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Darwin's Notebook: The Life, Times, and Discoveries of Charles Robert Darwin
One of the most fascinating writers and scientists the world has ever seen, Charles Darwin is presented in this journal-like biography through his personal writings and discoveries. Progress with Darwin through his early schooling, his studies in the Galapagos Islands, the writing and publication of The Evolution of Species , and his long-term legacy. This is a detailed account of Darwin's life and discoveries, but it is written, designed, and illustrated to resemble a personal notebook or journal. On the bicentennial anniversary of his birth, Clements provides an intimate look into Darwin's degeneration of faith, his personal relationships, the acclaim and criticism from scholars and friends, and his lasting legacy to science. Discover both the scientific and personal sides of Charles Darwin with this beautifully bound, illustrated biography.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
36 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Clements
150 books121 followersJonathan Clements is an author, translator, biographer and scriptwriter. His non-fiction works include biographies of Confucius, Marco Polo, Mao Zedong, Koxinga and Qin Shihuangdi. He also writes for NEO magazine and is the co-author of encyclopedias of anime and Japanese television dramas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
March 8, 2019
After reading the two most well-known works of Darwin, I also had to read this "notebook" that tells the reader a little more about the man himself as well as his work.
The book has 9 chapters:
- Early Life & Schooling
- Edinburgh & Cambridge
- Aboard the Beagle
- Observations & Speculations
- Darwin at Down
- On The Origin of Species
- Acclaim / Criticism
- Darwin's Later Writings
- Darwin's Long-Term Legacy
The book has cream-coloured pages to give it the flair of being old. Moreover, the pages either have sketches to make it look as if Darwin himself had scribbled in the margins or pictures or notes designed to look as if they had been added later (like in a smash book).
We get to follow Darwin through his childhood as well as his years at different schools and universities, before he embarks on his fateful journey on the HMS Beagle. From there, the book takes us through the years following his return, his family life (wife, children), the political landscape, him writing and publishing The Origin of Species as well as the backlash that he had to endure.
The above picture shows the original caricature that had been publishes in newspapers to make fun of Darwin's outrageous and blasphemous theory that frightened a number of people.
Thus, while not going into too much detail, the book nevertheless gives a very nice overview of the life of one of the truly great as seen in myriad aspects of said life (the environment / world he lived in, his family life as a child, his work, the family he started himself later etc).
A short read but great for sparking one's interest in this interesting man and the life he led - all packaged in a visually appealing way.
The book has 9 chapters:
- Early Life & Schooling
- Edinburgh & Cambridge
- Aboard the Beagle
- Observations & Speculations
- Darwin at Down
- On The Origin of Species
- Acclaim / Criticism
- Darwin's Later Writings
- Darwin's Long-Term Legacy
The book has cream-coloured pages to give it the flair of being old. Moreover, the pages either have sketches to make it look as if Darwin himself had scribbled in the margins or pictures or notes designed to look as if they had been added later (like in a smash book).
We get to follow Darwin through his childhood as well as his years at different schools and universities, before he embarks on his fateful journey on the HMS Beagle. From there, the book takes us through the years following his return, his family life (wife, children), the political landscape, him writing and publishing The Origin of Species as well as the backlash that he had to endure.
The above picture shows the original caricature that had been publishes in newspapers to make fun of Darwin's outrageous and blasphemous theory that frightened a number of people.
Thus, while not going into too much detail, the book nevertheless gives a very nice overview of the life of one of the truly great as seen in myriad aspects of said life (the environment / world he lived in, his family life as a child, his work, the family he started himself later etc).
A short read but great for sparking one's interest in this interesting man and the life he led - all packaged in a visually appealing way.
January 3, 2021
Charles Darwin did not invent the theory of evolution. That idea had been around for a long time because it is an obvious truth, no matter what anyone tells you who does not believe in science. Darwin was the inventor of evolution through natural selection. Even that idea was being discovered by Alfred Russel Wallace. And Darwin's theory has gone through a few centuries of rigorous scientific scrutiny. So please stop with the nonsense for those who still have not caught on.
The young Darwin apparently loved to shoot animals. He was quite the snipe hunter. Maybe it helped him to take an interest in nature.
Darwin learned early in life to be wary of disclosing his scientific discoveries to others. The biologist Robert Grant (1793-1874) stole some of his findings about oysters. But it was Grant who spoke to him about "evolution" based on the theories of the French scientist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829). It was a great shock for the young Darwin.
"I did not then in the least doubt the strict and literal truth of every word in the Bible."--Charles Darwin.
"Considering how fiercely I have been attacked by the orthodox, it seems ludicrous that I once intended to be a clergyman."--CD.
"My mind has been since leaving England a perfect hurricane of delight & astonishment."--CD.
Darwin's finches is the term used to what is believed gave Darwin the clue to natural selection. But it was not until he returned to England that he understood the significance of those birds.
In July 1836, he made his first sketch of an evolutionary tree in secret with the words written nearby: "I think. . . " How beautiful is that.
"Man in his arrogance thinks himself a great work, worthy the interposition of a deity. More humble and I believe true to consider him created from animals."--CD.
Darwin's "favourite child" Annie died at age 9. It is believed he had very little use for any God talk after that.
Darwin believed that even the human eye as complex as it is could be explained through natural selection. He showed how the most simple of beginnings--a nerve sensitive to light--could be seen as one end of a long chain of developments in optics.
"A bench of bishops is the devil's flower garden."--CD.
Samuel Wilberforce, the bishop of Oxford, was described by Disraeli as "unctuous, oleaginous, saponaceous," leading to his nickname Soapy Sam.
Thomas Huxley championed Darwin's cause before both scientific and religious crowds and became "Darwin's bulldog."
Darwin also spoke of "sexual selection." The female picks the red colored male just like my wife likes a particular tie on me.
Carl Lorenz called Darwin the "patron saint" of psychology.
I love that Darwin condemned the Victorian fad for spiritualism and seances as nothing more than confidence tricks and parlor games.
Darwin was buried at Westminster Abbey, an embarrassing reminder that he was never honored in life by the state. I visited his grave and am a total admirer of him.
In 1915, Elizabeth Reid, also known as Lady Hope, wrote an article for a Baptist newspaper in which she claimed to have visited Darwin before his death and he begged her for forgiveness and recanted his theories. The story is total nonsense and exists to this day.
When Darwin saw an orchid from Madagascar, he predicted a moth existed that had an 11-inch proboscis to get at the nectar. Sure enough, in 1903, the moth was found.
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science."--CD. What a great quote to end on in these troubled times.
The young Darwin apparently loved to shoot animals. He was quite the snipe hunter. Maybe it helped him to take an interest in nature.
Darwin learned early in life to be wary of disclosing his scientific discoveries to others. The biologist Robert Grant (1793-1874) stole some of his findings about oysters. But it was Grant who spoke to him about "evolution" based on the theories of the French scientist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829). It was a great shock for the young Darwin.
"I did not then in the least doubt the strict and literal truth of every word in the Bible."--Charles Darwin.
"Considering how fiercely I have been attacked by the orthodox, it seems ludicrous that I once intended to be a clergyman."--CD.
"My mind has been since leaving England a perfect hurricane of delight & astonishment."--CD.
Darwin's finches is the term used to what is believed gave Darwin the clue to natural selection. But it was not until he returned to England that he understood the significance of those birds.
In July 1836, he made his first sketch of an evolutionary tree in secret with the words written nearby: "I think. . . " How beautiful is that.
"Man in his arrogance thinks himself a great work, worthy the interposition of a deity. More humble and I believe true to consider him created from animals."--CD.
Darwin's "favourite child" Annie died at age 9. It is believed he had very little use for any God talk after that.
Darwin believed that even the human eye as complex as it is could be explained through natural selection. He showed how the most simple of beginnings--a nerve sensitive to light--could be seen as one end of a long chain of developments in optics.
"A bench of bishops is the devil's flower garden."--CD.
Samuel Wilberforce, the bishop of Oxford, was described by Disraeli as "unctuous, oleaginous, saponaceous," leading to his nickname Soapy Sam.
Thomas Huxley championed Darwin's cause before both scientific and religious crowds and became "Darwin's bulldog."
Darwin also spoke of "sexual selection." The female picks the red colored male just like my wife likes a particular tie on me.
Carl Lorenz called Darwin the "patron saint" of psychology.
I love that Darwin condemned the Victorian fad for spiritualism and seances as nothing more than confidence tricks and parlor games.
Darwin was buried at Westminster Abbey, an embarrassing reminder that he was never honored in life by the state. I visited his grave and am a total admirer of him.
In 1915, Elizabeth Reid, also known as Lady Hope, wrote an article for a Baptist newspaper in which she claimed to have visited Darwin before his death and he begged her for forgiveness and recanted his theories. The story is total nonsense and exists to this day.
When Darwin saw an orchid from Madagascar, he predicted a moth existed that had an 11-inch proboscis to get at the nectar. Sure enough, in 1903, the moth was found.
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science."--CD. What a great quote to end on in these troubled times.
December 2, 2024
This delightful book is exactly as it says, a facsimile of a notebook with 'discoloured' pages, scribbles in the margin and hurried sketches. Clearly written and easy to understand, Darwin's life, discoveries and legacy explained.
July 10, 2022
"Darwins Verdienst ist die Erklärung für die Entstehung und die Veränderlichkeit der Arten: nicht die Evolutionstheorie, sondern die Theorie der natürlichen Selektion." (S. 6)
"Für die Kirchenvertreter besaß diese Aussage reichlich Sprengkraft, denn sie bedeutet, wie verschleiert auch immer, dass die Schöpfung nicht das einmalige, vollkommene Werk war, von dem in der Bibel im 1. Buch Mose die Rede ist. Hatte Noah neunzig Taubenvaritäten auf der Arche untergebracht oder nur ein Paar Felsentauben und dann den Rest der Natur überlassen?" (S. 93)
Eine andere Art des Herangehens an eine Biographie mit abwechslungsreichen Einblicken.
"Für die Kirchenvertreter besaß diese Aussage reichlich Sprengkraft, denn sie bedeutet, wie verschleiert auch immer, dass die Schöpfung nicht das einmalige, vollkommene Werk war, von dem in der Bibel im 1. Buch Mose die Rede ist. Hatte Noah neunzig Taubenvaritäten auf der Arche untergebracht oder nur ein Paar Felsentauben und dann den Rest der Natur überlassen?" (S. 93)
Eine andere Art des Herangehens an eine Biographie mit abwechslungsreichen Einblicken.
January 6, 2019
I am so in love with this book, it's very insightful on Mr Darwin's personal life, as well as his work and discoveries, I enjoyed reading every page of it. I wish there were more biographies of the great scientists written in such a great and entertaining style as this one.
July 20, 2018
I bought this book in the bookshop of Exploratorium museum in San Francisco three years ago - that’s how long Darwin’s notebook was shelved somewhere in my house until my recently read book reminds me of it. “When Nietzsche wept” by Irvin Yalom somehow immersed me in that special science/discovery mood so I decided: this is time.
Surprisingly I have very little to say about it. This is beautifully designed book with a lot of quite fascinating illustrative materials I liked a lot. I find the biography of Darwin itself written a little bit in too plain encyclopedic style that seems not much appeals to me.
Surprisingly I have very little to say about it. This is beautifully designed book with a lot of quite fascinating illustrative materials I liked a lot. I find the biography of Darwin itself written a little bit in too plain encyclopedic style that seems not much appeals to me.
January 12, 2016
Darwin's Notebook is a great summary about Darwin and his theory of natural selection. Jonathan Clements, the Author of this book, combines Darwin's biography with his discoveries and writings and present them with illustrations that look like a real notebook. Besides the scientific part of the book, i really appreciate the artistic part of the book as well. It gives a detailed information about Darwin's early life, his journey to the Beagle, his observations, his questions and his famous book 'On the origin of species'. As well, it is possible to read the ciritics about the book and how Darwin has gone through with all of it.
If you are interested in learning about Darwin, or his theory of natural selection, I would highly recommend this really nice book. I guess you should have it in your library. Especially the ones who has little idea about Darwin and his theories, should give it a try.
If you are interested in learning about Darwin, or his theory of natural selection, I would highly recommend this really nice book. I guess you should have it in your library. Especially the ones who has little idea about Darwin and his theories, should give it a try.
April 2, 2018
A visually and verbally pleasing summary of Darwin's life, managed to hold my attention even while tricking me into understanding science.
September 17, 2017
El libro ha estado muy bueno, me ha encantado, no me habia dado cuenta que solo me faltaba una página para terminar de leerlo. Me ha gustado mucho leer sobre la vida de Darwin, me he sentido muy identificada y como biologa, me encanta las ciencias, así que cada detalle que tiene el libro lo he disfrutado un monton, en especial los dibujos e imagenes que son bellísimas. Me encanto :) .
August 24, 2019
From the cream coloured pages to make it appear old fashioned, the illustrations made to look like hand-drawn sketches and the different fonts, this really makes you feel like you are reading Darwin's personal notes! A beautiful book and a fascinating read.
March 15, 2022
Excellent summary of Charles Darwins life travels and legacy. Very brief but easy to read - does what it says on the tin. I enjoyed it esp after reading This Thing of Darkness. Maybe Voyage of the Beagle next?
August 28, 2017
Excellent edition! Well written and concise!
November 5, 2017
A great summary of Darwin's life, achievements, ideas, legacy, how his theory came to be and the major debates it ignited back in the days. Recommended.
September 5, 2018
Easy to read but not very deep digging
December 12, 2018
The books is written in such manner that it feels like a research you are going through.
July 25, 2019
great way to understand his impact on the world
April 19, 2023
Whilst the font is super tiny for my poor eyes, it’s structure makes it really easy to follow (chronological) and lots of different snippets of info.
September 1, 2025
Was super interesting, learned new things.
November 6, 2020
Un libro extraordinario, por su formato y su contenido, cuando me encontré con el me atrajo su diseño que esta presentado como un diario de viaje, un diario que parte con las inquietudes de Charles Darwin desde su niñez, las influencias que tuvo en su entorno familiar. Relata en forma de eventos importantes los viajes de este a bordo de HMS Beagle, la llegada a Inglaterra, la confección de sus teorías para su obra “El Origen de las especies”, sus investigaciones en distintos campos, como geología e ideas acerca de los genes, el impacto que tuvo en la sociedad victoriana acerca de sus enunciados científicos, sus momentos de tristeza por la pérdida de sus hijos que conlleva a la pérdida de fe en el cristianismo.
Un gran diario de viaje a través de la vida de Charles Darwin, de muy agradable lectura que motiva a leer sus obras y su vida en más detalle.
Un gran diario de viaje a través de la vida de Charles Darwin, de muy agradable lectura que motiva a leer sus obras y su vida en más detalle.
February 18, 2017
One of the greatest books
So informative and i loved the flow of events
I like how it combined science with history with biography and it is a good book for those who want to understand Darwin's life and thoughts ..
So informative and i loved the flow of events
I like how it combined science with history with biography and it is a good book for those who want to understand Darwin's life and thoughts ..
May 15, 2014
Charles Darwin is widely know for contributions to biology and the theory of evolution through his book, On The Origin of Species. In fact, he made many other biological observations and wrote many other books. Darwin's Notebook tells these stories and more from Darwin's life.
This book seamlessly displays Darwin's life and ideas in a notebook-like format that is both more visually appealing and entertaining to read than most biographies. The book features a mix of quotes, pictures, and drawings to spark the readers visual learning. It features elements of foreshadowing towards future events and discoveries. The biggest think I didn't like about Darwin's Notebook was its inclusion of some very unimportant points. Two pages are dedicated to his dislike of clairvoyants.
I would recommend this book to teens and young adults interested in learning more about the life of Charles Darwin or who plan on or have already read On The Origin of Species. I read this book first and I was glad I had the background knowledge of the author.
This book seamlessly displays Darwin's life and ideas in a notebook-like format that is both more visually appealing and entertaining to read than most biographies. The book features a mix of quotes, pictures, and drawings to spark the readers visual learning. It features elements of foreshadowing towards future events and discoveries. The biggest think I didn't like about Darwin's Notebook was its inclusion of some very unimportant points. Two pages are dedicated to his dislike of clairvoyants.
I would recommend this book to teens and young adults interested in learning more about the life of Charles Darwin or who plan on or have already read On The Origin of Species. I read this book first and I was glad I had the background knowledge of the author.
May 10, 2016
I was pretty impressed with this book. First of all, I loved the layout. It's broken nicely into sections and each "chapter" is just two pages. It made for a nice reading, since you could easily stop any time. More frequently, I'd read "just one more".
Due to the style of the book, it feels like a light read, but I found it to actually be quite comprehensive. I was already pretty familiar with Darwin's life and work, yet I picked up some new tidbits from this book. It also did a great job of putting this in context of the time, but socially, historically, and within Darwin's family tree.
Finally, a Darwin quote from the end of the book. "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that that this or that problem will never be solved by science."
Due to the style of the book, it feels like a light read, but I found it to actually be quite comprehensive. I was already pretty familiar with Darwin's life and work, yet I picked up some new tidbits from this book. It also did a great job of putting this in context of the time, but socially, historically, and within Darwin's family tree.
Finally, a Darwin quote from the end of the book. "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that that this or that problem will never be solved by science."
January 2, 2021
This was an easy book to read with a new topic each time the page was turned. It gave a good glance at Darwin's life with a bit of extra information at the end after his death. This is a good book to pick up when you have little time to read as two pages at a time is all that is needed in one sitting. I also liked the side notes and the quotes inserted throughout the pages. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like an introduction into what Darwin was all about; his family, his travels on the Beagle, and of course how he came about understanding and adapting his theory of Evolution by Natural Selection.
January 3, 2014
Biography of the famous biologist, Charles Darwin.
Sepia photographs. Quotes in copperplate handwriting. Ink drawings, black-and-white pictures, some colour reproductions. Index at the end.
After the life of Darwin, the work describes how his Theory of Evolution has been updated and the latest scientific findings with respect to human evolution. The text states that there was no interbreeding with Neanderthals. Since publication (2009) scientific consensus has moved to the position that people around the world have genes from Neanderthals indicating significant interbreeding.
Sepia photographs. Quotes in copperplate handwriting. Ink drawings, black-and-white pictures, some colour reproductions. Index at the end.
After the life of Darwin, the work describes how his Theory of Evolution has been updated and the latest scientific findings with respect to human evolution. The text states that there was no interbreeding with Neanderthals. Since publication (2009) scientific consensus has moved to the position that people around the world have genes from Neanderthals indicating significant interbreeding.
August 29, 2013
Excellent summary of the contributions and long-term impact of Charles Darwin. Beautiful format, full of pictures and drawings, and just the right amount of information on each topic (150 pages). I've read a lot of Darwin and I would recommend this as a readable book for anyone interested in knowing more about Darwin's life.
October 18, 2021
This was a really interesting book, telling about all of Darwin’s life, not just what’s he is most known for (the origin of species). It a lot of information to take in and a lot of names to remember, but it’s a nice enjoyable read to take slow and read in bits. I also loved the layout of the book, it’s like a cool notebook style, and the pictures were so beautiful
June 3, 2015
The best book ever!!!!!!!
November 13, 2015
BEST BOOK
February 6, 2017
The best book
December 22, 2016
Very structured and interesting work about Darwin and his life. Great selection of pictures.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews