Who recommended On the Origin of Species?

4 people have recommended On the Origin of Species in the interviews, articles and reading lists we track, including Neil deGrasse Tyson, Darren Aronofsky, Jerry Coyne and Steve StewartWilliams. Each name links to their full reading list.

Is On the Origin of Species worth reading?

4 people we track recommend it. It is best for: a biology undergraduate prepping for a seminar on evolutionary theory who needs to cite and walk through the original 19th-century argument rather than a modern summary; a graduate student in history of science comparing rhetorical and evidentiary styles across eras who wants authentic prose and full examples from the period; a high-school or college science teacher designing a lesson that contrasts primary sources with modern explanations and who plans to assign short excerpts rather than the whole text. It may not suit: you'll likely put it down when chapters become long catalogs of specimens and observations — tedious if you prefer concise argument or narrative momentum; annoying if you prefer contemporary, punchy science writing: Victorian sentence rhythms and repetitive reinforcement feel slow and dated; not a fit if you want hands-on exercises or a modern synthesis summary — no exercises and no up-to-date evolutionary biology overview.

What books are like On the Origin of Species?

Readers of On the Origin of Species also turn to The Blind Watchmaker, Accidental Presidents and Why Evolution Is True, based on the lists and recommenders these books share.

On the Origin of Species: Recommended by 4 People

Name: On the Origin of Species
Author: Charles Darwin

Darwin's theory of natural selection issued a profound challenge to orthodox thought and belief: no being or species has been specifically created; all are locked into a pitiless struggle for existence, with extinction looming for those not fitted for the task. Yet The Origin of Species (1859) is also a humane and inspirational vision of ecological...