The reception of Charles Darwin in Europe /

This two-volume work, with essays by natural and social scientists as well as philosophers, examines not only Charles Darwin's contributions and his effect on natural history, but how their disciplines have been shaped by Darwin's work. Although this collection is not the first to explore Darwin's reception in different European countries, this analysis has been extended to smaller countries, e.g., Finland, Poland, and Norway. Darwin is portrayed as a subtle thinker, whose ideas were interpreted by such contemporaries as Herbert Spencer and Ernst Haeckel, people who sometimes had different views of evolution than Darwin, which has allowed some of their ideas to be mistakenly ascribed to Darwin. The book provides a useful timeline, including important events in Darwin's life and afterwards--1809 to 2008--together with relevant developments in each country, i.e., the dates of translations of Darwin's publications and related work, scholarly analyses, and debate. The US is included in the timeline, but no essay is specifically devoted to North America. This vast and complex subject is best suited for advanced readers from various disciplines in the natural and social sciences and philosophy. Summing Up: Recommended. Libraries serving graduate students through professionals. J. S. Schwartz emeritus, CUNY College of Staten Island