Darwin's Historical Sketch


Book Description

Charles Darwin's "Historical Sketch" has appeared as a preface to nearly every authorized edition of Darwin's Origin of Species since the second English edition was published in 1860. The "Historical Sketch" provides a brief history of opinion about the species question as a prelude to Darwin's own independent contribution to the subject, but its provenance is somewhat obscure. While some previous thinkers anticipated portions of Darwin's theory long before he did, none of them saw the complete picture as clearly as Darwin. As such, he was able to claim originality and priority for the idea that has transformed our understanding of nature. His "Historical Sketch" was written as an attempt to address these issues. Some things are known about its production, such as when it first appeared and what changes were made to it between its first appearance in 1860 and its final form in 1866. Other questions remain unanswered. How did it evolve in Darwin's mind? Why did he write it at all? What did he think he was accomplishing by prefacing it to Origin of Species? Curtis Johnson approaches these questions, offering some clarity on the originality of Darwin's work. Darwin's "Historical Sketch" is the first comprehensive study of Darwin's "Preface" to Origin of Species. Johnson conveys the pressure Darwin felt from friends and other correspondents to showcase the originality of his theory, and he tackles questions of originality by carefully examining the 35 authors Darwin referenced in this monumental text.
















Arrangement of the Families of Fishes


Book Description

Reprint of the original, first published in 1872.




The Descent of Man - And Selection in Relation to Sex


Book Description

First published in 1871, “The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex” is a book by English naturalist Charles Darwin. In this volume, Darwin attempts to marry the theories of human evolution with evolutionary theory, exploring evolutionary ethics, evolutionary psychology, differences between sexes, differences between human races, and the relevance of the evolutionary theory to society. Contents include: “Principles Of Sexual Selection”, “Secondary Sexual Characters In The Lower Classes Of The Animal Kingdom”, “Secondary Sexual Characters Of Insects”, “Insects, Continued.—ORDER Lepidoptera.”, “Secondary Sexual Characters Of Fishes, Amphibians, And Reptiles”, “Secondary Sexual Characters Of Birds”, etc. This classic work is being republished now in a new edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author. Charles Robert Darwin (1809 – 1882) was an English geologist, naturalist, and biologist most famous for his contributions to the science of evolution and his book “On the Origin of Species” (1859).




The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication by Charles Darwin - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)


Book Description

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication by Charles Darwin - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Charles Darwin’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Darwin includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication by Charles Darwin - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Darwin’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the textPlease visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles




Delphi Complete Works of Charles Darwin (Illustrated)


Book Description

One of the most influential scientists of world history, the naturalist Charles Darwin gained widespread fame and notoriety with the 1859 publication of ‘On the Origin of Species’. At first shocking his Victorian readers by suggesting that animals and humans shared a common ancestry, Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection became the foundation of modern evolutionary studies. For the first time in publishing history, this comprehensive eBook presents Darwin’s complete works, with numerous illustrations, rare texts appearing in digital print for the first time, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Darwin’s life and works * New introductions, specially written for this collection, by Professor Kenneth Richard Seddon, OBE (QUILL, The Queen’s University of Belfast) * ALL of Darwin’s published books, with individual contents tables * Images of how the books were first published, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts * Excellent formatting of the books * Famous works are fully illustrated with their original drawings and diagrams * Multiple editions for the same books, including three editions for the groundbreaking ‘On the Origin of Species’: first, second and definitive sixth edition * Includes Darwin’s letters and autobiographies - spend hours exploring the scientist’s personal correspondence * Special criticism section, with 11 essays evaluating Darwin’s contribution to science * Features Bettany’s seminal biography - discover Darwin’s life * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and genres Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles CONTENTS: The Books INTRODUCTION TO ‘THE ZOOLOGY OF THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. BEAGLE’ THE JOURNAL OF RESEARCHES THE STRUCTURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF CORAL REEFS GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE VOLCANIC ISLANDS VISITED DURING THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. BEAGLE GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON SOUTH AMERICA A MONOGRAPH OF THE SUB-CLASS CIRRIPEDIA A MONOGRAPH OF THE FOSSIL LEPADIDAE ON THE TENDENCY OF SPECIES TO FORM VARIETIES; AND ON THE PERPETUATION OF VARIETIES AND SPECIES BY NATURAL MEANS OF SELECTION ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES BY MEANS OF NATURAL SELECTION ON THE VARIOUS CONTRIVANCES BY WHICH BRITISH AND FOREIGN ORCHIDS ARE FERTILISED BY INSECTS ON THE MOVEMENTS AND HABITS OF CLIMBING PLANTS THE VARIATION OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS UNDER DOMESTICATION THE DESCENT OF MAN, AND SELECTION IN RELATION TO SEX THE EXPRESSION OF THE EMOTIONS IN MAN AND ANIMALS INSECTIVOROUS PLANTS THE EFFECTS OF CROSS AND SELF FERTILISATION IN THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF FLOWERS ON PLANTS OF THE SAME SPECIES ERASMUS DARWIN THE POWER OF MOVEMENT IN PLANTS THE FORMATION OF VEGETABLE MOULD, THROUGH THE ACTION OF WORMS THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES Pamphlets, Essays and Other Short Pieces QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BREEDING OF ANIMALS GEOLOGY: A MANUAL OF SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY RECOLLECTIONS OF PROFESSOR HENSLOW, IN JENYNS, MEMOIR OF THE REV. JOHN STEVENS HENSLOW QUERIES ABOUT EXPRESSION REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON THE PRACTICE OF SUBJECTING LIVE ANIMALS TO EXPERIMENTS FOR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF AN INFANT MIND IN WEISMANN, STUDIES IN THE THEORY OF DESCENT ESSAY ON INSTINCT INHERITANCE The Letters THE LIFE AND LETTERS OF CHARLES DARWIN MORE LETTERS OF CHARLES DARWIN The Autobiographies DARWIN: HIS LIFE TOLD IN AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL CHAPTER THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF CHARLES DARWIN The Criticism ON THE RECEPTION OF THE ‘ORIGIN OF SPECIES’ by Thomas Henry Huxley DARWIN ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES by Samuel Butler DARWIN AMONG THE MACHINES by Samuel Butler AN ESTIMATE OF DARWIN by Asa Gray DARWINISM IN THE THEORY OF SOCIAL EVOLUTION by Franklin H. Giddings GLIMPSES AT DARWIN’S WORKING LIFE by William H. Larrabee THE DARWIN CELEBRATION AT CAMBRIDGE by T. D. A. Cockerell SPENCER AND DARWIN by Grant Allen THE WORLD OF LIFE AS VISUALIZED AND INTERPRETED BY DARWINISM by Alfred Russel Wallace CANON WILBERFORCE ON DARWIN OBITUARY NOTICE OF CHARLES ROBERT DARWIN by John Hutton Balfour The Biography LIFE OF CHARLES DARWIN by G. T. Bettany Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles