by David Quammen (Author)
Evolution, during the early nineteenth century, was an idea in the air. Other thinkers had suggested it, but no one had proposed a cogent explanation for HOW evolution occurs. Then, in September 1838, a young Englishman named Charles Darwin hit upon the idea that 'natural selection' among competing individuals would lead to wondrous adaptations and species diversity. Twenty-one years passed between that epiphany and publication of ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. The human drama and scientific basis of Darwin's twenty-one-year delay constitute a fascinating, tangled tale that elucidates the character of a cautious naturalist who initiated an intellectual revolution. THE KIWI'S EGG is a book for everyone who has ever wondered about who this man was and what he said. Drawing from Darwin's secret 'transmutation' notebooks and his personal letters, David Quammen has sketched a vivid life portrait of the man whose work never ceases to be controversial.
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 304
Edition: First Edition
Publisher: Orion
Published: 11 Jan 2007
ISBN 10: 0297845691
ISBN 13: 9780297845690
Book Overview: A fresh look at Darwin's most radical idea, and the mysteriously slow process by which he revealed it.