150 Years of On the Origin of Species

Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species was published on Thursday 24 November 1859. I'm going to mark this significant anniversary by reading two books:

• On the origin of species : the illustrated edition, recommended in Library Journal's Darwin reading list and edited by David Quammen (published by Serling in 2008, ISBN 978-1-4027-5639-9
  
  
• Richard Dawkins' new book, The greatest show on Earth : the evidence for evolution
  

Today I'm reminded of the impact that just a few voyages can have on our culture--even the impact of just one person aboard just one vessel--and of the rich maritime history that often underlies, and inspires, our other endeavors.