Scan barcode
shadybanana's review against another edition
4.0
The fact that this book is so often misquoted and misinterpreted to explain a more vague and delusional concept of evolution than what Darwin presented, saddens me.
Its a pity how things can be blown out of proportion.
Its a pity how things can be blown out of proportion.
youniseader's review
5.0
I have read quite enough about the theory before, but I wanted to see how the father of the theory put it , how he wrote about it, how he described it, and it was terrific. This work is grandiose.
an incredible genius scientist, who revolutionized the science of biology and the way humans look at the world. With a large body of facts, the majority of which collected by himself during the journey of Beagle, it is impossible to reject the theories and the conclusions he provides. It feels disappointing when you see a lot of people talking about monkeys and mankind in reference to the theory, but what actually Darwin is talking about in his theory, that all species (literary ALL) have gone through the process of modification through the means of natural selection, all struggling to stay in existence and only the best suited can survive. "When we reflect on this struggle, we may console ourselves with the belief, that the war of the nature is not incessant, that no fear is felt, that death is generally prompt, and that the vigorous, the healthy, and the happy survive and multiply." Chapter III : Struggle for Existence.
It is so annoying too when you come across those who mock at the theory with no basic knowledge about this huge work. I wonder what Darwin would have done if he had been given the means we have today. He didn't know about DNA, genetics, the Evo-Devo, phylogenetic, but he could brilliantly found a solid theory: The theory of Evolution by the means of Natural Selection and the power of it is so immense. It is ubiquitous; you can apply it in any field of science, you can see it around you whenever you go, and you can relate it to anything you want.
It has been 158 years since he wrote this work, and it will still continue be brilliant, influential, and debatable for many other years.
an incredible genius scientist, who revolutionized the science of biology and the way humans look at the world. With a large body of facts, the majority of which collected by himself during the journey of Beagle, it is impossible to reject the theories and the conclusions he provides. It feels disappointing when you see a lot of people talking about monkeys and mankind in reference to the theory, but what actually Darwin is talking about in his theory, that all species (literary ALL) have gone through the process of modification through the means of natural selection, all struggling to stay in existence and only the best suited can survive. "When we reflect on this struggle, we may console ourselves with the belief, that the war of the nature is not incessant, that no fear is felt, that death is generally prompt, and that the vigorous, the healthy, and the happy survive and multiply." Chapter III : Struggle for Existence.
It is so annoying too when you come across those who mock at the theory with no basic knowledge about this huge work. I wonder what Darwin would have done if he had been given the means we have today. He didn't know about DNA, genetics, the Evo-Devo, phylogenetic, but he could brilliantly found a solid theory: The theory of Evolution by the means of Natural Selection and the power of it is so immense. It is ubiquitous; you can apply it in any field of science, you can see it around you whenever you go, and you can relate it to anything you want.
It has been 158 years since he wrote this work, and it will still continue be brilliant, influential, and debatable for many other years.
elchivovivo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
Why its hard to rate this Book
It’s hard to rate a Book that, even unread, was as important and transformative (both for this reviewer and everyone). It’s like being asked to rate the Bible, except Origin is more important, and (in its mundanity) more sacred.
Just as species evolve, exting or remain, by virtue of their fitness for this world, so do Ideas. And the idea finally grasped and shared by Darwin (and Wallace) became instantly fit for this world: it is closer to the evident and elemental than any other book, in par with Newton’s Principia or the papers of Einstein and the Quantums.
This reviewer grew up under the blindfold of Catholicism and postmodern New Age superstitions. Happily, father embraced science and philosophy, and mother, non- Christian spirituality (which helped as a stepping stone).
This reviewer went to a Catholic school ran by a group unknowingly led by a notorious pedophile. His aunts, though loving, are fully blinded by ancient desert and medieval superstitions.
This reviewer grew up in a world populated by a single, male and all- merciful, all-loving Deity. A God who was also his own father and his own son. His merciful mother, and heavens populated by Saints and Angels you could pray to. And also an all-evil presence that lurked and sometimes felt so close in actual proximity.
The ideas in Origin poked the holes that finally crumbled those fantasies decades before this reviewer even heard of the book.
This background helped your reviewer read the book with similar notions of the worldview of XIX century readers. I could feel the thrill of discovery, as Darwin unfolds his vision of the tree of life. I could share with him and those who embraced his theory this overwhelming sense of communion with all living beings. A communion based on simple self evident truths.
The review.
The book, in the end, is a science book. A great part of it can be tedious. Hard to go through. He thoroughly provides evidence of his theory with examples of geology, paleontology, hybridism, horticulture and, curiously, a lot of pigeon-breeding. These tellings can sometimes be tedious to go through, and feel redundant to someone who doesn’t need convincing. I admit I scanned through many of those examples.
In fact, had this book not been so relevant, I might have dropped it at the first of those tirades of facts.
But I am happy I pushed through. Some of his deeper insights are buried among examples of embriology.
It is a worthy read, although parts of it dense and boring.
Long live the Theory of Evolution. Happy to live in the world that came after it.
It’s hard to rate a Book that, even unread, was as important and transformative (both for this reviewer and everyone). It’s like being asked to rate the Bible, except Origin is more important, and (in its mundanity) more sacred.
Just as species evolve, exting or remain, by virtue of their fitness for this world, so do Ideas. And the idea finally grasped and shared by Darwin (and Wallace) became instantly fit for this world: it is closer to the evident and elemental than any other book, in par with Newton’s Principia or the papers of Einstein and the Quantums.
This reviewer grew up under the blindfold of Catholicism and postmodern New Age superstitions. Happily, father embraced science and philosophy, and mother, non- Christian spirituality (which helped as a stepping stone).
This reviewer went to a Catholic school ran by a group unknowingly led by a notorious pedophile. His aunts, though loving, are fully blinded by ancient desert and medieval superstitions.
This reviewer grew up in a world populated by a single, male and all- merciful, all-loving Deity. A God who was also his own father and his own son. His merciful mother, and heavens populated by Saints and Angels you could pray to. And also an all-evil presence that lurked and sometimes felt so close in actual proximity.
The ideas in Origin poked the holes that finally crumbled those fantasies decades before this reviewer even heard of the book.
This background helped your reviewer read the book with similar notions of the worldview of XIX century readers. I could feel the thrill of discovery, as Darwin unfolds his vision of the tree of life. I could share with him and those who embraced his theory this overwhelming sense of communion with all living beings. A communion based on simple self evident truths.
The review.
The book, in the end, is a science book. A great part of it can be tedious. Hard to go through. He thoroughly provides evidence of his theory with examples of geology, paleontology, hybridism, horticulture and, curiously, a lot of pigeon-breeding. These tellings can sometimes be tedious to go through, and feel redundant to someone who doesn’t need convincing. I admit I scanned through many of those examples.
In fact, had this book not been so relevant, I might have dropped it at the first of those tirades of facts.
But I am happy I pushed through. Some of his deeper insights are buried among examples of embriology.
It is a worthy read, although parts of it dense and boring.
Long live the Theory of Evolution. Happy to live in the world that came after it.
youstina_m's review against another edition
Darwin was racist as hell and it made me uncomfortable lmao I do not have to put myself through that when I already know evolutionary biology quite wel
janinevduijn's review
5.0
I can only say that, as a life scientist, I am very sorry I have not read this book years earlier. It was truly astonishing to read how Darwin formulated and tested his theories that so much of our modern science is based on.
yggie's review
This is too dry for me - I wanted to see the great man think, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s enough for me to know his theory. I don’t need almost 400 pages of very small print to know he was meticulous, observant and ridiculously smart.