You have heard about the man who changed the world. Now you can see how he did it. Charles Darwin revolutionized our understanding of life on earth and our place within it. His theory of evolution by natural selection, though shocking and controversial at the time, has remained the bedrock of the life sciences for 150 years. The Compact Guide: Charles Darwin reveals the famous scientist's life in compelling detail. From his expedition aboard the Beagle and his legendary research in the Galapagos Islands, to his marriage and illness and the publication of his groundbreaking works, this book sheds fascinating light on the most remarkable aspects of Darwin's life - the extraordinary adventure of discovery that led Darwin to some of his greatest breakthroughs; the controversy with Aflred Russel Wallace on who first originated the idea of evolution by natural selection; and the Darwin family's prosperous but often tragic home life, and how Charles became one of the first Victorians to reject religion and God.