The Descent of Man

In The Descent of Man, Charles Darwin applied his revolutionary theory of evolution to the human story.

Having avoided discussion of human evolution in On the Origin of Species – believing the subject too provocative – in his final major work (1871) Darwin ignited a firestorm of controversy by arguing that humans descended from primates.

It also outlined his radical theory of sexual selection for the first time and argued that female mate choice had profoundly shaped divergent racial characteristics, within a unified human family. Modern scholars have since argued that the book’s core ideas on race were informed by Darwin's hatred of slavery.

This elegant facsimile edition has been reproduced from an antique Victorian copy from the Library or the Natural History Museum, London. It’s presented in imitation leather binding with delicate gold foiling, decorative end papers and a gold ribbon marker.

Named by Sigmund Freud as 'one of the ten most significant books' ever written, this landmark work offers insights that continue to influence scientific thought today.