The Science of Life: A Summary of Contemporary Knowledge about Life and its Possibilities (Volumes I, II and III)

Complete in three volumes.  Undated but circa 1930.  The Science of Life was originally published in 31 fortnightly parts by the Amalgamated Press between 1929 and 1930 (and later in separate volumes by Cassell).  The parts where then bound togther into three volumes, which is the set offered here. Numerous colour plate illustrations and further black and white  illustrations in text.  Set uniformly bound in blue cloth covered boards with gilt lettering and blind toolwork decorations front and spine. blue satin ribbon markers bound in.   4tos.  Cloth covers are worn, rubbed on edges and spine joints and ends, rubbed and rounded at corners and spine ends, lightly marked and shelf worn.  Text block edges a little toned and spotted.  Internally a little spotting on endpapers else neat, clean and bright.  Slightly loosened. 

Often referred to as the first modern text book on biology and natural history.  According to one recent biographer of H G Wells, The Science of Life "is not quite as dated as one might suppose" from its publication date.  Huxley, Wells's co-author, was the grandson of T H Huxley under who Wells had studied.  The work is divided into Books and it has been said of Book 4 that it "offers perhaps the clearest, most readablel, succinct and informative popular account of the subject [evolution] ever penned. It was here that [Huxley] first expounded his own version of what later developed into the evolutionary synthesis". (Obly, R, Julian Huxley: Biologist and Statesman of Science, 1993, Rice University Press.)  What amounts, then, to an important and influencial work in the popularisation of science writing and the development of evolutionary theory.

A large and heavy set which may incur an additional charge for overseas delivery.