The Coming of Evolution: The Story of a Great Revolution in Science

Judd, John W. (John Wesley), 1840-1916Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.2
Word count
242K words
Chapters
25

Tags

English Originals Popular ScienceNatural Sciences History of ScienceScience EnlightenmentScientific RevolutionNature ObservationIdeological ChangeEvolution TheoryIntellectual EnlightenmentAcademic MonographAcademic StudyPopular Narrative

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Coming of Evolution: The Story of a Great Revolution in Science by John W. JuddAuthor: Judd, John W. (John Wesley), 1840-1916,Language: English, Class: QH: Science: Natural history, Release Date: Feb 18, 2010

Editor's review

This book offers a popular history of how evolution was proposed and gradually accepted by the scientific community; its author was both a geologist and a skilled writer for general readers. The focus is on how scientific ideas change rather than on cataloguing biological facts, allowing readers to grasp the inner logic of a scientific revolution through personal debates, accumulating evidence, and interactions among disciplines. As a public-domain e-book, it is short and plainly written, suitable as an introductory read in the history of science and for teachers seeking supplementary chapters when discussing evolution. Readers should note that it was written long ago, so some statements diverge from today's scientific consensus; it is best treated as a historical text that illuminates the academic debates of its time, not as up-to-date popular science.

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Reading tips

  1. Begin with the table of contents to grasp the timeline, then read chapters in order to avoid losing the thread of the argument.
  2. As you read, list key figures and their corresponding evidence to build your own timeline of the scientific revolution.
  3. Annotate passages that conflict with contemporary consensus, and check modern views for comparison after finishing.
  4. Select one chapter as a model of popular-science writing and analyze how the author organizes the argument.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25

FAQ

How does this book differ from a modern evolutionary biology textbook? The book focuses on how evolutionary ideas were proposed, debated, and accepted in history; it is a narrative of the history of science rather than a systematic exposition of modern theories such as heredity and variation. It helps readers understand the background of conceptual change but cannot replace a contemporary biology textbook.
Can someone without a science background understand it? Yes. The author writes for general readers, explains terminology fairly fully, and builds the argument through people and events. Basic English reading ability suffices; unfamiliar technical terms can be understood from context, and no prior study of biology is necessary.
Are the book's views still accurate today? It was written long ago, and some details and statements now diverge from contemporary scientific consensus. Read it as a historical text, focusing on how scholars of the time discussed and accepted evolution, and remain mindful of checking specific conclusions against modern sources.

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About the author

Judd, John W. (John Wesley), 1840-1916 Author · American · 1840–1916

John W. Judd (1840–1916) was an American educator and history writer who produced history books intended for school readers. His representative work, The Coming of Evolution: The Story of a Great Revolution in Science, recounts the origins and course of a major revolution in the history of science in an accessible narrative style, reflecting his emphasis on readability and classroom use. His works generally served school instruction in history and science, with clear prose and well-defined lines of exposition that suit general readers and students. Public information about his life and scholarly activities is limited; the present account rests mainly on the subjects and school-oriented character of his writings and should not be taken to support further speculation.