
Charles Darwin
Destroyer of Myths
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $24.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Allan Robertson
-
By:
-
Andrew Norman
About this listen
Charles Darwin did not deliberately set out to be the destroyer of mythical beliefs,” some of which, in his early days as a young Christian, he had previously espoused. He was a modest man who liked to avoid controversy of any kind, yet paradoxically, he was to be the cause of the greatest controversy in the history of science and religion.
When Darwin embarked on the HMS Beagle in late December 1831, bound for the southern hemisphere, he could not have imagined that the experience would lead him to formulate a theory that would totally revolutionize the way in which we viewed the natural world. He did not come to his conclusions about the origin and evolution of all life on Earth quickly, though, for just as the living organisms to which his theory applied had evolved over millions of years, so his thinking evolved as his own life progressed.How did this thoughtful, methodical scientist come to have such an impact on his timeand on ours? These questions and more are what Andrew Norman seeks to answer in this biography of the author of The Origin of Species.
©2014 Andrew Norman (P)2014 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The God Delusion
- By: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover magazine recently called Richard Dawkins "Darwin's Rottweiler" for his fierce and effective defense of evolution. Prospect magazine voted him among the top three public intellectuals in the world (along with Umberto Eco and Noam Chomsky). Now Dawkins turns his considerable intellect on religion, denouncing its faulty logic and the suffering it causes.
-
-
Dangerous Religion
- By Rick Just on 12-21-06
By: Richard Dawkins
-
The Language of God
- A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief
- By: Francis S. Collins
- Narrated by: Francis S. Collins
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Francis Collins, head of the Human Genome Project, is one of the world's leading scientists, yet he is also a man of unshakable faith in God and scripture. Dr. Collins has resolved the dilemma that haunts everyone who believes in God and respects science. Faith in God and faith in science can be harmonious, not separately but together, combined into one worldview. For Collins, science does not conflict with the Bible, science enhances it.
-
-
For those on the fence
- By Stephen on 10-07-06
-
The Darwin Myth
- The Life and Lies of Charles Darwin
- By: Benjamin Wiker Ph.D.
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Scientists often challenge conventional wisdom and spark debates that last for generations. But no scientist has fuelled more debate than Charles Darwin. To some he is the revolutionary 'father' of evolution. To others he is the perverse 'originator' of modern eugenics. In The Darwin Myth: The Life and Lies of Charles Darwin, author Benjamin Wiker brings these conflicting identities to light.
-
-
A Balanced View of Darwin and Evolution
- By Don Lance on 02-22-13
-
The Abolition of Man
- By: C. S. Lewis
- Narrated by: Douglas Gresham
- Length: 1 hr and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Both astonishing and prophetic, The Abolition of Man remains one of C. S. Lewis's most controversial works. Lewis sets out to persuade his audience of the ongoing importance and relevance of universal objective values, such as courage and honor, and the foundational necessity of natural law. He also makes a cogent case that a retreat from these pillars of our educational system, even if in the name of "scientism", would be catastrophic. National Review lists it as number seven on their "100 Best Nonfiction Books of the 20th Century".
-
-
Lewis the philosopher, not the theologian
- By Ian McKay on 05-11-17
By: C. S. Lewis
-
The Portable Atheist
- Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever
- By: Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: Nicholas Ball
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Christopher Hitchens continues to make the case for a splendidly godless universe in this first-ever gathering of the influential voices past and present that have shaped his side of the current (and raging) God/no-god debate. With Hitchens as your erudite and witty guide, you'll be led through a wealth of philosophy, literature, and scientific inquiry, including generous portions of the words of Lucretius, Benedict de Spinoza, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Mark Twain, and more.
-
-
This is ABRIDGED
- By David Wolf on 06-05-08
-
The Cosmic Serpent
- DNA and the Origins of Knowledge
- By: Jeremy Narby
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This adventure in science and imagination, which the Medical Tribune said might herald "a Copernican revolution for the life sciences", leads the listener through unexplored jungles and uncharted aspects of mind to the heart of knowledge. In a first-person narrative of scientific discovery that opens new perspectives on biology, anthropology, and the limits of rationalism, The Cosmic Serpent reveals how startlingly different the world around us appears when we open our minds to it.
-
-
Very Good Religious Text
- By Blair K. Hartman on 08-09-17
By: Jeremy Narby
-
The God Delusion
- By: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover magazine recently called Richard Dawkins "Darwin's Rottweiler" for his fierce and effective defense of evolution. Prospect magazine voted him among the top three public intellectuals in the world (along with Umberto Eco and Noam Chomsky). Now Dawkins turns his considerable intellect on religion, denouncing its faulty logic and the suffering it causes.
-
-
Dangerous Religion
- By Rick Just on 12-21-06
By: Richard Dawkins
-
The Language of God
- A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief
- By: Francis S. Collins
- Narrated by: Francis S. Collins
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Francis Collins, head of the Human Genome Project, is one of the world's leading scientists, yet he is also a man of unshakable faith in God and scripture. Dr. Collins has resolved the dilemma that haunts everyone who believes in God and respects science. Faith in God and faith in science can be harmonious, not separately but together, combined into one worldview. For Collins, science does not conflict with the Bible, science enhances it.
-
-
For those on the fence
- By Stephen on 10-07-06
-
The Darwin Myth
- The Life and Lies of Charles Darwin
- By: Benjamin Wiker Ph.D.
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Scientists often challenge conventional wisdom and spark debates that last for generations. But no scientist has fuelled more debate than Charles Darwin. To some he is the revolutionary 'father' of evolution. To others he is the perverse 'originator' of modern eugenics. In The Darwin Myth: The Life and Lies of Charles Darwin, author Benjamin Wiker brings these conflicting identities to light.
-
-
A Balanced View of Darwin and Evolution
- By Don Lance on 02-22-13
-
The Abolition of Man
- By: C. S. Lewis
- Narrated by: Douglas Gresham
- Length: 1 hr and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Both astonishing and prophetic, The Abolition of Man remains one of C. S. Lewis's most controversial works. Lewis sets out to persuade his audience of the ongoing importance and relevance of universal objective values, such as courage and honor, and the foundational necessity of natural law. He also makes a cogent case that a retreat from these pillars of our educational system, even if in the name of "scientism", would be catastrophic. National Review lists it as number seven on their "100 Best Nonfiction Books of the 20th Century".
-
-
Lewis the philosopher, not the theologian
- By Ian McKay on 05-11-17
By: C. S. Lewis
-
The Portable Atheist
- Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever
- By: Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: Nicholas Ball
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Christopher Hitchens continues to make the case for a splendidly godless universe in this first-ever gathering of the influential voices past and present that have shaped his side of the current (and raging) God/no-god debate. With Hitchens as your erudite and witty guide, you'll be led through a wealth of philosophy, literature, and scientific inquiry, including generous portions of the words of Lucretius, Benedict de Spinoza, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Mark Twain, and more.
-
-
This is ABRIDGED
- By David Wolf on 06-05-08
-
The Cosmic Serpent
- DNA and the Origins of Knowledge
- By: Jeremy Narby
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This adventure in science and imagination, which the Medical Tribune said might herald "a Copernican revolution for the life sciences", leads the listener through unexplored jungles and uncharted aspects of mind to the heart of knowledge. In a first-person narrative of scientific discovery that opens new perspectives on biology, anthropology, and the limits of rationalism, The Cosmic Serpent reveals how startlingly different the world around us appears when we open our minds to it.
-
-
Very Good Religious Text
- By Blair K. Hartman on 08-09-17
By: Jeremy Narby
-
A History of Western Philosophy
- By: Bertrand Russell
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 38 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Considered to be one of the most important philosophical works of all time, the History of Western Philosophy is a dazzlingly unique exploration of the ideologies of significant philosophers throughout the ages - from Plato and Aristotle through to Spinoza, Kant and the 20th century. Written by a man who changed the history of philosophy himself, this is an account that has never been rivaled since its first publication over 60 years ago.
-
-
Russell's Philosophy, Some History Included
- By Donald on 06-19-21
By: Bertrand Russell
-
Darwin on Trial
- By: Phillip E. Johnson
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Darwin's theory of evolution is accepted by most educated Americans as simple fact. This easy acceptance, however, hides from us the many ways in which evolution - as an idea - shapes our thinking about a great many things. What if this idea is wrong? What if "evolution" is just a word that covers up scientific ignorance of how the wonders of the living world could have been created? Berkeley law professor Phillip Johnson looks at the evidence for Darwinistic evolution the way a lawyer would - with a cold dispassionate eye for logic and proof.
-
-
Pretty good book
- By mk313 on 05-11-05
-
On the Soul & Parva Naturalia
- By: Aristotle
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two contrasting reflections by Aristotle which cover very particular ground. In 'On the Soul', Aristotle presents his view of the 'life essence' which, he argues, is possessed by living things whether plants, animals or humans. Not a 'soul' in the generally accepted Western use of the term, this 'soul', he says, is a life force that is indivisible from the organism that possesses it.
-
-
DeAnima. Aristotle on the soul.
- By Reader on 07-28-18
By: Aristotle
-
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived
- The Human Story Retold Through Our Genes
- By: Adam Rutherford
- Narrated by: Adam Rutherford
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In our unique genomes, every one of us carries the story of our species - births, deaths, disease, war, famine, migration, and a lot of sex. But those stories have always been locked away - until now. Who are our ancestors? Where did they come from? Geneticists have suddenly become historians, and the hard evidence in our DNA has completely upended what we thought we knew about ourselves. Acclaimed science writer Adam Rutherford explains exactly how genomics is completely rewriting the human story - from 100,000 years ago to the present.
-
-
I wish this book was in American high schools.
- By melody sheldon on 03-31-19
By: Adam Rutherford
-
Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism
- By: Aron Ra
- Narrated by: Aron Ra
- Length: 16 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Religious fundamentalists and biblical literalists present any number of arguments that attempt to disprove evolution. Those with a sympathetic ear often fail to critically examine these creationist claims, leading to an ill-informed public and, perhaps more troubling, ill-advised public policy. As Aron Ra makes clear, however, every single argument deployed by creationists in their attacks on evolution is founded on fundamental scientific, religious, and historical falsehoods - all of them.
-
-
A fantastic listen!
- By Ms. Gray on 11-06-16
By: Aron Ra
-
The Reluctant Mr. Darwin
- Charles Darwin and the Making of His Theory of Evolution
- By: David Quammen
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In September 1838, a young Englishman named Charles Darwin hit upon the idea that "natural selection" among competing individuals would lead to wondrous adaptations and species diversity. Twenty-one years passed between that epiphany and publication of On the Origin of Species. The human drama and scientific controversy of that time constitute a fascinating, tangled tale that illuminates this cautious naturalist who sparked an intellectual revolution.
-
-
Darwin portrait.
- By J B Tipton on 11-06-07
By: David Quammen
-
Science in the Soul
- Selected Writings of a Passionate Rationalist
- By: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward, Gillian Somerscales
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For decades Richard Dawkins has been the world's most brilliant scientific communicator, consistently illuminating the wonders of nature and attacking faulty logic. Science in the Soul brings together 42 essays, polemics, and paeans - culled from personal papers, newspapers, lectures, and online salons - all written with Dawkins' characteristic erudition, remorseless wit, and unjaded awe of the natural world.
-
-
Great writing; distracting reading
- By Chris DeMuth Jr on 08-09-17
By: Richard Dawkins
-
Evolution
- The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory
- By: Edward J. Larson
- Narrated by: John McDonough
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Edward J. Larson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and eminent science historian. This marvelously readable, yet sumptuously erudite work traces the development of the scientific theory of evolution. From Darwin's essential trip to the Galápagos, to the most contemporary studies in sociobiology, this work takes listeners both into the field and laboratories of the world's greatest evolutionary scientists, and shows how the theory of evolution has itself evolved.
-
-
An Excellent History!
- By Bradly D. Elder on 08-13-07
By: Edward J. Larson
-
The Book That Changed America
- How Darwin's Theory of Evolution Ignited a Nation
- By: Randall Fuller
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The compelling story of the effect of Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species on a diverse group of American writers, abolitionists, and social reformers, including Henry David Thoreau and Bronson Alcott, in 1860.
-
-
Oversold
- By Roger on 03-03-17
By: Randall Fuller
-
Kant in 90 Minutes
- By: Paul Strathern
- Narrated by: Robert Whitfield
- Length: 1 hr and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Immanuel Kant taught and wrote prolifically about physical geography yet never traveled further than forty miles from his home in Kvnigsberg. How appropriate it is then that in his philosophy he should deny that all knowledge was derived from experience. He insisted that all experience must conform to knowledge. According to Kant, space and time are subjective; along with various "categories," they help us to see the phenomena of the world, though never its true reality.
-
-
Kant lite
- By CyberMind on 05-25-04
By: Paul Strathern
-
A Brief History of Creation
- Science and the Search for the Origin of Life
- By: Bill Mesler, H. James Cleaves II
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How did life begin? It is perhaps the most important question science has ever asked. Over the centuries, the search for an answer has been entwined with some of science's most revolutionary advances, including van Leeuwenhoek's microscope, Darwin's theory of evolution, and Crick and Watson's unveiling of DNA.
-
-
5 stars for the history, 2 stars for current theor
- By serine on 04-03-16
By: Bill Mesler, and others
-
The Metaphysical Club
- By: Louis Menand
- Narrated by: Henry Leyva
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hardly a club in the conventional sense, the organization referred to in the title of this superb literary hybrid (part history, part biography, part philosophy) consisted of four members and probably existed for less than nine months.
-
-
The Great American Experiment
- By Victoria on 12-08-03
By: Louis Menand
What listeners say about Charles Darwin
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- SR
- 07-03-15
Amazing
An unlikely read but thoroughly enjoyed. One of my top 5 books for sure. An amazing story about an amazing life
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Geedub
- 06-27-15
I expected more
Despite a fascinating subject the mediocre writing style had me looking forward to the end of the book. For example, why did the author include a five minute long list of the various forms of "the water cure?" Three stars because I did get an overview of Darwin for a very low sale price. If I had paid full price I would have asked for a refund.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sinj
- 06-10-15
Excellent writing and narration!
What did you love best about Charles Darwin?
I really enjoyed this book. The narrator was so good that I'm now looking for other books he's done. He used vocal techniques that constantly kept my attention without feeling annoying after lengthy listens. I really liked how this book moved from each section and idea of his life even throwing in other information about relevant topics to better understand the science and story. Great book!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Raffy Afarian
- 05-13-15
Concise summary
pretty good book. Narrator did a great job. Gives a pretty good summary Darwins position bus not too much detail to be boring.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bonnie P. Harris
- 04-22-18
Really enjoyed the first part, but.....really?
What could Andrew Norman have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Not switched gears. Stayed on mission.
Any additional comments?
It was when the author quoted Wikipedia, of all things, that started my skepticism. He then went point by point disputing the Wiki article. Took up way too much time using this "source." I stopped listening during the ultra-long descriptions of world religions. I have no idea what point the author was trying to make, but I bought this book to learn about Darwin. I just didn't want to waste any more time.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Richard
- 09-07-15
The book gets a little lost sometimes
Is there anything you would change about this book?
There were sections that just didn't seem relevant and full of speculation. I would drop these and add more factual information.
Would you ever listen to anything by Andrew Norman again?
Probably not.
Did Allan Robertson do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?
I thought the narration was fine. Thought he did a nice job of conveying the book.
Any additional comments?
I knew a simplified version of Darwin's life. I did like gaining a more well rounded view of him, his work and the others who developed similar theories.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!