Darwin: A Very Short Introduction

About this book

Darwin's theory that our ancestors were apes caused a furore in the scientific world and outside it when The Origin of Species was published in 1859. Arguments still rage about the implications of his evolutionary theory, and scepticism about the value of Darwin's contribution to knowledge is widespread. In this analysis of Darwin's major insights and arguments, Jonathan Howard reasserts the importance of Darwin's work for the development of modern biology. 'Jonathan Howard has produced an intellectual tour de force, a classic in the genre of popular scientific exposition which will still be read in fifty years' time.' -Times Literary Supplement

Contents

List of Illustrations; 1. Darwin's life; 2. The foundations of Darwinism; 3. Natural selection and the origin of species; 4. The evidence for evolution by natural selection; 5. Sex, variation, and heredity; 6. Man; 7. Perfection and progress; 8. Darwinism and ideology; 9. Darwin as a scientist: an evaluation; Further Reading; Index

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