هذه الأمور بهذه الدقة العجيبة ؟! أرهقني الكتاب بغزارته وصعوبته، وأسعدني تواضع داروين للمعلومة العلمية، لا ينفك يعبر عن النقص والعجز والجهل والقصور في عدة مواضع من الكتاب، يورد الإشكالات على نظريته بكل ودية بل ويبين أهمية ووجاهة بعضها، لا يستحي أن يشير إلى قصور نظريته في عدة أمور أشهرها الحلقات المفقودة بين الأنواع، والتي يعلل وجودها بسبب الجهل في موضع وفي قصور السجل الجيولوجي في موضع آخر، وفي هذا الكتاب الذي يعتبره البعض ككتاب "شمس المعارف الكبرى" ما إن تشرع بقرائته حتى تتهافت عليك مردة الجن والأرواح الشريرة، وفجأة !!! ستصبح كافرًا، أولًا سأورد بعض الاقتباسات التي شدتني فيما يخص الكفر بالذات، في بداية الكتاب يضع داروين اقتباسًا من بطلر
"ولذا نوقن أن كل شيء راجع إلى فعل الطبيعة محتاج إلى ذات مدبرة مدركة تؤثر فيه تأثيرًا مستمرًا"
ويقول داروين
"ولا أرى أية أسباب وجيهة تجعل من الأفكار المتضمنة في هذا الكتاب ما يصدم الشعور الديني لأي إنسان."
"من المحتمل أن تكون كل الكائنات.. انحدرت على شكل واحد أصلي بدائي، نفخ الله فيه الحياة أول مرة.."
والأمر الآخر هذا الكتاب لا يتكلم عن الإنسان وتحدره من القردة، بل لا يتكلم عن تطور الإنسان نهائيًا، بل أن كل أمثلته وأدلته كانت تتعلق بالحيوانات والنباتات والحشرات، والصورة الموجودة أسفل الغلاف ما هي إلا نوع من أنواع الغش التجاري لاستفزاز الناس لشرائه.

ولو طُلب مني أن أختصر الكتاب إلى فقرة واحدة لقلت: إنه يتحدث عن تطور الأنوع عن طريق الصراع من أجل البقاء، والعوامل المناخية والجغرافية، وبالتالي الانتخاب الطبيعي، بمعنى أن الانتخاب الطبيعي "آلية" للتطور وليس الآلية الوحيدة. ...more

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Jul 25, 2007 Anouk rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

Darwin's The Origin of Species is the best eye-opener for people who want to understand the theory of evolution. With the current paradigm of creationism and its argument against evolution, it is the best book to refer too. Darwin's theory is very strong and realistic and can be easily related to today's universe.

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Feb 01, 2014 Yazeed AlMogren rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

كتاب مليء بالمعلومات المتخصصة والدقيقة ولكن في اعتقادي أن الشخص العادي الغير متخصص لن يستطيع فهم أغلب مافي الكتاب ولن يستفيد منه

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May 03, 2014 Rob rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle , science

Viewed now the Apollo moon program was even more astounding than the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. The Apollo guidance computer had less computing power than average modern family car. This is how we should view Darwin's 'Origin Of The Species'. It is an absolute triumph of empirical evidence based science. By the most constant and careful observation of the natural world Darwin not only worked out the theory of evolution he also quite correctly realised that all life forms on th ...more

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Aug 10, 2010 Grant Holyoak rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My favorite quote in relation to this book, and one that I feel serves as a review in and of itself, is: "Every educated person owes it to themselves to read The Origin of Species." After reading it, I whole-heartedly agree with the statement. Only when one reads Darwin's perspective on such topics as breeding, domestic speciation, migration, instinct, etc. does one come to fully realize how much this book ushered in a new age of modern thought. The Theory of Evolution is so pervasive in the min ...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Robert rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

Sudah lama saya ingin membaca buku ini, salah satu buku paling berpengaruh yang pernah ditulis dalam sejarah peradaban manusia. Secara kebetulan, saya menemukannya di toko buku, namun yang saya dapatkan adalah edisi terjemahan bahasa Indonesianya yang diterbitkan oleh Yayasan Obor Indonesia. Di bagian awal pembuka, tim penerjemahnya sendiri sudah mengungkapkan bahwa begitu rumitnya menerjemahkan kalimat bahasa Inggris era Victoria ke dalam kalimat bahasa Indonesia yang mudah dipahami tanpa mengu Sudah lama saya ingin membaca buku ini, salah satu buku paling berpengaruh yang pernah ditulis dalam sejarah peradaban manusia. Secara kebetulan, saya menemukannya di toko buku, namun yang saya dapatkan adalah edisi terjemahan bahasa Indonesianya yang diterbitkan oleh Yayasan Obor Indonesia. Di bagian awal pembuka, tim penerjemahnya sendiri sudah mengungkapkan bahwa begitu rumitnya menerjemahkan kalimat bahasa Inggris era Victoria ke dalam kalimat bahasa Indonesia yang mudah dipahami tanpa mengubah maknanya.

Buku ini sebenarnya merupakan hasil pemikiran selama 20 tahun dari Charles Darwin sepulangnya dari perjalanan panjang bersama kapal HMS Beagle ke Kepulauan Galapagos untuk meneliti keragaman flora dan fauna. Sadar akan kontroversi ide bahwa evolusi dan seleksi alamlah yang membentuk kehidupan dan bukan tangan surgawi, selama kurang lebih 20 tahun, Darwin bimbang menerbitkan buku ini. Hanya karena tiba-tiba sahabatnya, sesama ilmuwan biologi, Alfred Russel Wallace, meminta pendapatnya mengenai teorinya akan evolusi, akhirnya Darwin memutuskan untuk "mendahului" pemikiran sahabatnya tersebut. Bila saat itu Darwin tetap bimbang, boleh jadi saat ini dunia lebih mengenal Wallace-lah pencetus teori evolusi, bukan Darwin.

Bagi siapa pun yang dengan semena-semena mencela teori evolusi karena menganggap itu tidak rasional dan tidak lebih dari fantasi Darwin semata, saya sarankan untuk membaca buku ini dengan pikiran terbuka. Ternyata Charles Darwin menulis buku ini dengan begitu detail dan sangat hati-hati. Bahkan sebenarnya ia sendiri pun masih menuliskan keterbatasan teori ini dengan menunjukkan beberapa bagian yang menganggunya, misalnya: bagaimana proses evolusi yang mengandalkan pada kebetulan secara acak bisa menciptakan organ serumit mata.

Satu hal yang sangat saya suka dari buku ini adalah saat Darwin menulis bahwa anggapan kaum kreasionis bahwa semua mahluk diciptakan sesuai dengan kondisi habitatnya, sebenarnya adalah keliru karena ia menemukan beberapa spesies yang justru memiliki kebiasaan yang janggal atau hidup di tempat yang tidak sesuai dengan morfologinya, misalnya: burung pelatuk yang hidup di daerah tanpa pepohonan, burung murai yang bisa menyelam, dan angsa-angsa yang hidup di dataran tinggi tetapi kakinya masih berselaput. Fakta-fakta tersebut menurut Darwin, menunjukkan bahwa spesies terkadang melakukan tindakan di luar instingnya, demi bisa mengambil alih habitat tersebut dari spesies alami yang mendiami teritori tersebut. Hal itu secara tidak langsung juga menunjukkan bahwa naluri / insting sebenarnya diturunkan lewat pengalaman dan bukan bersifat bawaan.

Sekilas seperti: bolos sekolah bersama pacar, mengadakan kencan rahasia yang menyenangkan ke kebun binatang di luar kota
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May 11, 2011 David S. T. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science , read-in-2011

I figured while I was on my evolution book kick, I might as well go back to the original (well sort of the original, Alfred Russel Wallace published a paper on natural selection which prompted Darwin to publish this “abstract”). Now that I'm finished I feel two different ways about the book, a loved yet bored type of feeling. First I'm amazed at just how much of Darwin's theories and ideas are accurate and accepted even today 150 years later (which is a pretty darn long time in science). One thi I figured while I was on my evolution book kick, I might as well go back to the original (well sort of the original, Alfred Russel Wallace published a paper on natural selection which prompted Darwin to publish this “abstract”). Now that I'm finished I feel two different ways about the book, a loved yet bored type of feeling. First I'm amazed at just how much of Darwin's theories and ideas are accurate and accepted even today 150 years later (which is a pretty darn long time in science). One thing you have to appreciate about this book is that its pretty evident that Darwin didn't just rush out and publish this theories but thought about every possible question everyone could have and he attempts to answer them all. Another question he spends a lot of time on is how flora could make it to islands, he goes through page after page of experiments trying to see how long seeds can stay in salt water and still germinate. Even better way back 150 years ago Darwin already anticipated the irreducible complexity argument of the eye and proposed his own ideas about how the eye could evolve and how each gradation is useful in itself. Some times the prose was pretty amazing, I think the famous line about “There is grandeur in this view of life.....” is one of my favorites in any book I've read.

So as amazing as some parts where why then did I rate it 3 stars? Well for every amazing part there are page after page of material which is (to me) just plain boring. The prose which is great in sections is pretty tedious in other parts. The fact that he thought of every question means that he goes over proof after proof. Remember the salt water and the seeds mentioned above, well its cool at first but 40 pages of his experiments makes me start to care less and less. There were also a few parts which he got wrong, he spends a whole section trying to figure out why certain animals can't cross breed, something which is quickly addressed now days with DNA. I think at another part he denies that there ever were any mass extinctions (something we know happened several times in the earth's history). Another thing which made the book a little harder for me is Darwin mentions lots of people and animals I've never heard of, of course a better reader would have spend time looking them up but I just read on, I guess I didn't care enough to do that much research for the book.

So overall for importance I'd rate this book a 5/5, but I have to factor in enjoyment and I so its gets the lower score. Truthfully this book is 150 years old and written in Victorian English, its very important, but there are better books on evolution out there, so if you're curious about the fascinating world of evolution, start elsewhere, only if you're curious about how the theory got started pick this one up. ...more

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Mar 22, 2009 Stu Minnis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nature , science

I finally did something I've been meaning to do for a long while; I read "On the Origin of Species." And I'm incredibly glad I did. It seems silly to give a "review" of such a book, but I wanted to make a quick note on one thing about it that struck me repeatedly while reading it. I have read lots of books on natural history and evolution, and it's been a topic of fascination to me since I was relatively young. Such books often make a point of defending evolutionary theory from doubters (i.e., c I finally did something I've been meaning to do for a long while; I read "On the Origin of Species." And I'm incredibly glad I did. It seems silly to give a "review" of such a book, but I wanted to make a quick note on one thing about it that struck me repeatedly while reading it. I have read lots of books on natural history and evolution, and it's been a topic of fascination to me since I was relatively young. Such books often make a point of defending evolutionary theory from doubters (i.e., creationists). Indeed, that often seems their main point. This is so common that I'd gotten into the mental habit of assuming such defenses were reactions to new difficulties with the theory. I'm a little bit flabbergasted--but in a very pleasant way--to find how very wrong I was. In fact, all of the conventional arguments against evolution by natural selection are answered quite explicitly by Darwin himself.

I had known this to be the case of the most common argument, the argument from design, but practically every other complaint against the theory I'd ever read or heard of is likewise addressed, here in the foundational text. It's really amazing. If you could somehow ignore the 19th century language (as well as Darwin's understandable ignorance of the mechanism of inheritance, DNA), you could almost think this book was written as a contemporary reply to "Intelligent Design" advocates. The bulk of the text, in fact, is made up of Darwin saying, in effect, "Here's a potential problem with the theory...and here's why it's wrong." ...With over 20 years of painstaking experimentation and data collection to back up his argument. There's even this little nugget near the end: "Anyone whose disposition leads him to attach more weight to unexplained difficulties than to the explanation of a certain number of facts will certainly reject my theory." To see why this is so funny, Google "Dover trial bacterial flagellum."

The whole experience has left me feeling more than ever how intellectually bankrupt ID really is. Not only do they continue to advance the same discredited arguments over and over, but their arguments themselves were discredited from the very beginning. Two options remain for such people (and I'm talking about the leaders of the ID crowd like Michael Behe, not your run-o'-the-mill fundie):

1. They've never actually read the book. Perhaps I shouldn't be too judgmental either, since I'd never read it either. But then I haven't based my career around attacking a theory I don't understand.

2. Or, more likely (and cynically), they HAVE read the book and the rest of the canon of modern biological sciences and choose simply to ignore them, largely on the assumption that the hoi polloi will assume the arguments have not been successfully refuted.

In either case, they are not worth taking seriously by any standard. ...more

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Jul 18, 2007 Ben rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I can't imagine anything less necessary than writing a capsule review of the Origin of Species, but... it's a really great read. Darwin was unusually reflexive and tempered in his writing, probably owing at least in part to the heavy disapproval he know he would encounter from everyone from the clergy to other scientists, but props to him for writing in a way that is at once confident and humble. Reading this after Feyerabend's Against Method, the major thing I took away from it was that science ...more

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About Charles Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist, eminent as a collector and geologist, who proposed and provided scientific evidence that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors through the process he called natural selection. The fact that evolution occurs became accepted by the scientific community and the general public in his lifetime, while his theory of natural selec Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist, eminent as a collector and geologist, who proposed and provided scientific evidence that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors through the process he called natural selection. The fact that evolution occurs became accepted by the scientific community and the general public in his lifetime, while his theory of natural selection came to be widely seen as the primary explanation of the process of evolution in the 1930s, and now forms the basis of modern evolutionary theory. In modified form, Darwin’s scientific discovery remains the foundation of biology, as it provides a unifying logical explanation for the diversity of life.

Darwin developed his interest in natural history while studying medicine at Edinburgh University, then theology at Cambridge. His five-year voyage on the Beagle established him as a geologist whose observations and theories supported Charles Lyell’s uniformitarian ideas, and publication of his journal of the voyage made him famous as a popular author. Puzzled by the geographical distribution of wildlife and fossils he collected on the voyage, Darwin investigated the transmutation of species and conceived his theory of natural selection in 1838. Although he discussed his ideas with several naturalists, he needed time for extensive research and his geological work had priority. He was writing up his theory in 1858 when Alfred Russel Wallace sent him an essay which described the same idea, prompting immediate joint publication of both of their theories.

His 1859 book On the Origin of Species established evolution by common descent as the dominant scientific explanation of diversification in nature. He examined human evolution and sexual selection in The Descent of Man , and Selection in Relation to Sex , followed by The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals . His research on plants was published in a series of books, and in his final book, he examined earthworms and their effect on soil.

In recognition of Darwin’s pre-eminence, he was one of only five 19th century UK non-royal personages to be honoured by a state funeral, and was buried in Westminster Abbey, close to John Herschel and Isaac Newton.

(Arabic: تشارلز داروين ) ...more

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“Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.” — 375 likes

“One general law, leading to the advancement of all organic beings, namely, multiply, vary, let the strongest live and the weakest die.” — 55 likes

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