In this surprisingly wonderful book, Rebecca Stott tackles Darwin's early and important interest in -- barnacles! Returning from his mind-altering, five-year voyage around the world, Darwin devoted eight years to a systematic study of the perplexing pedunculated cirripedes (showing definitively that they were highly modified custaceans), both winning the respect of fellow researchers and setting the groundwork for his ideas about evolution through natural selection. Stott pleasurably interweaves biography and science, capturing Darwin's love of nature.  (NAT65, $14.95)