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Although his name has become a household word after he published On the Origin of Species, a one-volume edition of his writings that covers the full gamut of his theoretical as well as scientific writings has not been available for many years. Charles Darwin: An Anthology, covers the heart of the five books for which the author is best known.
This readable volume includes The Autobiography, The Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of the Species, The Descent of Man, and The Expression of the Emotion. The volume also includes parts of Darwin's less well-known works. Although it was published last chronologically, The Autobiography is an ideal beginning to the volume. A new introduction by the noted anthropologist Lionel Tiger underlines the continuing importance of Darwin's thinking, and explains why it still influences contemporary scholarship in many fields. These selections have not been rewritten – they are pure Darwin. The dull and the unessential have been eliminated. What remains is material that best illustrates Darwin's most important and interesting ideas. The selection manages as well to retain his most readable prose, while presenting the fundamentals of Darwin's revolutionary thought.
Collectively, the volume paints a picture of an immensely curious and indefatigable mind. This volume also includes a critical bibliography that will prove valuable to those interested in further reading.
Marston Bates (1906-1974) was an American zoologist. His studies on mosquitoes led to the understanding of the causes of yellow fever in South America. He is the author of numerous science books including The Land and Wildlife of South America and The Nature of Natural History.
Philip S. Humphrey is Curator Emeritus and former Director of the Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas.
Lionel Tiger is Charles Darwin Professor of Anthropology at Rutgers University. He is the author of The Decline of Males, Optimism, The Pursuit of Pleasure, China's Food, The Manufacture of Evil, Men in Groups, and with Robin Fox, The Imperial Animal. He directs the anthropology publishing effort at Transaction Publishers.
