HOW TO READ DARWIN by Mark Ridley. W. W. Norton, 2005



    1) THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES, 1st edition --- "One long argument" (p1-15)

    2) THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES, 2nd edition --- "Natural Selection" (p5-15)

    3) THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES, 3rd edition --- "Difficulties on theory" (p27-36)

    4) THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES, 4th edition --- "Hybridism and biodiversity" (p37-47)

    5) THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES, 5th edition --- "The geological succession" (p48-58)

    6) THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES, 6th edition --- "The case for evolution" (p59-69)

    7) THE DESCENT OF MAN, 1st edition --- "The social and moral faculties" (p70-79)

      Origin of "altruism" (p73)

    8) THE DESCENT OF MAN, 2nd edition --- "Natural selection as affecting civilized nations" (p80-89)

    9) THE DESCENT OF MAN, 3rd edition --- Sexual selection" (p90-100)

    10) THE EXPRESSION OF THE EMOTIONS (p101-111)

    CHRONOLOGY (p112-113)

    SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING (p114-116)

      [1] Darwin's scientific works
        The Origin of Species (1859), 1st of six editions is best for following original arguments.

        Later five editions are cluttered with replies to critics. Since the critics of "Origin" have not been vindicated, Darwin's replies to them have proved to be unnecessary.

        The version of Darwin's theory that is accepted by modern biologists does differ from Darwin's orginal version, but not in ways that either Darwin or his critics foresaw.

      [2] Darwin's life

      [3] Darwin's ideas --- secondary sources

        These two books are the best scientific commentaries on Darwin's ideas: they both discuss Darwin's theorizing and its relation to subsequent scientific advances. Cronin concentrates more on social behavior while Ghiselin more on systematics, but both range widely.

          (1) The Ant and the Peacock by H. Cronin, Cambridge U. Press, 1991

          (2) The triumph of the Darwinian Method by M. T. Ghiselin, U. of California Press, 1961

      [3] Modern evolutionary ideas

        Richard Dawkins is a superbly clear popularizer of Darwinian Ideas, particularly adaptation and natural selection, though is book, The Ancestor's Tale 2004, is about evolutionary history. See also: The Blind Watchmaker 1986 and The Selfish Gene 1989.

        Stephen Jay Gould has written many focused essays published in a series of popular books, such as Ever Since Darwin 1977, The Panda's Thumb 1980, Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes 1983, The Flamingo's Smile 1985, Bully for Brontosaurus 1991, Eight Little Piggies 1993, Dinosaur in a Haystack 1996, Leonardo's Mountain of Clams and the Diet of Worms 1998, The Lying Stones of Marrakech 2000, I Have Landed 2002.

        Steve Jones has updated The Origin of Species in two books, Almost Like a Whale 1999 and Darwin's Ghost --- The Origin of Species Updated 2000, by keeping the chapter structure of Darwin's book but rewriting it with witty modern scientific arguments.

    ONLINE ORIGINAL SOURCES

      http://pages.britishlibrary.net/charles.darwin/

      http://www.literature.org/authors/darwin-charles/

    INDEX (p117-384)

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR (back cover)

      Mark Ridley works in the Department of Zoology, Oxford University. His books include the standard college text, Evolution, and Mendel's Demon. Also, he has edited the anthologies, Evolution and A Darwin Selection.




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