It was praised by scientists such as Darwin (to whom the book was dedicated), and Charles Lyell, and by non-scientists such as the novelist Joseph Conrad, who called it his "favorite bedside companion" and used it as source of information for several of his novels, especially Lord Jim.
Karyanya itu dipuji para ilmuwan seperti Darwin (yang kepadanya buku tersebut didedikasikan) dan Charles Lyell, serta kalangan selain ilmuwan seperti Joseph Conrad yang menyebutnya sebagai "pendamping di sisi ranjang" favoritnya dan menggunakan buku tersebut sebagai sumber informasi bagi beberapa novelnya (terutama Lord Jim).