Darwin's "Autobiography" is a classic written by a genius about a genius. The author and his subject do not always agree, for hindsight and the passage of time have their effect on what an old man thinks of his younger self. His friend Thomas Henry Huxley writes about the lean years before he received recognition and fame. His early diary, "Thoughts and Doings", which contains a remarkable account of his self-education, is published for the first time.