Book description
In this investigation of orchids, first published in 1862, Darwin expands on a point made in On the Origin of Species that he felt required further explanation, namely that he believes it to be 'a universal law of nature that organic beings require an occasional cross with another individual'. Darwin…
Why read it?
1 author picked On the Various Contrivances by Which British and Foreign Orchids are Fertilised by Insects as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I think that minor books could be real treasures. I love what Darwin wrote here: the secret of evolution is tinkering.
The creativity of life lies in ingeniously reusing already existing or useless structures, assigning them to new functions. Life is contrivances. Our DNA, our bodies, our brains are no exceptions.
From Telmo's list on the fact that evolution didn't predict us.
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