The Autobiography of Charles Darwin: 1809-1882

This is a wonderful book. It provides an insightful view of Darwin himself, with only light reference to his revelations about nature and evolution. By reading this book, one learns that Darwin was not the dark, confrontational, angry person religious people try to portray him (they are projecting, I think). Rather, Charles Darwin was a man full of life, wonderment, and humor. He was a very sociable humanitarian who cherished his family, children (10!), and associates. Most of all, he had an insatiable thurst for knowledge about nature, and was a complete devotee to the scientific method. His contribution to our understanding of biology is, of course, historic, but he was also a central figure in the immediate functions of the scientific community of his day. His work lead to the realization that religion is myth, but he does not dwell on this, but mentions it in passing. Instead, he writes about the beauty of the diversity and functionality of nature and how Natural Selection has provided such a rich environment.

Reading the memoir that Darwin wrote for his family, two qualities of the man stand out above all others. The first is his intense humanity--indeed, his lovability. He is modestly self-deprecating in a totally uncalculating way; his devotion to his father, wife, and children shines through, as does his compassion for suffering animals; and his reminiscences of childhood, youth, and young adulthood are quaintly idiosyncratic (he doesn't remember and record "big" events so much as funny or curious little ones that lodged in his memory). He comes across as an incredibly decent guy.Second, he is a scrupulously honest thinker. He abandons his early Christianity (although he admits that he was never very fervent) because his understanding of natural selection rules out the possibility of a Paleyesque divine design in nature, and he rejects the idea of eternal damnation because it seems to him hideously unjust. (The bulk of his religious reflections are found in pp. 85-96.) He is devoted to the empirical method, carefully collecting and collating years and years worth of data before drawing conclusions from them. He especially notes, he tells us, data that seem to run contrary to his hypotheses, because he knows how easy it is to "forget" such inconvenient facts. And he takes great delight in his scientific work. Curious that Darwin laments on at least two occasions that he's lost his youthful taste for poetry, art, and music. His love of the natural world surely is as artistic as scientific.I highly recommend this autobiography to all persons interested in the on-going fracas over evolution. It goes a long way to revealing the real man too often demonized by polemicists.

The man had a sense of humour and did not, apparently, take himself as deadly serious as some of his modern proselytes do.By which I do not want to imply any basic anti-Darwinism on my part, but a certain allergy to dogmatic hair splitting, noticed when reading some current discussions of Mr.Darwin's legacy.The best parts of the book, for me, are those where he light-handedly defines his relation to predecessors, influencers, peers and successors, like e.g. his grandfather Erasmus Darwin (and his version of evolution), or Thomas Malthus (on populations and selection pressure), like Alfred Wallace, who co-fathered the theory of evolution by natural selection (and whose Malay Archipelago is my favorite travel book of all times), or like Herbert Spencer (the man about 'social Darwinism'), with whom CD disagrees completely.I also like CD's thoughts on religion. One moment he defines himself as a definite atheist (regarding a personal interfering god), which surprised me, I did not think he was so clear about that. But then, next page, he backtracks and calls himself a theist in some other way of looking at things (the preceding intelligence). Then somehow he concludes that he is an agnostic. Sound attitude.He does not really spend awfully much time and effort on this memoir, and that determines the easygoing character of this highly readable book. A must for all who are interested in 'the meaning of life'.This edition by N.Barlow adds back some texts which had been purged by the family for this or that reason. That is a good thing. Unfortunately she also adds the whole dreary controversy called the Darwin-Butler disagreement, which is wholly superfluous.

Listening to Charles Darwin talk about his life, from his earliest childhood experiences, proved to me, yet again, that really great people completely lack pomposity and artifice.Darwin spends barely anytime talking about his great works, he really just sets the scene in which these works took place. And because that scene was so firmly Victorian with society tightly bound by religion and class, you also realise what a brave man he was in pursuing his scientific observations.This is only a small book, the actual biography I read in a couple of days. This edition was edited by his grand-daughter and in the end notes some space is devoted to a row between Darwin and a Mr Butler - who you may well ask was Butler, its interesting to note how all these other characters fade into history's darkness, whilst the legacy of Darwin's work lives on.

This autobiography is often cited as the greatest autobiography of a biologist. Read it, and you will probably agree. Darwin had a reputation for being civil and kind (although, maybe not to birds in his youth), and this book proves the point. It contains many sketches of contemporary notables, not all of whom you will recognize, but the sketches are careful, sensitive, and generous.The latter parts of the autobiography include Darwin's reflections on his own mental capacities that, in a less modest man, could be tedious, but from Darwin seem measured perceptive and, again, modest. Finally, he discusses his method of studying. It is not far off my own method in the age before computers and Internet, but could be applied with much profit by contemporary students, but in school and out of school.Buy it. Then, buy the audible version. I listened to the Audible version, and then read the book.

Anyone interested in Darwin needs to read this. There are several biographies out there and they all draw on this book. Why not go to the source, the man himself.

This is the ultimate (uncensored) text of his autobiography that every Darwin admirer should have in his possession. Nora Barlow (also family of Charles Darwin) finally allows the full text with annotations to be known by the public after the first publication of the autobiography by Darwin's son (on the request of Darwin's wife) left out parts too 'sensitive' for the 'Victorian mindset' (very intimate opinions/feelings and amazing reflections on religion given the time he lived in !). Although we can not blame the wife and son for this censureship, it made their first publication left wanting. This book is the final call, it is the real insight into the personal experience of his life of one the greatest brains of mankind.

This is Darwin's well known autobiography as presented by a modern author with plenty of embellishment and taste, making for good reading.

If you think Darwin's theory is important you might want to read more about the man himself. A welcome addition to the darwin collection of writings