The Reluctant Mr. Darwin: An Intimate Portrait of Charles Darwin and the Making of His Theory of Evolution by David Quammen
(out of 5 stars)
I picked up this book hoping to learn a quick history of the life and thoughts of Charles Darwin, and I got a lot more than that. Author David Quammen picks up the story of Darwin's life after returning from his long voyage on the Beagle, referring the reader to more substantial works for more on those experiences. Following Darwin's return, Quammen offers a brilliant and engaging biography worthy of a read by any popular science reader.
Picking up the story after the Beagle, Quammen follow's Darwin's thoughts and work, largely through Darwin's own notebooks and his correspondences with friends and collegues. The book thoroughly humanizes the often-demonized scientist, and offers a highly refreshing 'intimate portrait' of a complex man. Darwin's biology work, which often focused on pigeons and barnacles, was brought to life through Quammen's excellent and concise narrative. The reader gets to enjoy the science while still engaging in an exceptional biography.
The final days prior to Darwin's publication of Origin are especially interesting, as the reader gets to see the inner struggles of a man about to unknowingly blow the lid off of man's understanding of himself.
Quammen is an excellent writer, and makes it clear that he understands his subjects (both Darwin and evolution) while presenting a story as engaging for its humanity as it is for its science. Highly recommended to a wide audience, four and one-half stars.
