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Origin of Species worth the read?

A

Abi

New Member
arg-fallbackName="Abi"/>
Just wondering, is the Origin of Species worth the read now days? I know there are wrong facts in the book, ones that have been corrected in recent science. I've never gotten more than a chapter due to boredom of it...so am I missing anything by not reading it?
 
arg-fallbackName="Netheralian"/>
I have to admit that my copy has been sitting in my book shelf since I bought it. I have every intention of reading it, but I just can't face it. I'm proud to own it but generally I have either something more exciting to read, or its winter and I'm bored and depressed enough and I can't face non-fiction books... (unless its Bill Bryson or someone that can tell a story about facts.)
 
arg-fallbackName="MRaverz"/>
I'm a quarter of the way through and it can get a bit hard to read at times, but seeing as I'm interested in early evolutionary thinking it proves rewarding when I finally manage to decode it. :lol:
 
arg-fallbackName="dr_esteban"/>
mostly no imo

awesome idea but I no one reads Watson and Cricks paper now so why should they read Darwin

science is unkind and brutal new>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>old that's us the way it is and should be
 
arg-fallbackName="JacobEvans"/>
Dear lord people!

I'm in the process of reading it and I find it to be fascinating! The enthusiasm he had for his idea is evident throughout the book, and his predictions showed beautiful foresight.
 
arg-fallbackName="Squawk"/>
First, a preface, I haven't read it.

Ok, onwards. Don't read it if you want to learn anything about biology. Get TGSOE for a far more up to date and comprehensive yet easy to understand book (and I haven't read that either).

However, well worth reading for its historical impact. This was a hugely important book and one that I do plan to pick up and read in the hope of seeing how exactly Darwin came to the realisations he did, what his reasoning was.
 
arg-fallbackName="JacobEvans"/>
Squawk said:
Ok, onwards. Don't read it if you want to learn anything about biology. Get TGSOE for a far more up to date and comprehensive yet easy to understand book (and I haven't read that either).
Click to expand...

You really should read it before knocking it.

Any idiot could find the errors, which are surprisingly few. There is a lot of information that is very valid.
 
arg-fallbackName="Squawk"/>
I'm not knocking it. I'm suggesting that a book from 150 years ago is not the best source of information about modern biology.
 
arg-fallbackName="biology4life"/>
I found it a most enjoyable read as:

I am interested in the history of science, it is a facinating glimpse into the period.
I found much of it to be quite poetic and engagingly written, although i admit the style is an aquired taste.
It is also very intertesting to see what Darwin got wrong.

However as a science text book it can not be recomended.
 
arg-fallbackName="Nibdo"/>
I managed to get a copy of Comfort's Origin.

Still debating whether to take the time to read it or not, given my copy's original source.

Nonetheless, a quick skim through it looks fine. I'd read it if I had your copy. :p
 
arg-fallbackName="GuppyPal"/>
I would say it's main value would be to understand Darwin and Darwin's time, not so much to understand evolution itself.

I think it's funny how a lot of creationists think Evolution lives and dies on what Darwin said, as if he's our Jesus. Darwin was great; he gave us one of the most important and influential theories in science, but we've learned a great deal over the last 150 years. Any basic biology textbook is going to be more insightful to modern biology than Origin of Species.
 
arg-fallbackName="JacobEvans"/>
What the hell is wrong with you guys!?!

There's a reason it's still called Darwinian Evolution.

Yeah, stuff has changed, but so have the ideas in physics. We still learn Newtonian physics right?
 
arg-fallbackName="Talono"/>
dr_esteban said:
mostly no imo

awesome idea but I no one reads Watson and Cricks paper now so why should they read Darwin

science is unkind and brutal new>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>old that's us the way it is and should be
Click to expand...
Watson and Crick's paper is actually a pretty quick read. It's only one page.
 
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