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From Darwin's On the Origin of Species to the twenty-first century, Peter Bowler reinterprets the long Darwinian Revolution by refocussing our attention on the British and American public. By applying recent historical interest in popular science to evolutionary ideas, he investigates how writers and broadcasters have presented both Darwinism and its discontents. Casting new light on how the theory's more radical aspects gradually grew in the public imagination, Evolution for the People extends existing studies of the popularization of evolutionism to give a more comprehensive picture of how attitudes have changed through time. In tracing changes in public perception, Bowler explores both the cultural impact and the cultural exploitation of these ideas in science, religion, social thought and literature.
1. Bridging the gap
2. Before Darwin
3. Reacting to the Origin
4. Human ancestry
5. Evolutionary epics
6. Challenging Darwinism
7. Reconfiguring the ascent of life
8. Social evolutionism
9. The evolutionary synthesis
10. Toward the modern world
Peter J. Bowler is Professor Emeritus of the History of Science at Queen's University Belfast, a fellow of the British Academy, a member of the Royal Irish Academy and a past president of the British Society for the History of Science.
"Peter Bowler is today's most distinguished historian of evolutionary theory. Every time you think there can be no more to say, he guides us through the huge literature around evolutionary biology, as he produces yet another fascinating, well-written account of some hitherto-unexplored area of interest and importance. This time, in Evolution for the People, relating discussion to everyday issues of the present, Bowler sees how people like George Bernard Shaw and Julian Huxley explored the new vision of the past, particularly as found in Charles Darwin's Origin of Species. Very highly recommended."
– Michael Ruse, University of Guelph
"A pacy historical panorama of evolutionary ideas that appeared in books intended for a broad non-specialist readership. Bowler is at his very best in covering three centuries of popular science, ranging from science fiction, images of apes and dinosaurs, to museum displays and radio broadcasts, and shows how Darwin's views – and the evolutionary views of many others – were perceived."
– Janet Browne, Harvard University
"Focusing on popular science through an inspiring range of media over a long time, Bowler has brilliantly added an illuminating dimension to our understanding of the dynamic history of evolutionary theory. Evolution for the People is lively even as it is erudite. It is a joy to read. Highly recommended."
– Constance Clark, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
