On the Origin of Species is Charles Darwin’s epoch-making work, which set out the theory of evolution by natural selection and transformed the biological sciences. This is the sixth edition, the last revised by Darwin himself, in which he answered critics and refined the arguments first published in 1859 that explain how species change over time through the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life.
Drawing on decades of observation, from finches and barnacles to domestic breeding, Darwin builds a patient, evidence-rich case that all living things share common descent. Few books have so reshaped human understanding of nature and our place within it. A cornerstone of modern thought, The Origin of Species is offered here as a free EPUB download.