Publisher Description

In 1859, an amateur British naturalist published a book of findings that shook the scientific community to its core and changed the structure of religion and science as we know them. The product of over 20 years of research, The Origin of Species challenged the popular belief that species could not evolve and argued that species can adapt to their environment and develop accordingly. Although other scientists had observed some of the phenomena that Charles Darwin addressed, he was the first to theorize that natural selection, and later, evolution, were viable explanations for the origins of life. The implications of Darwin's findings still reverberate today, in the classroom, in the courtroom, and at the highest legislative levels.Lively thematic chapters explore how Darwin came to the conclusions published in The Origin of Species—and in later works such as The Descent of Man—from his early years at Cambridge, to his observations of species on the HMS Beagle voyages, through the 20 years of research that culminated in Origin. Also included is an insightful discussion of Darwin's impact as it is felt today, from movies and popular culture to the current Intelligent Design controversy. Biographies of influential figures, primary source letters and selections from Origin, a glossary of terms, and an extensive annotated bibliography round out this accessible work.

Back Cover

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Author Biography

KEITH A. FRANCIS is Associate Professor of History at Baylor University. He teaches and researches in nineteenth and twentieth-century British history. His main areas of focus are politics, particularly women's issues, religion, and science. He was born in London and educated in England but has spent most of his teaching career in the United States.

Review

This book will be an asset to teachers seeking to place Charles Darwin in his proper historical context and to account for his importance to modern science. Keith Francis, does a commendable job of identifying the problems that Darwin was attempting to solve, the uniqueness of his analysis, and the difficulties of verifying the theory of natural selection in the context of current scientific knowledge in the mid-nineteenth century....Teachers, administrators, and school board members who deal with the controversies surrounding the teaching of evolution would be well served by reading Francis' examination of the impact of Darwin's ideas on twentieth century thought. The author's timely analysis extends through the recent court case in Pennsylvania involving intelligent design. The book includes an exhaustive bibliography, a time line of Darwin's life and work, a number of letters written by and to Darwin, and a useful glossary of terms. - NSTA Recommends
Francis provides a research resource for high school students and undergraduates about Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species. Beginning with a discussion of why Darwin is important, the book covers his life, background of the book, reception of his theories such as reviews of the text, concepts of evolution at the beginning of the twentieth century, and his impact. Biographies of connected people are included, as are primary documents such as Darwin's letters and excerpts from the book. Francis mostly refers to the first edition, published in 1859. The bibliography is annotated - SciTech Book News

Promotional

Keith Francis provides a first-rate analysis of Darwin and his idea of evolution, as developed in ^IThe Origin of Species.^R He is to be congratulated for clearly situating Darwin within a lively historical context, without tarnishing Darwin's genius. He also offers a thought provoking analysis of Darwin's ideas with respect to contemporary evolutionary thinking. In all, Francis provides a fresh and engaging approach to the importance and significance of Darwin. His book is a welcomed addition to the Darwinian literature. -- James A. Marcum,^LProfessor of Philosophy^LBaylor University

Long Description

In 1859, an amateur British naturalist published a book of findings that shook the scientific community to its core and changed the structure of religion and science as we know them. The product of over 20 years of research, The Origin of Species challenged the popular belief that species could not evolve and argued that species can adapt to their environment and develop accordingly. Although other scientists had observed some of the phenomena that Charles Darwin addressed, he was the first to theorize that natural selection, and later, evolution, were viable explanations for the origins of life. The implications of Darwin's findings still reverberate today, in the classroom, in the courtroom, and at the highest legislative levels. Lively thematic chapters explore how Darwin came to the conclusions published in The Origin of Species --and in later works such as The Descent of Man --from his early years at Cambridge, to his observations of species on the HMS Beagle voyages, through the 20 years of research that culminated in Origin . Also included is an insightful discussion of Darwin's impact as it is felt today, from movies and popular culture to the current Intelligent Design controversy. Biographies of influential figures, primary source letters and selections from Origin , a glossary of terms, and an extensive annotated bibliography round out this accessible work.

Review Quote

This book will be an asset to teachers seeking to place Charles Darwin in his proper historical context and to account for his importance to modern science. Keith Francis, does a commendable job of identifying the problems that Darwin was attempting to solve, the uniqueness of his analysis, and the difficulties of verifying the theory of natural selection in the context of current scientific knowledge in the mid-nineteenth century….Teachers, administrators, and school board members who deal with the controversies surrounding the teaching of evolution would be well served by reading Francis' examination of the impact of Darwin's ideas on twentieth century thought. The author's timely analysis extends through the recent court case in Pennsylvania involving intelligent design. The book includes an exhaustive bibliography, a time line of Darwin's life and work, a number of letters written by and to Darwin, and a useful glossary of terms. NSTA Recommends

Promotional "Headline"

Engaging thematic chapters examine the publication that shook the scientific community to its core and changed the interaction of science, belief, and religion as we know them.

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