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Description edit
Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species , his revolutionary tract on evolution and the fundamental ideas involved, in 1859. Nearly 150 years later, the theory of evolution continues to create tension between the scientific and religious communities. Challenges about teaching the theory... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
People edit
- Charles Darwin: A scientist and author of The Origin of Species which changed the way people thought about the history of life on this Earth, particularly in relation to religion. He was a son of a rich father in Victorian England.
- Emma Wedgwood Darwin: The wife of Charles Darwin. She was bright and sweet and dedicated to her family. She liked to play the piano. She liked to read, but she wasn't particularly interested in science.
- Annie: Eldest daughter of the Darwins.
- Jessie: Emma's aunt
- Erasmus: Charles's brother
- Hensleigh: Emma's brother
- Fanny: Favorite sister of Emma
- Wallace: Prominent scientist who thought of natural selection after, but independently of, Darwin
- Frank: Son of Charles and Emma
- Charles Lyell: Prominent geologist
- Thomas Henry Huxley: "Darwin's Bulldog," voracious defender of Darwin
- George: Scholarly son of the Darwins
- Doddy (William): First child of Charles and Emma
- Caroline: Charles's sister
- Lenny (Leonard): Son of Charles and Emma
- Elizabeth: Daughter of Charles and Emma; Emma's sister had the same name
- Bessy: Emma's mother
- Henslow: Add a description of this character.
- Horace: Son of Charles and Emma
- Etty (Henrietta): Daughter of Charles and Emma
- Josiah: Emma's father
- Paley
- Dr. Gully
- Miss Thorley
- Catherine
- Brodie
- Hooker
- Sismondi: Emma's uncle
- Bernard
- Asa Gray: Scientist and Christian, friend of Darwin
- Fitzroy
- Newman
- Mary
Quotes edit
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“I think that generally (& more and more so as I grow older) but not always, that an agnostic would be the most correct description of my state of mind.”
Charles Darwin
- Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
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“A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.”
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“We have none of us to choose our religion. It comes to us by the atmosphere in which we live, we modify it afterwards according to our different minds, and many by our hearts only.”
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Species were not stable. They were not created in one fell swoop by God, never to change, as the Bible said and most people believed.
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She believed that if you were a good Christian you would go to heaven. And if you weren’t you would go to hell.
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The acts we do that hurt others seem wrong to us. Why? Are we born knowing right from wrong, or do we have to learn it?
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Belief was not about reason, he concluded: “Belief allied to instinct.”
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He concluded by saying he would rather have an ape for a grandfather than be descended from a man who introduced ridicule into a serious scientific discussion.
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“The sincerity of showing yourself as you really are. The real good it would do the world not to have artificial sins.”
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Huxley was evolution’s public champion, still fighting for Darwinism. He coined the term agnostic to mean one who believes you cannot know whether God exists because you cannot prove God’s existence.
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He surmised that traits that are passed on change and adapt according to what is needed for survival. These changes—very small ones—add up over time to make bigger changes. These bigger changes result in the creation of new species. He called his idea “modification by natural selection.”
Highlighted by 4 Kindle customers
Setting & Locations edit
England, mostly in or near London
- London, England
- Down House: The main home of the Darwins during their marriage
- Malvern: Town where people went to take a "water cure"
- Cambridge
- Mount: Darwin's childhood home
- Shrewsbury
- Sandwalk: The walk near Down House where Charles and Emma liked to stroll
First Sentence edit
In the summer of 1838, in his rented rooms on Great Marlborough Street, London, Charles Darwin drew a line down the middle of a piece of scrap paper.
Table of Contents edit
Foreword
1. Better Than a Dog
2. Rat Catching
3. Conceal Your Doubts
4. Where Doors and Windows Stand Open
5. Little Miss Slip-Slop
6. The Next World
7. The Sensation of Fear
8. A Leap
9. A Busy Man
10. Melancholy Thoughts
11. A Whirl of Noise and Motion
12. Heavy Baggage, Blazing Fires
13. Definition of Happiness
14. Pregnant Thoughts
15. Little Animalcules
16. Down in the Country
17. Sudden Deaths
18. Barnacles and Babies
19. Doing Custards
20. A Fretful Child
21. God Only Knows the Issue
22. A Dear and Good Child
23. Against the Rules
24. Terrible Suffering
25. The Origins of The Origin
26. Dependent on Each Other in So Complex a Manner
27. What the Lord Hath Delivered
28. Feeling, Not Reasoning
29. Such a Noise
30. Mere Trickery
31. Warmth to the End
32. Happy is the Man
33. Unasked Questions
Epilogue: So Much to Worship
Acknowledgments
Family Tree
Source Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
Glossary edit
- Water cure: Treatment involving cold water (showers, wrapping in wet towels, etc.) to relieve ill health
- Goose: A private chat by the fire, usually assumed to mean courting
Authors & Contributors edit
- Deborah Heiligman (Author)
First Edition edit
Original Language: Add the language.
Publisher: Add the publisher.
Country: Add the country of publication.
Publication Date: Add the publication date.
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: 268
Publisher: Add the publisher.
Country: Add the country of publication.
Publication Date: Add the publication date.
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: 268
Awards edit
- Michael L. Printz Award (Finalist, 2010, Honor Book)
- YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
- National Book Award (Finalist, 2009)
- ALA Best Book for Young Adults (2010: Nonfiction)
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 576.82092
Notes for Parents edit
Reading Level: Young AdultsYounger readers may appreciate the story, but not the science or the debate
Subjects edit
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