1876年,达尔文自感风烛残年,决定应德国一位编辑的约请,撰写自己一生的经历及自己思想和性格的发展过程,达尔文认为,这种写作尝试对他来说是一种消遣,也可能使自己的子孙后代感到兴趣。于是,达尔文在抱病完成《植物界的异花传粉和自花传粉的效果》一书以后,每天下午记写一小时,用大约七十天的时间完成了初稿。以后又几次作过修改和增补。可这部手稿在达尔文生前并没有发表。在达尔文逝世后六个月,他的儿子法朗士·达尔 In 1876, Darwin confronted his own feelings and decided that at the request of an editor from Germany, he wrote his own life experience and development of his own thoughts and characters. Darwin thought this writing attempt was a pastime for him or he could make I am interested in my own children and grandchildren. As a result, Darwin wrote an afternoon every afternoon for one hour after completing the book “Cross-pollination and Self-pollinating Effects in the Plant World” and completed the first draft in about seventy days. After several changes and additions made later. However, this manuscript was not published before Darwin’s death. Six months after Darwin’s death, his son, Farran Dahl