On the Origin of Evolution

A Waterstones Best Book of 2020

The theory of evolution by natural selection did not spring fully formed and unprecedented from the brain of Charles Darwin. Rather it has been examined and debated by philosophers the world over for thousands of years.

This lively history traces the evolution of the idea of evolution, showing how it has changed and been changed by different societies over time. It will put 'Darwin’s Dangerous Idea' into its proper context, showing how it built on what went before and how it was developed in the twentieth century, through an understanding of genetics and the biochemical basis evolution. None of this diminishes the achievement of Darwin himself in perceiving the way evolution works at the level of individuals and species, but his contribution was one link in a chain that extends back into antiquity, and is still being forged today.

Reviews

Praise for John and Mary Gribbin:

‘Elegant and meticulously researched … this is a most enjoyable book’ The Observatory

‘Mary and John Gribbin write with great clarity’ Guardian

‘Precise yet mysterious … as beautiful as a poem and as exciting as a novel’ Sunday Times

‘Immensely readable’ The Times

About the author

John Gribbin gained a PhD from the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge before working as a science journalist for Nature and later New Scientist. John has written many bestselling popular science books, including In Search of the Multiverse and The Universe: A Biography. Mary Gribbin is a teacher with a special gift for communicating difficult concepts, and she is a previous winner of the TES Junior Information Book Award. John and Mary are both Visiting Fellows at the University of Sussex. They have co-written several titles, including Out of the Shadow of a Giant.