Darwin's humanity

CREATION: THE TRUE STORY OF CHARLES DARWIN
Randal Keynes
Riverhead Books, 2001, 430 pages

This is a book that focuses not so much on Darwin's theory of evolution but on the personal price he paid for it. He well knew the controversy it would begin, which caused him to delay publication until forced to when other scientists independently formulated the natural selection process. Darwin also wrestled with personal conflicts about the strong Christian belief of his wife, whom he adored, against his own growing doubts; and the terrible loss of a daughter, which also made him question life's ultimate meaning. Darwin was anything but an enthusiastic salesman for evolution: he came to the theory because his studies and data, the evidence, brought him there, even though by temperament he would have preferred to lead to different conclusions.

This is a book that should be read by those who question evolution as scientific propaganda. Darwin paid a deep personal price for his scientific courage, to go where the facts took him, no matter what the belief system of the time had to say. This is a moving story about an important discovery.