The reissue of The Development of Darwin’s Theory by Dov Ospovat (Cambridge
University Press, £14.95/$22.95, ISBN 0 521 46940 6) is welcome.
This is the book that sets the maturing of Darwin’s thoughts on evolution in the
context of contemporary biological ferment. In the previous twenty years Darwin
gradually lost faith in the idea that organisms were perfectly adapted to their
environment, and became convinced they were constantly evolving in competition
with each other. The style is clear, the narrative fascinating. It is an
original and important contribution to the Darwin literature.
More from 51¶¯Âþ
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending 51¶¯Âþ articles
1
The Selfish Gene at 50: Why Dawkins’s evolution classic still holds up
2
Photos reveal unexpected details from the world's first atomic test
3
Mathematicians stunned by AI's biggest breakthrough in mathematics yet
4
How I used psychology to come back from the worst year of my life
5
The distant world that is our best hope of finding alien life
6
Putting CO2 into rocks and getting hydrogen out is climate double win
7
The ‘doomsday’ glacier’s giant ice shelf is about to break away
8
Intoxicating and astonishing: Why 'The Selfish Gene' almost never was
9
We may finally know why dinosaurs like T. rex evolved tiny arms
10
Epic dreaming is leaving people exhausted and distressed
