On the Origin of Species
Charles Darwin
Darwin builds the case for descent with modification from breeding, geographical distribution, the fossil record and the geological record's gaps, conceding each difficulty before answering it. John Murray published it on 24 November 1859 in a first printing of 1,250 copies at fifteen shillings, and Darwin revised it through six editions, the last on 19 February 1872. The edition linked here is Signet's 150th anniversary printing.
Why you should read this
The book that established evolution by natural selection as a scientific theory, built from years of observation and argued through accumulated evidence rather than a single decisive proof. It remains the foundational text of modern biology despite its Victorian prose and dated examples.
- Field
- Science
- Form
- Non-fiction
- Published
- 1859
- Themes
- EvolutionScience
