A true masterpiece, The Origin of Species laid the foundation of evolutionary biology as early as 1859. Extraordinarily well written, the book doesn' t only explain evolution in an instructive and accessible manner, it also includes fascinating stories about how the process of natural selection occurs in the animal and plant kingdoms. When it first appeared, The Origin of Species attracted a lot of attention in both scientific and religious circles, and even though many theories contradicting its postulations have been posited over the decades, the book' s value as one of the greatest work of scientific literature ever still endures.