2009 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of the Origin of Species. To celebrate, National Geographic has released The Darwin Experience: The Story of the Man and His Theory of Evolution.
From the publisher’s description:
Celebrating both the bicentennial of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the electrifying publication of On the Origin of Species, here’s the story of the man and the theory that opened a new chapter in the history of science—transformed into an engaging interactive experience that invites readers to unfold natural selection, evolution, and their challenging implications just as Darwin’s contemporaries did a century and a half ago.
The year 2009 will definitely be Darwin-centric, with major museum exhibitions, international symposiums, and much more, all scheduled to commemorate the double anniversary of a great scientist and the opening volleys of a controversy that still sparks debate and curiosity. Combining science, travel, culture, and history, this book is an elegant, richly illustrated volume that offers not just hundreds of full-color photographs but also a trove of removable facsimile documents that bring the subject alive.
These fascinatingly diverse memorabilia include letters, maps, photographs, sketches, newspaper articles, and more, providing telling glimpses of Darwin’s life as never before, from his early expedition aboard the Beagle to his meticulous, seemingly arcane research in the Galápagos Islands to the practical observations and theoretical conclusions that won him a pivotal place in the history of science.
I’ll be giving away three copies of The Darwin Experience: The Story of the Man and His Theory of Evolution. All you have to do is tell me what this most amazing thing you’ve seen in the natural world: animal, vegetable or mineral.
The contest will be ending on November 21 and I will randomly select three entries.
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Thanks for the giveaway…The most amazing natural sights I have seen are the sea life of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia (while snorkeling) & seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time.
The most amazing thing I have seen is my baby grow up. She is 8 and still growing, but its precious all the new things she learns daily.
I suppose the most amazing thing I have seen is Niagara Falls, though the area is so commercialized now it can hardly be considered part of the natural world anymore. I wonder how powerful and majestic Niagara Falls would look if so much water wasn’t diverted for power creation. It must have been quite amazing to have been a pioneer in this new world and discover such a spectacle. Thank you for the chance to win.
watching the flowers come up in our garden
Watching the wales while we were on a cruise ship was nice
The most amazing thing in nature I have seen is hard to pick but I would say my hike in the rain forest
Watching 2 Waved Albatross during their mating dance on Española in the Galapagos!
I’ve seen seen the swallows at San Juan Capistrano, CA…just amazing how many there are. Thanks for the chance to win a copy of this book!
I’ve seen the monarch butterflies return to Pacific Grove California.
Not too long ago I saw a big flock of hawks ridding the thermals near my house. Very pretty site to see. Thanks.
I love to watch humming birds such amazing creatures.
I always loved learning about this in school.
I have to admit the Luray Caverns were incredible. It’s hard to imagine how many millions of years it took to create those caverns and they were incredibly beautiful. My children were absolutely amazed by them as well.
I like to read this to see how he formulated his theories.
While hanging out at the incredibly amazing Grand Canyon, we were surprised by a Condor fly-by. Huge and majestic (and really fast!) I’ve never seen anything like it.
I’ve read of the incredible diversity of life, and the way different organisms have adapted to their harsh ecosystems.
I think all animals are amazing. I especially like to watch orangs and gorillas when I go to the zoo. Their thinking abilities are amazing.
I’ve seen a cat survive a 5 story fall.
#1 Sahara desert with contrast of sand and blue sky at daybreak (the first image that ever touched my love of the contrast of water and sand & severe attraction to the beach) #2 Desert night starting from the majestic colors after the sunset to the brilliant display of millions of stars never seen before. So removed from the cities, the sky was breathtaking.
The copper resource Wetar island. How the copper are so distinct compared to the benign material surrounding it. How can nature provide resource with such perfect boundaries so that humans should not take more than what they see?
I’ve seen many amazing things… but reflecting back on the picture of our Volkswagen Rabbit parked under this tree (in 1981 there was no fence)… the car looked so puny… as the trunk is ~164 feet in circumference (may very well be the largest girth of any living tree). It’s too bad there is not a person near the trunk for scale.
Nothing compares to Canada’s Arctic. I lived in the north for over 34yrs. There are so many indescribable features the north offers. My favorite is of course the Northern Lights. Lying in the snow mid winter watching the lights dance above you.
A large meteor shower from the Blue Ridge Parkway in Western North Carolina in December.
The Plitvice Lakes in Croatia. I was there in the middle of October, a day ahead of the first snow. The leaves were turning – all golds, yellows and reds. The water was crystal clear and the park was almost empty. It was slightly overcast with periodic rain, which wasn’t hard enough to put me off, but did bring out the natural color in the rocks and plants. Truly incredible.
The greatness and vastness of the Salt Flats in Utah.
While visiting the beach one late afternoon. There were dozens of horseshoe crabs right at the shoreline mating. I had frequently seen horseshoe crabs but never in this great quantity and very rarely in their natural habitat.
The most amazing thing I have seen is Niagara Falls
jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com
The most amazing thing I’ve seen is the grand canyon. Thanks!