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The reissue of The Development of Darwin’s Theory by Dov Ospovat (Cambridge
University Press, £14.95/$22.95, ISBN 0 521 46940 6) is welcome.
This is the book that sets the maturing of Darwin’s thoughts on evolution in the
context of contemporary biological ferment. In the previous twenty years Darwin
gradually lost faith in the idea that organisms were perfectly adapted to their
environment, and became convinced they were constantly evolving in competition
with each other. The style is clear, the narrative fascinating. It is an
original and important contribution to the Darwin literature.