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cinchona's review against another edition
4.0
Irreverent, smart, and surprisingly dense for a cute little book. The comics were helpful, as the language was a bit tricky for my students. Still, it was worth it!
I needed a short book to teach about evolution--but I wanted a bit more than the basics. I wanted my students to gain some historical context and broader appreciation for evolution, something beyond salt-and-pepper moths and long-necked giraffes. This book helped them contemplate the structure of scientific revolutions: how far-reaching the repercussions can be of one person's ideas, and also how silly it is to attribute an entire social, cultural, and intellectual movement to a single person.
I highly recommend this book. I don't think it's the best introduction to evolution, or even to Darwin. But it is an excellent work for exploring the particular upheaval in science that Darwin was in the middle of, from many angles. I have read a bit about Darwin's predecessors, contemporaries, and successors, but this book helped me put them all together in a new and satisfying way. Very useful for developing in students a more sophisticated appreciation for the history of science!
I needed a short book to teach about evolution--but I wanted a bit more than the basics. I wanted my students to gain some historical context and broader appreciation for evolution, something beyond salt-and-pepper moths and long-necked giraffes. This book helped them contemplate the structure of scientific revolutions: how far-reaching the repercussions can be of one person's ideas, and also how silly it is to attribute an entire social, cultural, and intellectual movement to a single person.
I highly recommend this book. I don't think it's the best introduction to evolution, or even to Darwin. But it is an excellent work for exploring the particular upheaval in science that Darwin was in the middle of, from many angles. I have read a bit about Darwin's predecessors, contemporaries, and successors, but this book helped me put them all together in a new and satisfying way. Very useful for developing in students a more sophisticated appreciation for the history of science!
kevin_shepherd's review against another edition
4.0
A clear and concise overview of Darwin's scientific endeavors and the incontrovertible relevance of those endeavors to our understanding of life and its processes.
This is no children's book. For example: In the description of the isolating mechanisms that inhibit inter-species copulation, the authors drop an F-bomb in what, I assume, is an attempt at humor(?). Whatever the reasoning, it seemed ill-advised and in questionable taste.
All missteps aside, the enthusiasm the authors show for Darwin and his accomplishments is infectious. I would highly recommend this book to any ADULT who has even the slightest scientific proclivity or interest. Beginners or otherwise.
"...in recent years there have been last ditch attempts to reinstate some, indeed any, alternative to the Darwinian theory of evolution. But the death of Darwin has been greatly exaggerated." (pg. 173)
This is no children's book. For example: In the description of the isolating mechanisms that inhibit inter-species copulation, the authors drop an F-bomb in what, I assume, is an attempt at humor(?). Whatever the reasoning, it seemed ill-advised and in questionable taste.
All missteps aside, the enthusiasm the authors show for Darwin and his accomplishments is infectious. I would highly recommend this book to any ADULT who has even the slightest scientific proclivity or interest. Beginners or otherwise.
"...in recent years there have been last ditch attempts to reinstate some, indeed any, alternative to the Darwinian theory of evolution. But the death of Darwin has been greatly exaggerated." (pg. 173)
onesonicbite's review against another edition
4.0
This is an interesting look at Darwin. The comic book is a biography, talking about Darwin. What is amazing about this book is that goes through various other scientists, who were active before or during Darwin's life that had their own theories about the life of animals. The book also talks about Darwin not as genius but as an person of average intelligence. Since the theory of evolution isn't very complicated, the book talks a lot about history, which isn't common with the "for Beginners" comic series.
chadinguist's review against another edition
3.0
وی با آگاهی از اینکه دو سه ساعت دیگر باید برخیزد، با چشم و چاری در آمده در ساعت سه صبح، به لطف جوشیدن سیر و سرکه در دل ناشی از استرس شدید دوباره ناشی از شروع یه دوره‌ی جدید در زندگی، موفق شد این کتاب را که تنها یک‌روز به اتمام امانتش باقی مانده بود، بدو بدو تمام کند نقطه
موضوع از اسمش کاملا مشخصه. البته فقط هم در مورد داروین نیست بلکه یه توضیح از ابتدای تفکر فلاسفه و مذهبیون و فلان درباره آفرینش به شکل خیلی خلاصه ارائه میده. در واقع با توضیحات اولیه داشت سعی میکرد یه سیر مختصر نشون بده از اینکه از کجاها رسیدیم به شکل‌گیری تفکرات چارلز عزیزمون. فقط اینکه از بیگینر هم بیگینرتر بود. تقریبا بین بیگینر و استارتر بود ولی یه جاهایی که میرفت سراغ چندتایی از ایسم‌ها یه کم توضیح بیشتر شاید برای بعضی‌ها نیاز داشت -که البته اونم با دو تا گوگل‌کردن حل میشه. از حضور مداوم شرلوک هلمز هم اون وسطا لذت بردم که مسائل رو آنالیز میکرد -با اون کلاهش :)) و سرشار از نقاشیای بامزه که برای کسایی مثل من که فوتوگرافیک مموری دارن خیلی خوب بود.
با وجود علاقه‌ی شدیدم به هرچه مربوط به داروین، بعید میدونم دوباره سراغ این بیام. فکر میکنم کتابای جدیدتر و بهتری هم باشن. کتاب به شدت قدیمی بود، البته که من عاشق این نکته‌م، اما خب نه فیزیکی و نه برای دانلود هم وجود نداشت. فقط یه اسکن از یه نسخه خیلی قدیمی رو میشد از سایت آرکایو امانت گرفت.
در کل واسه گرم کردن اولیه ذهن خوب بود تا که به زودی بریم سراغ عزیز دل‌مون: دی اوریجن اِو اسپیشیز
موضوع از اسمش کاملا مشخصه. البته فقط هم در مورد داروین نیست بلکه یه توضیح از ابتدای تفکر فلاسفه و مذهبیون و فلان درباره آفرینش به شکل خیلی خلاصه ارائه میده. در واقع با توضیحات اولیه داشت سعی میکرد یه سیر مختصر نشون بده از اینکه از کجاها رسیدیم به شکل‌گیری تفکرات چارلز عزیزمون. فقط اینکه از بیگینر هم بیگینرتر بود. تقریبا بین بیگینر و استارتر بود ولی یه جاهایی که میرفت سراغ چندتایی از ایسم‌ها یه کم توضیح بیشتر شاید برای بعضی‌ها نیاز داشت -که البته اونم با دو تا گوگل‌کردن حل میشه. از حضور مداوم شرلوک هلمز هم اون وسطا لذت بردم که مسائل رو آنالیز میکرد -با اون کلاهش :)) و سرشار از نقاشیای بامزه که برای کسایی مثل من که فوتوگرافیک مموری دارن خیلی خوب بود.
با وجود علاقه‌ی شدیدم به هرچه مربوط به داروین، بعید میدونم دوباره سراغ این بیام. فکر میکنم کتابای جدیدتر و بهتری هم باشن. کتاب به شدت قدیمی بود، البته که من عاشق این نکته‌م، اما خب نه فیزیکی و نه برای دانلود هم وجود نداشت. فقط یه اسکن از یه نسخه خیلی قدیمی رو میشد از سایت آرکایو امانت گرفت.
در کل واسه گرم کردن اولیه ذهن خوب بود تا که به زودی بریم سراغ عزیز دل‌مون: دی اوریجن اِو اسپیشیز
prehistoricpotatoes's review against another edition
challenging
informative
fast-paced
4.25
Really enjoyed the quick but detailed history, rich and long sentences meant for a quick read packed with people, theories and ideas.
spongebobbiii's review against another edition
1.5
I needed to read this for my Anthropology class. It was a very simple way to learn about Darwin.
tangleroot_eli's review against another edition
3.0
Just a fun little overview of Darwin's life and work. Nothing spectacular, but there are lots of cartoons, which keeps it enjoyable. I do wish I could suspend my inner copyeditor; this one needed a firmer eye looking it over before it went to print.
engpunk77's review against another edition
4.0
This comprehensive book explains everything you've ever wanted to know about Darwin and the facts surrounding his "Origins of the Species." I'm not a science person AT ALL and I was miraculously able to comprehend the book's information, presented in cartoon format. It's witty and entertaining. Highly recommended, especially for people who don't mesh well with science but are curious anyways.