The Reluctant Mr. Darwin, David Quammen
The Reluctant Mr. Darwin, David Quammen
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The Reluctant Mr. Darwin
An Intimate Portrait of Charles Darwin and the Making of His Theory of Evolution

Author: David Quammen

Narrator: Grover Gardner

Unabridged: 7 hr 46 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/01/2007

Synopsis

In September 1838, a young Englishman named Charles Darwin hit upon the idea that natural selection among competing individuals would lead to wondrous adaptations and species diversity. Twenty-one years passed between that epiphany and publication of On the Origin of Species. The human drama and scientific basis of that time constitute a fascinating, tangled tale that illuminates this cautious naturalist who sparked an intellectual revolution. Drawing from Darwin's secret notebooks and personal letters, David Quammen has sketched a vivid life portrait of the man whose work remains controversial today.

About David Quammen

David Quammen is an author and journalist whose books include The Song of the Dodo, The Reluctant Mr. Darwin, Spillover, and the New York Times bestseller The Tangled Tree. Spillover was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and a Scientific American Book of the Year. He has received numerous awards, including the Lannan Literary Award for Nonfiction, the John Burroughs Medal for nature writingand the PEN/Spielvogel-Diamonstein Award for the Art of the Essay. He has written for numerous magazines and is a contributing writer for National Geographic.

About Grover Gardner

Grover Gardner is an award-winning narrator with over a thousand titles to his credit. Named one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, he has won three prestigious Audie Awards, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Boudewijn on May 29, 2021

This book is not an biography, but rather a description of the thought process that brought Darwin to his natural selection theory. That was exactly what I was looking for, and exactly what I got. The author has succeeded in describing why a reluctant Darwin - he rarely left his house, not even for......more

Quotes

“Quammen reveals Darwin’s story as sad and heroic by turns.” New York Times Book Review

“Quammen brilliantly and powerfully recreates the nineteenth century naturalist’s intellectual and spiritual journey.” Los Angeles Times Book Review

“This short, highly readable book is as valuable as it is timely.” Publishers Weekly

“Grover Gardner’s reading pulses with the excitement of Quammen’s quest…Gardner is perfectly alert to the author’s subtle irony and humor, which Quammen could hardly avoid.” AudioFile

“Quammen proves an informative, often wry guide to Darwin’s life and continuing influence.” Booklist

“A concise, tightly focused, engaging, and informative biography that...provides a satisfying portrait of this controversial man.” Library Journal

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