Book by UC Riverside biologist explains Darwin's 'Origin o...(way Darwin defined evolution and how we ...),Health

Reznick hopes his book will expand the general public's knowledge of both Darwin and evolution.

"Anyone who reads my book will get more than an explanation of the Origin," he said. "They will also get a sense of the growth of an idea and how science works."

Reznick's background research for writing the book was a product of his teaching and his hobby of reading works by Darwin, his contemporaries, his biographies, and books about the history of science. Painstakingly, he also read the original literature that followed the Origin, from 1860-1918, then the modern synthesis classics that appeared in the 1930s and later.

"I also followed Darwin's lead of making heavy use of correspondence," Reznick said. "He was famous for writing letters and seeking input from experts all over the world by making best use of the efficient Victorian postage network. I used the Internet."

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