Darwin: A Very Short Introduction A Very Short Introduction

Darwin's theory that man's ancestors were apes caused an uproar within the scientific world, as well as public frenzy when The Origin of Species was published in 1859. Arguments still rage about the implications of his evolutionary theory, and skepticism about the value of Darwin's contribution to knowledge is widespread. In this analysis of Darwin's major insights and arguments, Jonathan Howard reasserts the importance of Darwin's work for the development of modern biology. He offers a stimulating view of the famous scientist in a concise, handy format, making it a masterpiece for all Darwinians as well as for all general readers of popular science.

Darwin's theory that our ancestors were apes caused a furore in the scientific world and outside it when The Origin of Species was published in 1859. Arguments still rage about the implications of his evolutionary theory, and scepticism about the value of Darwin's contribution to knowledge is widespread. In this analysis of Darwin's major insights and arguments, Jonathan Howard reasserts the importance of Darwin's work for the development of modern biology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

1 - Darwin's life
2 - The foundations of Darwinism
3 - Natural selection and the origin of species
4 - The evidence for evolution by natural selection
5 - Sex, variation, and heredity
6 - Man
7 - Perfection and progress
8 - Darwinism and ideology
9 - Darwin as a scientist: an evaluation

Jonathan Howard was Head of the Department of Immunology at the Babraham Institute, near Cambridge, and is now Professor of Cell Genetics at the Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Germany. He is a fellow of the Royal Society.