NaturalistEdward O. Wilson -- University Professor at Harvard, winner of two Pulitzer prizes, eloquent champion of biodiversity -- is arguably one of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century. His career represents both a blueprint and a challenge to those who seek to explore the frontiers of scientific understanding. Yet, until now, little has been told of his life and of the important events that have shaped his thought.In Naturalist, Wilson describes for the first time both his growth as a scientist and the evolution of the science he has helped define. He traces the trajectory of his life -- from a childhood spent exploring the Gulf Coast of Alabama and Florida to life as a tenured professor at Harvard -- detailing how his youthful fascination with nature blossomed into a lifelong calling. He recounts with drama and wit the adventures of his days as a student at the University of Alabama and his four decades at Harvard University, where he has achieved renown as both teacher and researcher.As the narrative of Wilson's life unfolds, the reader is treated to an inside look at the origin and development of ideas that guide today's biological research. Theories that are now widely accepted in the scientific world were once untested hypotheses emerging from one mans's broad-gauged studies. Throughout Naturalist, we see Wilson's mind and energies constantly striving to help establish many of the central principles of the field of evolutionary biology.The story of Wilson's life provides fascinating insights into the making of a scientist, and a valuable look at some of the most thought-provoking ideas of our time. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - breic - LibraryThingFor a scientist's memoir, there was disappointingly little science. I suspect Wilson wanted to avoid repeating what he had already said in his other popular books. (My favorite Wilson books were ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - dypaloh - LibraryThingAfter reading Edward O. Wilson’s Naturalist, I can’t help worrying about the welfare of Lilliputian zombies. All right, I know you are rolling your eyes, but listen, this is a real concern. I’ll ... Read full review
Contents
Paradise Beach | 5 |
Send Us the Boy | 14 |
A Light in the Corner | 29 |
A Magic Kingdom | 43 |
To Do My Duty | 56 |
Alabama Dreaming | 76 |
The Hunters | 94 |
GoodBye to the South | 118 |
The Molecule Wars | 212 |
Islands Are the Key | 232 |
The Flordia Keys Experiment | 254 |
Ants | 276 |
Attaining Sociobiology | 301 |
The Sociobiology Controversy | 324 |
Biodiversity Biophilia | 348 |
Afterword | 359 |
Orizaba | 133 |
STORYTELLER | 153 |
The South Pacific | 157 |
The Forms of Things Unknown | 191 |
Acknowledgments | 371 |
Index | 375 |
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Bibliographic information
| Title | Naturalist Shearwater book |
| Author | Edward O. Wilson |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | Island Press, 2006 |
| ISBN | 1597260886, 9781597260886 |
| Length | 394 pages |
| Subjects | › Biography & Autobiography / General Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |