DARWIN Portrait of a Genius

Charles Darwin’s career was shaped by his class, religion, and prejudice. His father and both grandfathers were brilliant and wealthy, which allowed him to study without worrying about money; he witnessed zealous mobs attack the chemist Joseph Priestly and saw his favorite daughter die in childhood, events that left him questioning the idea of a compassionate God; and his belief in superior and inferior races colored his thinking about natural selection. The author explores all three of these factors in this biography. John Curless is an engaging narrator whose English accent adds a nice touch. His pace is good, with slight variations based on the solemnity of the passage. Pauses are well timed, and the author doesn’t bury the listener with detail, keeping the narrative flowing. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2013]