Dr. Tim M. Berra, professor emeritus of evolution, ecology and organismal biology at The Ohio State University at Mansfield released a book entitled “Darwin and His Children: His Other Legacy” through Oxford University Press this week. The publisher states the book is the “only book that deals substantially with the lives of his children from their birth to their death, each in his or her own chapter.”
“Darwin and His Children: His Other Legacy” traces Darwin’s marriage and children. The book also highlights the careers of his children. William Darwin became a banker and tended the Darwin family’s substantial wealth. Henrietta Darwin edited Charles’ books and wrote a biography of her mother. Three of Darwin’s sons were knighted and elected Fellows of the Royal Society: Sir George Darwin was the world’s expert on tides, Sir Francis Darwin developed the new field of plant physiology, and Sir Horace Darwin founded the world-class Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company. Major Leonard Darwin was a military man, Member of Parliament, and patron of early genetic research.
“This book, richly illustrated with photographs of the Darwin family, demonstrates the intellectual atmosphere whirling about the Darwin household, portrays loving family relationships, and explores entertaining vignettes from their lives.”
Peter C. Doherty, a Nobel Laureate from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at University of Melbourne Medical School gave the Berra’s newest work high marks.
“Tim Berra tells many delightful stories in Darwin and His Children. Charles Darwin has always come across both as an extraordinary intellect and as intensely human, and reading about the lives of the ten children he fathered with Emma Wedgwood reinforces that sense,” reviewed Doherty. “This story of love and respect, joy and tragedy, is interwoven with a record of great insight and achievement across a spectrum of endeavors and generations.”
Dr. Berra continues to contribute to his field of ichthyology through research. In 2009, he gave a substantial specimen collection to the Smithsonian Institute. In addition to his role at Ohio State, he also serves as a university professorial fellow at Charles Darwin University in Australia.
The book joins many other publications on the longtime professor’s list. That list includes: Charles Darwin: The Concise Story of an Extraordinary Man, Freshwater Fish Distribution, A Natural History of Australia, and Evolution and the Myth of Creationism: a basic guide to the facts in the evolution debate.
More information about Dr. Berra and his accomplishments can be found at http://www.mansfield.ohio-state.edu/faculty/tberra/pub.htm.
“This story of love and respect, joy and tragedy, is interwoven with a record of great insight and achievement across a spectrum of endeavors and generations.”
