The Descent of Man

The most accessible edition ever published of Darwin's incendiary classic, edited by "as fine a science essayist as we have" (New York Times)

The Descent of Man, Darwin's second landmark work on evolutionary theory (following The Origin of the Species), marked a turning point in the history of science with its modern vision of human nature as the product of evolution. Darwin argued that the noblest features of humans, such as language and morality, were the result of the same natural processes that produced iris petals and scorpion tails.

To convey the revolutionary importance of this groundbreaking book, renowned evolutionary science writer Carl Zimmer edited this special abridged edition--made up of nine excerpts, each one representing one of Darwin's major themes--and wrote illuminating introductions to each section, as well as an overall introduction. Zimmer brilliantly places Darwin's basic ideas in the context of the current understanding of human nature and twenty-first-century DNA research. By accessibly presenting Darwin's thinking to a modern readership, Zimmer eloquently demonstrates Darwin's ever-increasing relevance and amazing scientific insight.

Author: Charles Darwin
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 12/01/2007
Pages: 448
Weight: 0.81lbs
Size: 7.86h x 5.96w x 0.93d
ISBN: 9780452288881