Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origins of Species

Description

In 1809, when Darwin was born, much of the world was an unexplored wilderness. Our knowledge of the past was nonexistent, and our picture of our species' history little more than a set of fantastic myths and fairytales. But a new era was dawning. Five decades later, On the Origin of the Species was able to draw on the pioneering work of explorers and naturalists to produce a theory that revolutionized our conception of our world. And the revolution didn't stop with the publication of Darwin's masterwork. 150 years later, his 'dangerous idea' is still headline news, denied by many, capable of enraging and dividing, even as biologists decipher the 3-billion-year history of life as written in our very DNA. This book tells the stories of the most dramatic adventures and important discoveries in two centuries of natural history - from Alexander von Humboldt's epic journeys in South America to the hi-tech genome-reading projects making headlines today - and how they gave birth to and have nourished the evolution revolution.

Sean Carroll is an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Professor of Genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His scientific discoveries have been featured in Time and The New York Times, and Carroll himself has written articles for Natural History and Playboy. His first book, Endless Forms Most Beautiful was a 2005 Top Popular Science Book of the Year (USA Today). He and his wife and children reside in Madison, Wisconsin.

'This year's double Darwin anniversary has inspired an outpouring of excellent books. This may be the best of all.' Financial Times. * Financial Times * 'A bracing tonic for those whose rational enjoyment of the natural universe currently seems in danger of being overwhelmed by the strident infantilism of creationists' Spectator. * Spectator * 'Sean Carroll is... a forceful public advocate for biological science as one of the glories of our culture... As Remarkable Creatures vividly shows, this is not yet another trip down the heritage nostalgia trail but the celebration of a vital tradition' Daily Mail. * Daily Mail * Leaves you with an overwhelming sense of awe and respect for the most remarkable of creatures, the men and women who ... gave us a profound sense of place among life on Earth - Guardian. * Guardian *