Title page of a published copy of Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species. photo© American Museum of Natural History, Department of Library Services

Darwin. Adrian Desmond & James Moore (1991): An entertaining comprehensive biography covering the science, society, and key personalities.

Darwin. Niles Eldredge (2005): The book accompanying the exhibition, this beautifully illustrated work covers some material such as Darwin’s scientific notebooks in great depth.

Darwin’s Ghost The Origin of Species Updated. Steve Jones (2001): This book revisits The Origin of Species chapter by chapter, updating the relevant scientific discoveries made since Darwin’s time. Highly erudite and enjoyable, the author (who is a geneticist) explores an astonishing wealth of biological information and even quotes a little Woody Allen.

Darwin, His Daughter, and Human Evolution. Randal Keynes (2001): A moving biography of Darwin’s family life by his great-great-grandson that also does an excellent job of covering Darwin’s scientific discoveries.

The Autobiography of Charles Darwin. (1876): A first-hand description of how the discoveries were made.

The Beak of the Finch. Jonathan Weiner (1995): About Peter and Rosemary Grant who are currently studying the evolution of finches on the Galápagos.

The Blind Watchmaker. Richard Dawkins (1996): A thorough discussion of design and evolution.

The Descent of Man. Charles Darwin (1871): Finally the proof that your relatives are apes.

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• This is the Question
• Darwin Soundbites
• Exhibition Review
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