For the first time ever in one volume, here are four of the most influential works of Charles Darwin, reprinted in their entirety, each illuminated by commentary from eminent scientist James D. Watson. Included are On the Origin of Species, arguably the most important scientific work of the nineteenth century; Voyage of the Beagle, a captivating travelogue richly stocked with observations that helped guide the young Darwin through his evolutionary world view; The Descent of Man, which explored the origins of humans and their history; and The Expressions of Emotions in Man and Animals, which explored the origin and nature of the mind. With his separate introductions for each of Darwin's books he goes further to explain how the modern considerations underlying genome research would have been impossible without Darwin, bringing a contemporary relevance to these nineteenth century masterworks.

James D. Watson received the Nobel Prize in 1962 for determining the structure of DNA, the building blocks of life. As a fellow pioneer and explorer of the most fundamental riddles about the nature of life, he has a lot in common with Charles Darwin.