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Chargement... Darwin's Garden: Down House and the Origin of Species (original 2008; édition 2009)par Michael Boulter
Information sur l'oeuvreDarwin's Garden par Michael Boulter (2008)
   Aucun Actuellement, il n'y a pas de discussions au sujet de ce livre.  ngood77 | Nov 15, 2008 |  aucune critique | ajouter une critique
Five years after returning from his trip around the world on HMS Beagle, the young Charles Darwin became the owner of Down House in Kent, where he moved his growing family, far away from the turmoil and distractions of London. He would live here for the rest of his life. It would become the place where he began work on his masterpiece On the Origin of Species. For almost twenty years he used the garden around him as his laboratory. In the orchard he conducted experiments on pollination. He built a dovecot where he could breed new strains of pigeons that helped him understand the questions of generation. On his daily walk along the sandbank he observed how plants competed for survival. In his heated greenhouse he conducted experiments on orchids and primulas. In solitude he was also able to struggle with the ideas of evolution that had haunted him since his voyage, and give him the courage to publish his revolutionary new ideas. Bringing Darwin's garden to the present day, Boulter unfolds a shining portrait of the formation of one of England's greatest thinkers and his relationship with the place he loved and shows how his experiments that he conducted over 150 years ago are still revealing new proofs and revelations as we continue to search for the origins of life. Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
Discussion en coursAucunCouvertures populaires
 Google Books — Chargement...GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)576.8Natural sciences and mathematics Life Sciences, Biology Genetics and evolution EvolutionClassification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne: (2.72)
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3
The first part is easily the more enjoyable and insightful of the two, offering a very good biographical view on life at Down House, Darwin's surrounding family, co-scientists and the house and its gardens in general. Boulter is clearly a scientist with a strong ear for the role of narrative to explain and bring to life Darwin's life and times. He is interested in the relationships that Darwin held, the effect of illness and criticism upon Darwin and the anxiety Darwin felt about the impact his ideas would have.
The second part of the book, although soundly written and informative, is a more textbooky description of the actual science and scientists associated with evolution and genetics, taking us right up the present day. There is nothing particularly wrong with this half of the book, it just lacks the 'storytelling' feel of the first part. There also seemed to be a tendency to skim over, or not properly explain some of the scientific ideas discussed, and at other times some assumptions around prior knowledge of certain subjects were made.
But overall this is a book well worth reading and is a sound addition to the Darwin literature. (