Darwin's on the Origin of Species ─ A Modern Rendition

Charles Darwin’s most famous book On the Origin of Species is without question, one of the most important books ever written. While even the grandest works of Victorian English can prove difficult to modern readers, Darwin wrote his text in haste and under intense pressure. For an era in which Darwin is more talked about than read, Daniel Duzdevich offers a clear, modern English rendering of Darwin’s first edition. Neither an abridgement nor a summary, this version might best be described as a "translation" for contemporary English readers. A monument to reasoned insight, the Origin illustrates the value of extensive reflection, carefully gathered evidence, and sound scientific reasoning. By removing the linguistic barriers to understanding and appreciating the Origin, this edition aims to bring 21st-century readers into closer contact with Darwin’s revolutionary ideas.

Daniel Duzdevich was born in New York and raised in Hungary. Educated at Columbia University and Churchill College, Cambridge, he is currently pursuing a doctorate in biology at Columbia, studying the interactions between proteins and DNA. Duzdevich received an award from the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans in 2012.

Olivia Judson is an evolutionary biologist, science journalist, and author of the acclaimed book Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation, which explores the often strange and always fascinating world of sexual selection.