Darwin’s Ghosts by Rebecca Stott review

Some cracking chapters in Rebecca Stott’s pre-Darwin history aren’t quite enough.

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18th August, 2012

Review

Darwin’s Ghosts: In Search of the First Evolutionists is a book that pitches well. Following the publication of the first edition of The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin received a letter rebuking him for not having acknowledged his intellectual forebears. In subsequent editions, he attempted to give due credit, but was unsatisfied with his efforts. Now, 150 years later, historian and novelist Rebecca Stott sets about completing the task, bringing back into the light those important thinkers “obscured by the shadow of Darwin”. To set the scene, Stott tells of her own upbringing ...

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