Brilliant, hard-working, immensely productive and influential, the naturalist Richard Owen was a great promoter of science, and played a large role in shaping London’s Natural History Museum. An often difficult and arrogant individual, he was accused of plagiarism and bullying, and is the only man whom Charles Darwin claimed to hate. Although strongly opposed to Darwin and Thomas Huxley’s theories of evolution through natural selection, there is evidence that a few of Owen’s ideas were not so very distant from theirs. This biography gives an account of Owen’s life and work, providing possible psychological and social reasons for some of his more controversial characteristics, and his sometimes rather strained relations with his scientific contemporaries.

Just how far did Charles Darwin's luck - both good and bad - affect his life and scientific discoveries? One might make a case for saying that Darwin's life was dogged by ill-luck (or perhaps ill-fortune is more appropriate). His mother died when he was seven; he was sent to a school at which he 'learnt little'; he left Edinburgh Medical School after two years, unqualified. He undertook a five-year voyage although he was prone to sea-sickness; his girlfriend (of whom there is evidence he was very fond) married someone else a few months into this voyage. He was affected by ill-health throughout much of his life. One of his children appears to have been mentally handicapped and this child, and also his beloved Annie, died in infancy. In addition to all this, his brother became addicted to drugs.On the other hand one could argue that he had a privileged and fortunate life - perhaps the more common view. At a number of key points in his life he made a choice, or others made a choice, or circumstances occurred, that profoundly influenced the path that he took. There is a school of thought, one that this book investigates, that although Darwin came to the right conclusions, he did not actually follow the right path in getting there. While his science was sometimes flawed, he had the distinct knack of good instinct. Whilst on his voyage to the Galapagos vital evidence that would have led to his theories becoming clearer quite literally slipped through his fingers - Galapagos turtles were caught, examined and their shells thrown overboard. Had he been more thorough, Darwin may have noticed that the clues to his theory of evolution were on these very shells.

This is an annual collection of studies of individuals who have made major contributions to the development of geography and geographical thought. Subjects are drawn from all periods and from all parts of the world, and include famous names as well as those less well known: explorers, independent thinkers and scholars. Each paper describes the geographer's education, life and work and discusses their influence and spread of academic ideas, and includes a select bibliography and brief chronology. The work includes a general index and a cumulative index of geographers listed in volumes published to date.

This volume is an annual collection of studies on individuals who have made major contributions to the development of geography or geographical thought. Each chapter describes the geographer's education, life and work, discusses their influence, and includes a bibliography of their works.

Nearly 200 years after his birth in 1809, and nearly 150 years after the publication of his groundbreaking book The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin remains a controversial figure in science and society. But how much does today's student really know about Darwin and his times? This A-to-Z reference work provides user with an understanding of the intellectual, social, and material world in which Darwin lived. This culture profoundly influenced Darwin's work in biology and geology, in general, and his theory of natural selection, in particular. Understanding this period and Darwin's life and times is essential for understanding the development of evolution and biology. In essence, this encyclopedia will cover everything that made Darwin one of the most influential figures of the last 150 years. All Things Darwin covers all the important ideas, voyages, people, and things that influenced the life and work of Charles Darwin and, through him, the subsequent history of science and society. Entries include: BLArchaeopteryx BLCorals and Coral Reefs BLGeological Time Scale BLKarl Marx BLOrigins of Life BLAdam Smith BLTortoises and Turtles BLVoyage of the Beagle In addition, the volume includes entries on people and idea that Darwin's work influenced.