The Origin of Evolution: The Idea of Natural Selection Before and After Darwin

The theory of natural selection did not arise for the first time and in a fully formed state in the mind of Charles Darwin. Philosophers and scientists around the world have explored and discussed it for thousands of years. The... book by John and Mary Gribbin describes what views on evolution existed before Darwin, how the idea of evolution changed in different societies over time, and how it developed in the 20th century. This does not diminish Darwin's own achievements in understanding how evolution works at the level of individuals and species, but his contribution was one of the links in the chain that goes back to antiquity and continues to this day.