«Expresado muy brevemente, Darwin sustanció con muy variadas evidencias la idea (que otros antes que él habían propuesto) de que las especies evolucionan, encontrando además un mecanismo que hacía plausible tal evolución; defendió que la vida es como un árbol, de cuyas raíces han ido brotando diferentes ramas, esto es, especies, que con el paso del tiempo continúan diversificándose, dando origen a otras bajo la presión de determinados condicionamientos. "

I have always been slightly intimidated by Darwin's Origin of Species – it is such a monolith in the history of science that I presumed it would be far too technical for me; but after reading Janet Browne's Darwin's Origin of Species (Books that Shook the World) I searched for a compromise, and this was the book I was looking for.

Although I have not read the original and so cannot compare the two, it is obvious that this text offers only a summary of Darwin's thesis. But within this extract one can truly feel the author's character radiating through; the excitement embodied within the text at times seems positively child-like, and more than once brought a smile to my lips. Having never read Darwin previously, I was pleasantly surprised by his ability to explain his thoughts so clearly while avoiding condescension. As for the structure of the book the editor has clearly executed his/her task superbly, stitching the elements together into a coherent flow.

Although I am sure this can be no substitute for the original, it has certainly served to whet my appetite for more and has shown me that Darwin is not as challenging as I feared he may be, for which I am grateful.

Samenvatting uit The Origin of Species. Knappe selectie die overduidelijk laat zien dat darwin veel genuanceerder dacht over evolutie. ( )

http://edwardhenry.wordpress.com/2006/11/16/booklog-on-natural-selection/ ( )