Bartholomew, G.: "The Role of Natural History in Contemporary Biology," Bioscience, May 1986, pages 324-29. The study of natural history, which guided Darwin, can still pose key questions for modern molecular disciplines.

Browne, J.: Charles Darwin: Voyaging. Volume 1 of a Biography, Knopf, New York, 1995. A brilliantly penetrating retelling of Darwin’s life up to his decision to write Origin of Species. Written by a former editor of Darwin’s vast correspondence, this is one of the fullest and most revealing accounts of Darwin yet written.

Darwin, C. R.: On the Origins of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1975 reprinting. One of the most important books of all time, Darwin’s long essay is still comprehensible and interesting to modern readers.

Darwin, C. R.: The Voyage of the Beagle, Natural History Press, Garden City, New York, 1962 reprinting. Darwin’s own account of his observations and adventures during the famous five-year voyage he took in his twenties.

Desmond, A., and J. Moore: Darwin, Warner Books, New York, 1992. A marvelously detailed account of how Darwin developed his theory of natural selection, from a modern "social" approach that emphasizes Darwin the person.

Gould, S.: "Darwinism Defined: The Difference Between Fact and Theory," Discover, January 1987, pages 64-70. A clear account of what biologists do and do not mean when they refer to the theory of evolution.

Gould, S.: Wonderful Life. The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., New York, New York, 1989. A marvelous book about the early evolution of animals and about evolution in general.

Irvine, W.: Apes, Angels, and Victorians, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, New York, 1954. A classic, beautifully written account of Darwin and the early years of the theory of evolution.

Lyell, C.: Principles of Geology: Being an Inquiry How Far the Former Changes of the Earth’s Surface are Referable to Causes Now in Operation, John Murray Publ., London, 1830. Lyell’s most famous work, and the book that made a profound impact on young Darwin during his voyage on the Beagle.

Malthus, T. R.: An Essay on the Principle of Population, or A View of Its Past and Present Effects on Human Happiness; with an Inquiry into Our Prospects Respecting the Future Removal or Mitigation of the Evils Which It Occasions, Cambridge University Press, 1992. One of the many scholarly presentations and analyses of Malthus’ famous discourse on the control of populations.

Moore, J.A.: Science as a Way of Knowing—The Foundations of Modern Biology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass, 1993. An outstanding exposition of evolution and the whole field of biology.

Smith, J.M.: The Problems of Biology, Oxford University Press, London, 1986. A succinct and witty guide to what biology is all about and the deep problems on which all research elaborates.

Weiner, J.: The Beak of the Finch, Knopf, New York, 1994. A remarkable account of how biologists study evolution in action among the Galápagos finches today.