Origin Story: The Trials of Charles Darwin - Hardcover

by Howard Markel (Author)

By early morning of June 30, 1860, a large crowd began to congregate in front of Oxford University's brand-new Museum of Natural History. The occasion was the annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and the subject of discussion was Charles Darwin's new treatise: fact or fiction?

Darwin, a simultaneously reclusive and intellectually audacious squire from Kent, claimed to have solved "that mystery of mysteries," introducing a logical explanation of the origin of species--how they adapted, even transmogrified, through natural selection. At stake, on that summer's day of spirited debate, was the very foundation of modern biology, not to mention the future of the church. Without fear of exaggeration, Darwin's thesis would forever change our understanding of the life sciences and the natural world. And yet the author himself was nowhere to be found in the debate hall--instead, he was miles away, seeking respite from a spate of illnesses that had plagued him for much of his adult life.

In Origin Story, medical historian Howard Markel recounts the two-year period (1858 to 1860) of Darwin's writing of On the Origin of Species through its spectacular success and controversy. Simultaneously, Markel delves into the mysterious health symptoms Darwin developed, combing the literature to emerge with a cogent diagnosis of a case that has long fascinated medical historians. The result is a colorful portrait of the man, his friends and enemies, and his seminal work, which resonates to this day.

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Praise for The Secret of Life by Howard Markel

"Howard Markel--physician, professor and gifted writer--tells the story [of DNA] again, setting scenes and shrewdly capturing the character and motivations of the central players. . . . [H]is depiction of the clash of personalities is superb."
-- Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post

"Markel's engrossing book makes a convincing case that Franklin deserves much more recognition; science lovers and laypeople alike will be drawn in by this compelling story."
-- Michael Schaub, NPR

"A cinematic account of toxic masculinity among 1950s DNA researchers. . . . [Rosalind Franklin] probably would have hated being the heroine of a movie, but we're fortunate to have books such as this to put her back in the picture."
-- Katy Guest, The Guardian

"[Markel is the] author of nonfiction books that roll along like novels. . . . That flair of fun wit helps define the tone of The Secret of Life."
-- Kevin Berger, Nautilus

"Howard Markel's brilliant book examining the discovery of DNA is a 'must read' for biologists and historians. But this is also a book for every reader; it brings to life the discovery of life itself. From Watson, Crick, and Franklin to the dozens of characters that Markel includes, The Secret of Life covers vast and important ground. . . . An indispensable work."
-- Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies and The Gene