April 22, 2024
Medical historian Markel (The Secret of Life) presents a gripping account of the period between 1858 and 1860 when Darwin wrote and published On the Origin of Species. On June 18, 1858, Darwin received a letter from Alfred Russel Wallace in which the “obscure journeyman naturalist” naively outlined for his competitor a theory of evolution that was “a near-perfect summary” of the same ideas “that Darwin had pondered for more than two decades,” lighting a fire under Darwin to publish his conclusions soon or risk getting scooped. Recounting the difficulties Darwin faced during this period, Markel notes that grief over the death of his infant son from scarlet fever in June 1858 cast a pall over the writing process and exacerbated the “flatulence and stomach pain” that dogged Darwin for much of his adult life. The most revelatory material examines Origin’s heated reception, including a tense climactic account of an 1860 meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science during which zoologist Thomas Huxley’s fierce defense of Darwin against the skeptical Samuel Wilberforce, Bishop of Oxford, proved pivotal in shifting “moral authority from the church to the intellectual power of science.” The result is a detailed and dramatic close-up of a consequential period in scientific history. Photos.
September 13, 2024
Charles Darwin set the scientific world on fire when he published his evolutionary opus, On the Origin of Species. However, when a group of his contemporaries and critics met at Oxford to debate its efficacy, ailing health and the death of his young son prevented him from defending his work in person. Medical historian Markel (The Secret of Life) investigates the likely cause of Darwin's illness and considers the men who represented the "simultaneously reclusive and intellectually audacious" scientist in his absence. Thorough, thought-provoking detail and rich descriptive language will immerse listeners in this engaging narrative. Narrator Mike Cooper has a clear, distinctive timbre. Listeners who enjoy audio for the ability to concurrently perform other tasks will find no such benefit here; the breakneck pace paired with the depth of research requires undivided attention. This, combined with the loss of supplemental drawings, diagrams, and photographs, gives an advantage to the print. VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking cinematic science biography. Recommended for fans of Markel's previous medical histories, such as The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek.--Lauren Hackert
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