THE IDEA THAT LIVING THINGS gradually evolve through natural selection profoundly chocked Victorian readers, calling into question their unshakeable belief in a Creator. Acclaimed writer and Darwin biographer Janet Browne shows why The Origin of Species can claim to be the greatest science book ever published. She describes the genesis of Charles Darwin's theories, explains how they were received by Victorian Britain and examines why they remain so contentious, in spite of their near-universal acceptance.