Review Detail

In the tradition of Childhood of Famous Americans, this biography of Darwin starts with an examination of his formative years, spent in a house with parents who encouraged him to explore the world around him. By turns focused on things that interested him, yet unable to stick with the career path suggested by his father, this book explores the ingredients that combined to make Darwin a driving force in new theories of animal adaptations. Accompanied by amusing illustrations, this biography gives a good overview of not only the individual, but his contributions to science.

This explains an interesting scientist with complete information and amusing anecdotes. The illustrations give some levity to a biography that could be dry if treated differently.