Origins of a reluctant genius

If scientists printed their own paper money, says David Quammen, the face of Charles Darwin would be on the bill. Darwin is that important. The ideas he espoused in "The Origin of Species" in 1859 were "profoundly original, and dangerous, and thrilling," Quammen writes, making "Origin" not only one of the most important books about science in the last several centuries, but one of the most important books – period.

But while Darwin's name and book are well known, his real ideas are not, says Quammen in The Reluctant Mr. Darwin. Some who think they agree with him have not realized just where his findings ultimately lead. And about half of the American public simply chooses to disagree, even though scientists routinely rely on Darwin as a bedrock for understanding the history of life on Earth.

Books about Darwin are on the rise as his 200th birthday looms in 2008. What award-winning science journalist Quammen sets out to explain in this biography of Darwin's life after his voyage on the Beagle in 1836 is twofold: What did Darwin really discover? And why did he take so long to tell anyone about it? (Darwin waited more than two decades to publish "Origins" after his return from the South Pacific and Galápagos Islands.)

In the end, Quammen doesn't answer the second question, perhaps not wanting to put the English naturalist on the psychiatrist's couch or lose the brevity that helps make his book so readable.

Was Darwin afraid his ideas would shock Victorian society? Incur the wrath of the politi- cal or religious establishment? Hurt the feelings of his beloved wife, a devout Christian? Was he just too busy caring for his big family?

Or did he have too many other interests? (He was caught up for eight years, for example, studying the taxonomy of barnacles). Was he physically incapacitated? (Darwin sought relief for years at health spas for mysterious bouts of debilitating illness.)

Or it could be that he delayed simply for good scientific reasons, being a careful self-taught scientist who wanted to refine his arguments, run more experiments, and double-check his assumptions? ("That was Darwin's way, methodical and thorough," Quammen writes, "he chewed through huge amounts of material, swallowed the good bits, spit out the rotten stuff and the husks.")

Like a sensible lecturer delivering a broad survey course to nonmajors, author Quammen refuses to choose. His answer: "all of the above."

Today many nonscientists, including many religious people, accept the idea of evolution as fact, that species aren't fixed forever in their forms (by God or nature) but change over long periods of time. (Darwin never wrote that apes evolved into men, Quammen points out, but Darwin's critics could see where his reasoning led.)

Page: 1 | 2