Darwin For Dummies

In his seminal 1859 book On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin (1809-1882) formulated the idea of natural selection as the basis for evolution--and launched a debate that endures to this day. From the Scopes monkey trial of 1925 to the Kansas school board „intelligent design“ debate of 2005, evolution has drawn the ire of religious fundamentalists. Yet Darwin's theory remains remarkably powerful, especially when combined with later discoveries in genetics. This easy-to-understand guide puts Darwin's life and work in perspective, detailing his voyage to the Galapágos on the Beagle, his study of finches and other wildlife, and the development of his theories. It also explores Darwin's legacy, including evolutionary biology and other elaborations of his theories, as well as the ongoing controversy over the teaching of evolution.