No theory has changed our world as profoundly as Charles Darwin's "theory of evolution by natural selection". The Copernican Revolution may have displaced the Earth from the centre of the solar system, but everyday life went on regardless. Darwin's theory, however, changed everything, and in the 140 years since Origin of Species was first published, "Darwinism" has been used and abused to justify any number of actions and institutions, from eugenics to Britain's 11plus exam system. Paul Strathern has written a short and highly readable account of Darwin's life and work, including the Beagle voyage which gave Darwin a much-needed global perspective. The book is part of the Arrow "Big Ideas" series that also includes Curie and radioactivity, and Archimedes and the lever. Strathern explains the historical and scientific contexts that paved the way for Darwin, with plenty of fascinating and often humorous asides. The text is simple enough for school students and you could read it in an hour or two. Fortunately, there is a list at the back of other books to read for more detailed information.