On Darwin Day 2013, I would like to recommend The Reluctant Mr. Darwin: An Intimate Portrait of Charles Darwin and the Making of His Theory of Evolution by David Quammen.

It’s a very readable bio that focuses mainly on Darwin’s life after his return from the voyage on the Beagle in 1836 to the publication, in 1859, of “The Origin of Species.”

Description: Twenty-one years passed between Charles Darwin’s epiphany that “natural selection” formed the basis of evolution and the scientist’s publication of On the Origin of Species. Why did Darwin delay, and what happened during the course of those two decades? The human drama and scientific basis of these years constitute a fascinating, tangled tale that elucidates the character of a cautious naturalist who initiated an intellectual revolution.

Happy reading and happy Dawrin day:-)