On the Origin of Species Audiobook (Unabridged)

" Fantastic. Better written and detailed than I ever imagined. "

" People should actually read this book rather than just talking about it. He's less charming as a writer in this one than in The Voyage of the Beagle, but he's still a lively writer--for his time, and even for our time. "

" If you are at least a smidgen interested in evolution, this is a must read. Another one of those books that left a permanent mark. "

" This is the illustrated paperback version that I received from the giveaway. It reads like a comic book but is incredibly informative and would make an excellent gift for a child who has a thirst for science. "

" A true classic, and for a Science Book very Straightforward. "

" This book became tedious to read, probably for several reasons. But I'm glad I finished it; in fact the whole discussion group is glad we read it because it is such a classic. Darwin was describing ideas that a few others were also beginning to identify; but he was the first to really put all the pieces together and formulate a cohesive theory on evolution of plants, animals and the earth in general. A geologist in our group was amazed at how much Darwin, at that time, understood about the strata, the movement of land (up and down, he didn't quite get the movement of the continents yet) and how marine fossils might come to be on the top of the Himalaya Mts. Two of our group had visited The Galapagos Islands and added insight and description to our discussions. Many of us knew much of the theory already since we grew up with it. But Darwin, writing for the common reader as well as the scientists of his day, gave example after example after example of his ideas. Some were interesting, others just became redundant. Some of the examples were fun and interesting (the many different ways seeds might travel from place to place, how a beehive is constructed by the bees). Along with his theories and ideas he also cited many different scientists of his day and how their research fit with his theories. He used the formal latin names of many of the plants and animals he was describing, so luckily we had one biologist and two avid bird-watchers in the group who could help identify common names for the rest of us. The Glossary at the end of the book is helpful, but a grand old dictionary helped us as well in decoding some of the scientific vocabulary. If you can't fathom reading the entire book, I'd recommend reading the summary of each chapter for a grand overview. And for a more fun read, try The Journey of the Beagle, his diary while on board the ship for 5 years. "

" ah, darwin, from his humble origins as an artist aboard the beagle... "

" I love this book, I wish I could have met this man. He was a true naturalist and I admire him. "

" Just the tip of the iceberg... "

" If I didn't give this book a 5-star rating, I think my college would take back my degree in Biology. "

" i liked this book because i'm interested in evolution and believe in it. it is not for everyone. i don't usually discuss that i've read this book with others since it can be very controversial. it was a slow read though. "

" I am amazed at how interesting this book is (considering that one has always heard of it but never before read it), and at how observant Darwin was and at how much he figured out while knowing nothing about DNA. "

" Straight from the monkey's mouth. "

" Well, I have started it. I'm keeping a notebook handy, for the first to pages of the introduction I have already written a whole page of notes. It is going to be a while before I finish this book. "

" A classic book, but nothing here that you didn't learn in high school biology. (Assuming your name isn't 'Santorum') "

" A very deep read. I think I need to read it a few more times to fully grasp everything. "

" Okay, okay not the easiest of reads but not as difficult as you might think and an absolute must for taking on all 'intelligent design' arguments - remember Darwin didn't publish his findings because he realized the implications. "

" I don't like this book, but Charlie here hit this book out of the park, this is one the most influential books in history, people still today ask questions, on the origin of life itself, it is a definite must read for those who want to know, where the evolutionary theory evolved. "

" Excellent, and surprisingly soft-spoken- perhaps not so surprisingly, I guess he knew the controversy it would bring... "

" I give credit to Darwin for giving us the insight to evolution of the species of course in a different way Lamarck did 50 years before. In my opinion both of them are equally important in understanding how life evolved. "

" This is not only a milestone of science, I think it's also a genuinely great read. "

" Certainly one of the most influential works of recent history, Darwin is most engaging here as a scientist, most questionable as a philosopher. "

" Took me forever to read, but I feel a better person for it. As expected, it appealed to every scientific cell in my body. It makes sense through logic and evidence. "