Darwin's luck : chance and fortune in the life and work of Charles Darwin / Patrick H. Armstrong.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Armstrong, Patrick, 1941- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882.

Darwin, Charles.

Naturalists--England--Biography.

Naturalists.

Evolution (Biology)--Research--History--19th century.

Evolution (Biology).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (212 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

London, [England] ; New York, [New York] : Continuum, 2009.

Language Note:

English

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Summary:

It is often asserted that Charles Darwin had a fortunate and indeed privileged life. He came from a wealthy, upper middle class family; he studied at Edinburgh and Cambridge, and then never had to work at anything he did not wish to during his lifetime. He married an attractive and wealthy heiress who was devoted to him. On the other hand, one might make a case for saying that Darwin's life was dogged by ill-luck. His mother died when he was seven; he was sent to a school at which he 'learnt little'; he left Edinburgh Medical School after two years, unqualified. He undertook a five-year voyag

Contents:

Contents; Illustrations; Acknowledgements; Bibliographical Note; 1 Introduction; 2 Charles Darwin's Origins; 3 To Lose One Parent is a Misfortune: Childhood and Adolescence; 4 Cambridge: It's Who You Know as Much as What You Know; 5 The Offer and its Acceptance; 6 Sailor's Luck; 7 Scientific Development aboard HMS Beagle: Seeing Things in the Right Order; 8 Darwin's Women; 9 From London's 'Dirt, Noise, Vice and Misery' to an 'Extraordinarily Rural and Quiet Village'; 10 The Down and Up of Family Life; 11 The Dawning of Dangerous Ideas; 12 The Origin of the Origin; 13 Afterwards

14 Last Things15 Good Luck or Bad Luck?; Index

Notes:

Includes index.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-282-87624-4

9786612876240

1-4411-8169-5

OCLC:

680036295