This one was pretty dry, like studying for AP Bio all over again. However the science is very important for everyone to understand, and Darwin does give extensive accounts of the important scientific takeaways. The finches and mechanisms of natural selection are concepts everyone should learn about one way or another. As an aside, Darwin gets really excited about things like the origins of different types of grasses and that was probably my favorite part.

I would hang out with Darwin.

Appreciated very much the critical thinking, and explanations of how to stick to the facts and what the facts are telling against the grain of received knowledge. Pretty brave, in particular for the period in which it was published.

"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved."

A seminal work and greatly influential on me personally, both in fostering my love of science and in guiding my career as a scientist. I reread Origin every few years and find wonder anew each time. I strongly recommend the first edition, despite it's flaws; it contains the purest form of Darwin's theories, which were somewhat adulterated in response to criticisms for the later versions, especially the sixth. Harvard University Press has a wonderful facsimile of the first edition, with an introduction by Ernst Mayr, that is well worth the extra couple of dollars you'll spend on it.

Only took me a month, but I finally finished this

Ah, Darwin. I've always wanted to read this book. Overall it was pretty great, you can practically feel the epicness as you read each line that brought him to his amazing conclusion. :D My only complaint is the old Victorian English, but that's just a given. I was reading the original edition and it was published in 1859. Otherwise, great book!

Very interesting, I recommend to go to the first edition