The Darwin Compendium: The Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, The Expression of the Emotions in Humans and Animals, The Autobiography

Don't Be Afraid of Darwin

I will admit, I didn't want to read Darwin. When The Origin of Species showed up on a list of the 100 greatest books, I was irritated, because I wanted to be well-read but I didn't want to read Darwin. But after some discussion of evolution with atheists, and other science reading I had done, I realized that I needed to know what was in the book. I came across the Compendium at my local B&N, began to flip through it, saw the charming Victorian illustrations - and dumped my prejudices. So far I have read only The Origin, and I can't emphasize enough how glad I am that I did. Darwin's work is a masterpiece, but not the 'end of the argument' you may have been led to believe. With a basic understanding of genetics, you can poke holes in his theory left and right, but you won't know how unless you read it! Beyond the dry read of Origin, this enormous volume promises much more fun in the other works: his travel stories in The Voyage tell of interactions with primitive cultures worldwide prior to their dilution by Western contact The Descent gives fascinating, politically incorrect details of the races of men The Expression is interesting, and is illustrated with delightful photographs of Victorians acting out different 'expressions.' The Autobiography is also valuable as it provides insight into Darwin's personality and beliefs. I never thought I would say it, but I can't wait until I have the time to read more Darwin, and I have it all here in this book.