Buffon, Georges Louis Leclerc, comte de
"Buffon's Natural History, Volume 01 (of 10)" by Comte de Buffon is an encyclopedic work written between 1749-1804. This monumental collection spans 36 volumes covering all natural sciences known at the time, from quadrupeds and birds to minerals and geology. Buffon challenged biblical chronology by asserting Earth's ancient age, introducing a secular view of natural origins. His comparative anatomy and observations of similarities between humans and apes set the stage for evolutionary thought, earning him recognition as "the father of all thought in natural history." (This is an automatically generated summary.)
These books are free to read. Each is in the public domain in the United States; check your own country's rules before you copy or share one.