On the Origin of Species
By Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life
Assigned by 5 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1859
- Language
- English
- Length
- Long · 480 pp300 to 700 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Origin of SpeciesPenguin Classics, 1985Prints the first edition of 1859, before Darwin hedged in later revisions, with J. W. Burrow's introduction.
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Darwin's argument that all species descend with modification from common ancestors, and that the main cause of change is natural selection: individuals vary, more are born than can survive, and those with useful variations leave more offspring. He begins with variation under domestication, moves to the struggle for existence and natural selection, then spends the second half meeting objections from the imperfection of the fossil record, the difficulty of explaining instinct and complex organs, and the geographical distribution of living things.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns On the Origin of Species are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
