Article Review
Charles Darwin a renowned geologist, biologist, and a naturalist born in England in 1882. There were several doctors in Darwin’s lineage. Dr. Erasmus Darwin, his grandfather, was a renowned botanist while his father, Dr. R. W. Darwin, was a medical doctor. His father’s perspective was that Charles would end up being a doctor too. Darwin ended up studying natural history. His contribution in the science of evolution is immense up-to-date.
Besides his contribution to the field of evolution, Charles Darwin undertook The Voyage of the Beagle (Darwin, 1939). This is the momentous voyage account that set into motion events leading to the current intellectual events, which eventually led to The Origin of Species.
The book contains Darwin’s abridged and edited journal of his many travels around the world. The Voyage of the Beagle is, however, the particular one that influenced him greatly to form the theory of evolution. Despite the fact that the theory was formed long after the voyage, as a reader, I could still see signs of first understanding that led to its great levels of information. Just going by the title, “The Voyage” represents a great scientific work in itself. This article advanced many theories in fields like geology, zoology, and botany even without necessarily playing a role in forming the theory of evolution. This resonates from the fact that Darwin went into places where none of the scientists involved in the development of content in these fields went and did thorough investigations and collected firsthand data.
I find it an interesting book since travel writing has become popular nowadays. The urge to read the book is heightened by the length of the journey which extended into five years of exploration and discovering unknown territories especially in South America. I find the writer’s style easy to read combined with an easy flow of knowledge, which can be easily followed even by first time readers.
Darwin’s personality has come forth in many instances across the book. His upbringing and historic periods he lived in have played in his work. His work portrays a man with an appetite to discover and explore which he achieves through his deduction and knowledge skills. If Darwin lived today, he would most probably be a great hacker due to the curiosity to know more. Conclusively, it was a great reading though I have to admit that I skimmed across some sections, but overly, the input was worth the knowledge.
Reference
Darwin, C. (1939). Voyage of the Beagle. Galapagos Archipelago, London: Penguin Books, pp. 268-290.
