A review by suzanna_m
Darwin's Island: The Galapagos in the Garden of England by Steve Jones

4.0

Darwin is most famous for his seminal work On the Origin of Species, and his journey on the Beagle. Upon his return Darwin spent the remainder of his life in England, studying plant and animal life there, eventually paving the way for modern biological study. Jones’ book chronicles these adventures, discussing the questions Darwin asked and the experiments he conducted, and then reviewing the research that has been done since Darwin on the various subjects. He includes diverse topics ranging from barnacles and earthworms, to plant domestication and plant sex. I had little interest in many subjects, but Jones’ anecdotal and simplified writing, as well as his propensity for infusing it with amazing facts, made this book very compelling and fun to read. I lost count of how many times I verbalized my amazement.



This is a popular science book that anyone can enjoy, whether you believe evolution is a fact, theory, or the crazy ramblings of an old bearded man. It is a book on science, life, and the inextricable fusion of all things. My only qualm was the lack of a bibliography or further reading section; as an academic I like to know the source of things, but also I want to learn more on many of these topics now!