-
Darwin's Ghosts
- The Secret History of Evolution
- Narrado por: Jean Gilpin
- Duración: 13 h y 41 m
No se pudo agregar al carrito
Add to Cart failed.
Error al Agregar a Lista de Deseos.
Error al eliminar de la lista de deseos.
Error al añadir a tu biblioteca
Error al seguir el podcast
Error al dejar de seguir el podcast
![Prime logotipo](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/G/01/Audible/Homestead/Prime_Logo_RGB.png)
Compra ahora por $18.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Grandes primeros Títulos
![Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Audiolibro Por Gabrielle Zevin arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/615ZWwoPBRL._SL240_.jpg)
![An Immense World Audiolibro Por Ed Yong arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51TpJtVL49L._SL240_.jpg)
![The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Audiolibro Por Suzanne Collins arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61dpaAoU+KL._SL240_.jpg)
![Beware of Chicken: A Xianxia Cultivation Novel Audiolibro Por Casualfarmer arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61n93gn+jFL._SL240_.jpg)
![Mythos Audiolibro Por Stephen Fry arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41PC2J3DRGL._SL240_.jpg)
![The Body Audiolibro Por Bill Bryson arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41jpBuF957L._SL240_.jpg)
![A Share in Death Audiolibro Por Deborah Crombie arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41zGqvs4BoL._SL240_.jpg)
![A Court of Thorns and Roses Audiolibro Por Sarah J. Maas arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/512eb736XCL._SL240_.jpg)
![The Lost City of the Monkey God Audiolibro Por Douglas Preston arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mT33Mk2iL._SL240_.jpg)
![In Search of a Kingdom Audiolibro Por Laurence Bergreen arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61h8BMWSXFL._SL240_.jpg)
![The Office of Historical Corrections Audiolibro Por Danielle Evans arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41n2NB3MdyL._SL240_.jpg)
![The Binding Audiolibro Por Bridget Collins arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Un6N9lMnL._SL240_.jpg)
![The Disordered Cosmos Audiolibro Por Chanda Prescod-Weinstein arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/515Z080Ab9S._SL240_.jpg)
![A Duty to the Dead Audiolibro Por Charles Todd arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51gOKFa+NlL._SL240_.jpg)
![Knowing What We Know Audiolibro Por Simon Winchester arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51jFB6s85iL._SL240_.jpg)
![Otherlands Audiolibro Por Thomas Halliday arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51cv2Jm+PUL._SL240_.jpg)
![The Good Lord Bird Audiolibro Por James McBride arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51XJfHm6UNL._SL240_.jpg)
![Naked Statistics Audiolibro Por Charles Wheelan arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41ro36VvUoL._SL240_.jpg)
![Anaximander Audiolibro Por Carlo Rovelli arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41ScZ2Mr4bL._SL240_.jpg)
![Riluo City Audiolibro Por Tinalynge arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5176NXQ7r6L._SL240_.jpg)
![White Awake Audiolibro Por Daniel Hill arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41Laxqd8RlL._SL240_.jpg)
![The Selfish Gene Audiolibro Por Richard Dawkins arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51iqpxo43PL._SL240_.jpg)
![The Vanquished Audiolibro Por Robert Gerwarth arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61anPZtRmzL._SL240_.jpg)
![On the Origin of Species Audiolibro Por Charles Darwin arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61QPDd+LY5L._SL240_.jpg)
![The World Before Us Audiolibro Por Tom Higham arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41OCko9ge9S._SL240_.jpg)
![Hild Audiolibro Por Nicola Griffith arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ObZcRXW9L._SL240_.jpg)
![The Birthday of the World Audiolibro Por Ursula K. Le Guin arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41BlJc6Uw7L._SL240_.jpg)
![Dark Earth Audiolibro Por Rebecca Stott arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61cHWR2Ye1L._SL240_.jpg)
![This Side of Murder Audiolibro Por Anna Lee Huber arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41NPmgkzs-L._SL240_.jpg)
![Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds Audiolibro Por Charles MacKay arte de portada](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Ly1Az2+rL._SL240_.jpg)
Resumen del Editor
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK“[An] extraordinarily wide-ranging and engaging book [about] the men who shaped the work of Charles Darwin . . . a book that enriches our understanding of how the struggle to think new thoughts is shared across time and space and people.”—The Sunday Telegraph (London)
Christmas, 1859. Just one month after the publication of On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin received an unsettling letter. He had expected criticism; in fact, letters were arriving daily, most expressing outrage and accusations of heresy. But this letter was different. It accused him of failing to acknowledge his predecessors, of taking credit for a theory that had already been discovered by others. Darwin realized that he had made an error in omitting from Origin of Species any mention of his intellectual forebears. Yet when he tried to trace all of the natural philosophers who had laid the groundwork for his theory, he found that history had already forgotten many of them.
Darwin’s Ghosts tells the story of the collective discovery of evolution, from Aristotle, walking the shores of Lesbos with his pupils, to Al-Jahiz, an Arab writer in the first century, from Leonardo da Vinci, searching for fossils in the mine shafts of the Tuscan hills, to Denis Diderot in Paris, exploring the origins of species while under the surveillance of the secret police, and the brilliant naturalists of the Jardin de Plantes, finding evidence for evolutionary change in the natural history collections stolen during the Napoleonic wars. Evolution was not discovered single-handedly, Rebecca Stott argues, contrary to what has become standard lore, but is an idea that emerged over many centuries, advanced by daring individuals across the globe who had the imagination to speculate on nature’s extraordinary ways, and who had the courage to articulate such speculations at a time when to do so was often considered heresy. With each chapter focusing on an early evolutionary thinker, Darwin’s Ghosts is a fascinating account of a diverse group of individuals who, despite the very real dangers of challenging a system in which everything was presumed to have been created perfectly by God, felt compelled to understand where we came from. Ultimately, Stott demonstrates, ideas—including evolution itself—evolve just as animals and plants do, by intermingling, toppling weaker notions, and developing over stretches of time. Darwin’s Ghosts presents a groundbreaking new theory of an idea that has changed our very understanding of who we are.
Praise for Darwin’s Ghosts
“Absorbing . . . Stott captures the breathless excitement of an investigation on the cusp of the unknown. . . . A lively, original book.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Stott’s research is broad and unerring; her book is wonderful. . . . An exhilarating romp through 2,000 years of fascinating scientific history.”—Nature
“Stott brings Darwin himself to life. . . . [She] writes with a novelist’s flair. . . . Darwin and the ‘ghosts’ so richly described in Ms. Stott’s enjoyable book are the descendants of Aristotle and Bacon and the ancestors of today’s scientists.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Riveting . . . Stott has done a wonderful job in showing just how many extraordinary people had speculated on where we came from before the great theorist dispelled all doubts.”—The Guardian (U.K.)
Reseñas de la Crítica
"Clever, compassionate, and compellingly written, Darwin's Ghosts interweaves history and science to enchanting effect. The evolution of the theory of evolution is a brilliant idea for a book, and Rebecca Stott has realized it wonderfully." (Tom Holland, author of Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic)
"From Aristotle onward, evolutionists have - thank God - always been a quarrelsome lot, and not much has changed. Rebecca Stott shows how dispute, prejudice, and rage have accompanied their science from the very beginning. Darwin's Ghosts is a gripping history of the history of life and of those who have studied it, with plenty of lessons for today - perhaps for today's biologists most of all." (Steve Jones, author of Darwin's Ghost: The Origin of Species Updated)
Relacionado con este tema
-
Brain Energy
- A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health—and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
- De: Christopher M. Palmer MD
- Narrado por: Christopher M. Palmer MD
- Duración: 12 h y 18 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
We are in the midst of a global mental health crisis, and mental illnesses are on the rise. But what causes mental illness? And why are mental health problems so hard to treat? Drawing on decades of research, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer outlines a revolutionary new understanding that for the first time unites our existing knowledge about mental illness within a single framework: mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain. Brain Energy will transform the field of mental health, and the lives of countless people around the world.
-
-
Arguing brain health theory to medical profession
- De Maya H Saric en 03-10-23
-
Napoleon's Hemorrhoids…And Other Small Events That Changed History
- De: Phil Mason
- Narrado por: LJ Ganser
- Duración: 8 h y 13 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
Hilarious, fascinating, and a roller coaster of dizzying, historical what-ifs, Napoleon's Hemorrhoids is a potpourri for serious historians and casual history buffs. In one of Phil Mason's many revelations, you'll learn that Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the Cuban missile crisis, when they had to turn back as they were running out of fuel. You'll discover that before the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon's painful hemorrhoids prevented him from mounting his horse to survey the battlefield.
-
-
They just throw the facts too fast
- De Concerned_llama en 12-11-20
De: Phil Mason
-
The Selfish Gene
- De: Richard Dawkins
- Narrado por: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Duración: 16 h y 12 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
Richard Dawkins' brilliant reformulation of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having provoked as much excitement and interest outside the scientific community as within it. His theories have helped change the whole nature of the study of social biology, and have forced thousands to rethink their beliefs about life.
-
-
Better than print!
- De J. D. May en 07-31-12
De: Richard Dawkins
-
Inspired
- How to Create Tech Products Customers Love, Second Edition
- De: Marty Cagan
- Narrado por: Marty Cagan
- Duración: 7 h y 45 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
How do today's most successful tech companies - Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Tesla - design, develop, and deploy the products that have earned the love of literally billions of people around the world? Perhaps surprisingly, they do it very differently from the vast majority of tech companies. In Inspired, technology product management thought leader Marty Cagan provides listeners with a master class in how to structure and staff a vibrant and successful product organization and how to discover and deliver technology products that your customers will love.
-
-
Great book, terrible audio wanted to ask a refund
- De Srikanth Ramanujam en 11-15-18
De: Marty Cagan
-
How the Earth Works
- De: Michael E. Wysession, The Great Courses
- Narrado por: Michael E. Wysession
- Duración: 24 h y 31 m
- Grabación Original
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures, you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth.
-
-
Excellent course
- De Doug B. en 05-23-19
De: Michael E. Wysession, y otros
-
Chemistry and Our Universe
- How It All Works
- De: Ron B. Davis, The Great Courses
- Narrado por: Ron B. Davis
- Duración: 30 h y 6 m
- Grabación Original
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
Chemistry and Our Universe: How It All Works is your in-depth introduction to this vital field, taught through 60 engaging half-hour lectures that are suitable for any background or none at all. Covering a year’s worth of introductory general chemistry at the college level, plus intriguing topics that are rarely discussed in the classroom, this amazingly comprehensive course requires nothing more advanced than high-school math. Your guide is Professor Ron B. Davis, Jr., a research chemist and award-winning teacher at Georgetown University.
-
-
Great Professor, Hard to Follow.
- De Jen en 05-14-19
De: Ron B. Davis, y otros
-
Brain Energy
- A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health—and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
- De: Christopher M. Palmer MD
- Narrado por: Christopher M. Palmer MD
- Duración: 12 h y 18 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
We are in the midst of a global mental health crisis, and mental illnesses are on the rise. But what causes mental illness? And why are mental health problems so hard to treat? Drawing on decades of research, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer outlines a revolutionary new understanding that for the first time unites our existing knowledge about mental illness within a single framework: mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain. Brain Energy will transform the field of mental health, and the lives of countless people around the world.
-
-
Arguing brain health theory to medical profession
- De Maya H Saric en 03-10-23
-
Napoleon's Hemorrhoids…And Other Small Events That Changed History
- De: Phil Mason
- Narrado por: LJ Ganser
- Duración: 8 h y 13 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
Hilarious, fascinating, and a roller coaster of dizzying, historical what-ifs, Napoleon's Hemorrhoids is a potpourri for serious historians and casual history buffs. In one of Phil Mason's many revelations, you'll learn that Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the Cuban missile crisis, when they had to turn back as they were running out of fuel. You'll discover that before the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon's painful hemorrhoids prevented him from mounting his horse to survey the battlefield.
-
-
They just throw the facts too fast
- De Concerned_llama en 12-11-20
De: Phil Mason
-
The Selfish Gene
- De: Richard Dawkins
- Narrado por: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Duración: 16 h y 12 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
Richard Dawkins' brilliant reformulation of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having provoked as much excitement and interest outside the scientific community as within it. His theories have helped change the whole nature of the study of social biology, and have forced thousands to rethink their beliefs about life.
-
-
Better than print!
- De J. D. May en 07-31-12
De: Richard Dawkins
-
Inspired
- How to Create Tech Products Customers Love, Second Edition
- De: Marty Cagan
- Narrado por: Marty Cagan
- Duración: 7 h y 45 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
How do today's most successful tech companies - Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Tesla - design, develop, and deploy the products that have earned the love of literally billions of people around the world? Perhaps surprisingly, they do it very differently from the vast majority of tech companies. In Inspired, technology product management thought leader Marty Cagan provides listeners with a master class in how to structure and staff a vibrant and successful product organization and how to discover and deliver technology products that your customers will love.
-
-
Great book, terrible audio wanted to ask a refund
- De Srikanth Ramanujam en 11-15-18
De: Marty Cagan
-
How the Earth Works
- De: Michael E. Wysession, The Great Courses
- Narrado por: Michael E. Wysession
- Duración: 24 h y 31 m
- Grabación Original
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures, you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth.
-
-
Excellent course
- De Doug B. en 05-23-19
De: Michael E. Wysession, y otros
-
Chemistry and Our Universe
- How It All Works
- De: Ron B. Davis, The Great Courses
- Narrado por: Ron B. Davis
- Duración: 30 h y 6 m
- Grabación Original
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
Chemistry and Our Universe: How It All Works is your in-depth introduction to this vital field, taught through 60 engaging half-hour lectures that are suitable for any background or none at all. Covering a year’s worth of introductory general chemistry at the college level, plus intriguing topics that are rarely discussed in the classroom, this amazingly comprehensive course requires nothing more advanced than high-school math. Your guide is Professor Ron B. Davis, Jr., a research chemist and award-winning teacher at Georgetown University.
-
-
Great Professor, Hard to Follow.
- De Jen en 05-14-19
De: Ron B. Davis, y otros
-
Naked Statistics
- Stripping the Dread from the Data
- De: Charles Wheelan
- Narrado por: Jonathan Davis
- Duración: 10 h y 48 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
From batting averages and political polls to game shows and medical research, the real-world application of statistics continues to grow by leaps and bounds. How can we catch schools that cheat on standardized tests? How does Netflix know which movies you'll like? What is causing the rising incidence of autism? As best-selling author Charles Wheelan shows us in Naked Statistics, the right data and a few well-chosen statistical tools can help us answer these questions and more.
-
-
Starts well then becomes non-Audible
- De Michael en 09-07-13
De: Charles Wheelan
-
The Blind Watchmaker
- Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design
- De: Richard Dawkins
- Narrado por: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Duración: 14 h y 40 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
The Blind Watchmaker, knowledgably narrated by author Richard Dawkins, is as prescient and timely a book as ever. The watchmaker belongs to the 18th-century theologian William Paley, who argued that just as a watch is too complicated and functional to have sprung into existence by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. Charles Darwin's brilliant discovery challenged the creationist arguments; but only Richard Dawkins could have written this elegant riposte.
-
-
Challenging textbook more than an enjoyable listen
- De Eric en 01-15-12
De: Richard Dawkins
-
The Triumph of Seeds
- How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses & Pips Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History
- De: Thor Hanson
- Narrado por: Marc Vietor
- Duración: 7 h y 30 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
We live in a world of seeds. From our morning toast to the cotton in our clothes, they are quite literally the stuff and staff of life, supporting diets, economies, and civilizations around the globe. Just as the search for nutmeg and the humble peppercorn drove the Age of Discovery, so did coffee beans help fuel the Enlightenment and cottonseed help spark the Industrial Revolution. And from the fall of Rome to the Arab Spring, the fate of nations continues to hinge on the seeds of a Middle Eastern grass known as wheat.
-
-
Delightfully simplistic!
- De Adrian en 03-30-16
De: Thor Hanson
-
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
- De: Thomas S. Kuhn
- Narrado por: Dennis Holland
- Duración: 10 h y 14 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
A good book may have the power to change the way we see the world, but a great book actually becomes part of our daily consciousness, pervading our thinking to the point that we take it for granted, and we forget how provocative and challenging its ideas once were - and still are. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is that kind of book.
-
-
The problem is not with the book
- De Marcus en 08-09-09
De: Thomas S. Kuhn
-
Gut
- The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ
- De: Giulia Enders
- Narrado por: Katy Sobey
- Duración: 7 h y 26 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
Our gut is almost as important to us as our brain, yet we know very little about how it works. Gut: The Inside Story is an entertaining, informative tour of the digestive system from the moment we raise a tasty morsel to our lips until the moment our body surrenders the remnants to the toilet bowl. No topic is too lowly for the author's wonder and admiration, from the careful choreography of breaking wind to the precise internal communication required for a cleansing vomit.
-
-
Doctors opinion
- De KevinMcVeigh en 03-02-17
De: Giulia Enders
-
Ranger Confidential
- Living, Working, and Dying in the National Parks
- De: Andrea Lankford
- Narrado por: Julia Motyka
- Duración: 9 h y 28 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
The real stories behind the scenery of America’s national parks. For 12 years, Andrea Lankford lived in the biggest, most impressive national parks in the world, working a job she loved. She chaperoned baby sea turtles on their journey to sea. She pursued bad guys on her galloping patrol horse. She jumped into rescue helicopters bound for the heart of the Grand Canyon. She won arguments with bears. She slept with a few too many rattlesnakes. Hell yeah, it was the best job in the world! Fortunately, Andrea survived it.
-
-
Depressing from Cover to Cover
- De Drew (@drewsant) en 04-13-15
De: Andrea Lankford
Lo que los oyentes dicen sobre Darwin's Ghosts
Calificaciones medias de los clientesReseñas - Selecciona las pestañas a continuación para cambiar el origen de las reseñas.
-
Total
-
Ejecución
-
Historia
- Mark
- 12-24-21
Every human should read the chapter on Aristotle.
If you are already familiar with the subject, this book will be a delightful romp through history. it ties together ideas and individuals and shows how memes travel from generation to generation. I could see parts of it dragging if you aren't already a fan of the history of evolution, but I think every human should read the chapter on Aristotle, which describes the birth of empiricism in the most lovely and informative way.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
-
Total
-
Ejecución
-
Historia
- 310bonita
- 07-25-22
Fascinating History
The book did an excellent job of showing the evolution of great thought. It is a portrait of how only free thinking and a rejection of superstition can reveal the true beauty and grandeur of nature. This is a story of people of courage who pursued scientific enquiry, sometimes at the cost of their lives.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
-
Total
-
Ejecución
-
Historia
- Phil Gaskill
- 09-17-12
Great book needs better narrator
What made the experience of listening to Darwin's Ghosts the most enjoyable?
It's an extremely fascinating story. We all know the Darwin narrative, but I didn't know anything about 90% of what's in this wonderful book.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
Extremely affected British accent PLUS she turns final "d" into final "t" (I mean, she fairly *spits* those d's), leading to my misunderstanding of several names and terms that had been unfamiliar to me. In fact, believe it or not, this is the sole reason I broke down and bought the Kindle version, so I could figure out what she was saying.
If you could give Darwin's Ghosts a new subtitle, what would it be?
Well, I'm not much of one for glitzy, sexy, cutesy, say-something-so-people-will-buy-the-book titles and/or subtitles. My subtitle for this book would probably just be something like "Darwin's Forerunners" or "Predecessors Who Had Worked Out Most of How Evolution Worked" or some other thing to the point and non-misleading. (Actually, I'd probably choose my first example as the *title,* and my second as the subtitle.) But that's just me, I guess.
Any additional comments?
The book is WELL worth reading, despite the less-than-ideal narrator.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
esto le resultó útil a 2 personas
-
Total
-
Ejecución
-
Historia
- Kindle Customer
- 05-31-23
Intriguing history
This was a fascinating look at the history of evolutionary thought before Charles Darwin’s work.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
-
Total
-
Ejecución
-
Historia
- Kenny T
- 06-15-12
Well written and read
This book really brings to life the history of evolutionary thought and theory. Another good book is Darwin's Armada
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
esto le resultó útil a 2 personas
-
Total
-
Ejecución
-
Historia
- WDH
- 06-18-15
Enlightening historical perspective.
This book not only provides an excellent history of evolution but as well a fascinating perspective on historical facts dating all the way back to Aristotle.
History itself can become so much more interesting when tracking a particular subject through time.
The author has created a historical masterpiece.
The audio version is excellently performed.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
-
Total
-
Ejecución
-
Historia
- CN
- 01-14-13
Well narrated, fascinating topic, poorly written
What would have made Darwin's Ghosts better?
The intellectual history of Evolution of Charles Darwin's forebears is a largely untold story in need of telling. Unfortunately what Rebecca Stott has written is tarnished by her biases and pretentious prose.
This book would have been better served by less pretentious prose, venting of bitter childhood memories, historical revision, and better research into the actual history of Evolutionary thought.
What was most disappointing about Rebecca Stott’s story?
1) In an attempt to make it seem Evolution has a far more ancient history and deeper intellectual roots than what it actually has, Rebecca Stott revises history to include many thinkers who have no contribution to Evolution (Leonardo da Vinci, Al-Jahiz, etc), while excluding many other thinkers, the contemporaries of Darwin, who had actual influence on the development of Evolution. It is far from an accurate history of Evolutionary thought.
2) Stott makes it clear in her preface that she has childhood bone to pick with religion, or rather Christianity, and takes every opportunity to paint religion as a boogeyman (strangely, Islam is treated almost positively on the chapter dealing with Al-Jahiz). Many of the evidence she uses as support is cherry picked and contribute nothing to the topic, while glossing or ignoring the wealth of contradicting evidence. I take no issue with Stott's freedom to express disagreement with religion, but her bitterness comes through from preface through the entirety of the book, distracting from the actual topic. Often it is as if the book is little more than a backdrop for her to vent pent-up childhood anger.
3) She is a overly critical of those who sought recognition for their contributions to Evolution, while forever apologizing for Darwin's obvious failure to recognize his intellectual forbears. In the preface, Powell is portrayed as an envious and bitter man riding on the coattails of Darwin, rather than an intellectual contributor whose work precedes Darwin. Meanwhile, Darwin, who took ~5 years to write the origin, but somehow could not find the time to mention the contributions of others until years later, is given a large list of excuses from poor health to being under too much pressure. Perhaps the most amusing of such excuses is the argument that Darwin simply was not a good historian and thus cannot be blamed for forgetting to recognize the earlier works of others, even though he had created a list of such people before he ever published The Origin.
4) Finally there is the prose. This book often is more historical fiction in line with the bad reenactments one sees on History Channel programs. The book often meanders into lengthy descriptions of the scenery, while replaying fictional descriptions of what Darwin, Aristotle, Al-Jahiz, etc thought, were doing, feeling, etc. Meanwhile the key ideas that each person contributed or didn't contribute is lost and one is left wondering what this has to do with Evolution.
What does Jean Gilpin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
She does an excellent job, no complaints
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
Other than the subject matter, which is deserving of a good book, no.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
esto le resultó útil a 4 personas