Professor Steve Jones justly remarks that whereas anybody could name Darwin as the author of Origin of Species and The Descent of Man, far fewer people are aware that this was only a tiny part of his output.
After the Galapagos adventure, and chronically afflicted by ill-health, Darwin spent the rest of his life in Britain, much of it confined to Down House and its neighbourhood, but energetically continuing to study natural history. Luckily, his growing fame meant that correspondents from all over the world supplied him with information and specimens.
The style is easy, the level is basic without being dumbed down. The book is also full of interesting facts which in turn should encourage further study,although I'm not sure I want to know too much about carnivorous mushrooms....
352pp paperback; index
