The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection

So melancholy a neglect of Darwin's work suggests reflections upon the use of those rare and precious possessions of man-great books. It was, we belie ve, the custom of the late Professor Freeman to warn his students that mast ery of one great book was worth any amount of knowledge of many lesser ones . The tendency of modern scientific teaching is to neglect the great books, to lay far too much stress upon relatively unimportant modern work, and to present masses of detail of doubtful truth and questionable weight in such a way as to obscure principles.... How many biological students of today h ave read The Origin? The majority know it only from extracts, a singularly ineffective means, for a work of genius does not easily lend itself to the scissors; its unity is too marked. Nothing can really take the place of a f irsthand study of the work itself.