Richard Owen: Biology without Darwin Book

This selective biography highlights Darwin's early career and then focuses on his famous theory with a brief background of his work and how it was received upon release. As a young man, Darwin attempted to study in the medical profession and ended up training to be an Anglican priest. He later signed up for a voyage on the HMS Beagle as a naturalist and while surveying and charting the coasts of South America, Europe, and Asia, he kept journals on geology, plant and animal life leading to years of research. I was touched by his devotion to his wife and children with whom he spent a great deal of time sharing his discoveries. Browne mentioned the depression Darwin suffered when his daughter died young after an illness. He had suffered many years with heart problems and stomach troubles himself. I learned a lot about Charles Darwin in this short book, but would have enjoyed a more narrative biography. It would be a good introduction to Darwin's The Origin of Species.