This one is a personal indulgence. On the Origins of Species is a scientific classic, and its significance has yet to be diminished (indeed, one can argue it has only increased over time) in the one-hundred and fifty-three years since its first publication. Why is it a "Question" book? Because it became the first credible scientific theory to answer one of the great questions: Why are we here, in this form? It answered many questions, raised others, and continues to do so to this day.
"We have reason to believe, as stated in the first chapter, that a change in the conditions of life ... would manifestly be favorable to natural selection, by giving a better chance of profitable variations occurring; and unless profitable variations do occur, natural selection can do nothing. Not that, as I believe, any extreme amount of variability is necessary, as man can produce great results by adding up in any given direction mere individual differences, so could Nature, but far more easily, from having incomparably longer time at her disposal."
- On the Origins of Species, by Charles Darwin
About the book:
On the Origin of Species, published on 24 November 1859, is a work of scientific literature by Charles Darwin which is considered to be the foundation of evolutionary biology... With the development of the modern evolutionary synthesis in the 1930s and 1940s, Darwin's concept of evolutionary adaptation through natural selection became central to modern evolutionary theory, now the unifying concept of the life sciences. — From Wikipedia.
About the author:
Charles Robert Darwin, FRS (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection, in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved in selective breeding. — From Wikipedia
Find a copy:
- This book is available in full at Wikisource.
- It can also be downloaded at Project Gutenberg
- And it's available in hard copy at the city campus, at 576.85 DARN.
About Teaser Tuesdays:
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading! Everyone is welcome to play!
How it works:
1. Grab a book from your collection
2. Select 2 sentences that make an interesting teaser (avoid spoilers please!)
3. Post the sentences, along with author and book title in the comments of this post
1 comment:
I don't agree with all of the author's ideas, but this an interesting read that makes you question the role of universities. "The notion of universities as institutions for the collective good has been largely usurped by the need to survive in an increasingly cut-throat marketplace. The once stereotypical image of an academic - a middle-class, pipe-smoking patriarch with all the time in the world to contemplate lofty ideas - has been replaced by the current reality of workers immersed in the rush of corporate activity, mostly aimed at peddling their institutions' educational wares and maintaining market share." - Whackademia by RIchard Hil
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