The publication of Darwin’s The Origin of Species in 1859marked a dramatic turning point in scientific thought. The volumehad taken Darwin more than twenty years to publish, in part becausehe envisioned the storm of controversy it was certain to unleash.Indeed, selling out its first edition on its first day, The Originof Species revolutionized science, philosophy, and theology. Darwin’s reasoned, documented arguments carefully advance histheory of natural selection and his assertion that species were notcreated all at once by a divine hand but started with a few simpleforms that mutated and adapted over time. Whether commenting on hisown poor health, discussing his experiments to test instinct inbees, or relating a conversation about a South American burrowingrodent, Darwin’s monumental achievement is surprisingly personaland delightfully readable. Its profound ideas remain controversialeven today, making it the most influential book in the naturalsciences ever written—an important work n

Dr. Carl Sagan takes us on a great reading adventure, offeringhis vivid and startling insight into the brain of man and beast,the origin of human intelligence, the function of our most hauntinglegends--and their amazing links to recent discoveries. "A history of the human brain from the big bang, fifteen billionyears ago, to the day before yesterday...It's a delight." THE NEW YORK TIMES

The Origin of Species (英语) 平装 内容简介 'A grain in the balance will determine which individual shall live and which shall die...'. Darwin's theory of natural selection issued a profound challenge to orthodox thought and belief: no being or species has been specifically created; all are locked into a pitiless struggle for existence, with extinction looming for those not fitted for the task. Yet 'The Origin of the Species' (1859) is also a humane and inspirational vision of ecological interrelatedness, revealing the complex mutual interdependencies between animal and plant life, climate and physical environment, and - by implication - within the human world. Written for the general reader, in a style which combines the rigour of science with the subtlety of literature, 'The Origin of the Species' remains one of the founding documents of the modern age. 作者简介 Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England, on February 12, 1809 into a prominent middle-class f

Carl Sagan, writer and scientist, returns from the frontier totell us about how the world works. In his delightfullydown-to-earth style, he explores and explains a mind-bogglingfuture of intelligent robots, extraterrestrial life and itsconsquences, and other provocative, fascinating quandries of thefuture that we want to see today.