The Origin of Species

Title: The Origin of Species

Author: Charles Darwin

Pages: 576

Genre: Non-fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: This book took Charles Darwin more than 20 years to produce.  He left on the Beagle in 1831 as a geologist and naturalist and formed his theory of natural selection based upon his discoveries and observations.  Many of Darwin's predictions on natural selection and evolution have since been proven as factual as additional research and investigation has taken place.

My Review:  I found this book to be more readable (or in my case, listenable) than I expected.  I generally understood the discussions and chapters and found myself even enjoying many of them.  As you can imagine, this book does get bogged down in the details, but that is also one of the more impressive parts of Darwin's theories.  What really struck me in the book was Darwin's genius.  To make the observations and connections that Darwin made required pure genius.

The Autobiography of Charles Darwin 1809-1882

Title: The Autobiography of Charles Darwin 1809-1882

Author: Charles Darwin, edited by Nora Barlow

Pages: 243

Genre: Autobiography

Grade: D

Synopsis: Charles Darwin wrote his autobiography throughout the later years of his life. He intended it to be solely for his children, but his son first published the autobiography in 1887 (with most of the personal details omitted - which have now since been included). Darwin writes about his early life, school years and published works, spending very little on information about his family or other personal topics.

My Review: Very few books take me this long to read (4 weeks or so). Alison's had this book from some class at the U and I was interested in reading it but, there was nothing about this book that motivated me to pick it up and continue reading once I had started (and in fact, I skipped the 90+ pages of the appendix). For Darwin enthusiasts, this book is a gem. For the rest of us, I'm sure we can find something else...

On another note, The book is free to anybody who wants it (first come first served)...