From Library Journal
Harvard biologist Wilson is one of the most important figures in 20th-century science. Fortuitously, this Pulitzer Prize winner is one of the most admirable characters in 20th-century letters as well. He writes with elegance, grace, and exquisite precision whether his subject is ants (Wilson and Bert Holldobler's The Ants, Belknap: Harvard Univ. Pr., 1990, was a surprise best seller), sociobiology, biodiversity, or, as here, his long and interesting life. While not as rhetorically flashy as works by biologist-writers like Stephen Jay Gould, Wilson's work is eminently accessible and delightful to consume, and this book is no exception: if he had never done anything but write about his early years on the Gulf Coast, he would still be a favorite of all who love writing that brims with clarity and warmth. This memoir, a fitting capstone to an extraordinary career, should inspire yet another generation of scientists to explore the natural world. Essential for science collections and a wise acquisition for everyone else. [See also Holldobler and Wilson's Journey to the Ants, reviewed on p. 208; see profile on p. 210.-Ed.]-Mark L. Shelton, Athens, Ohi.
--Mark L. Shelton, Athens, Ohio
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Wilson likes to think of himself as an explorer-naturalist, but he is known as one of the founders of the controversial field of sociobiology, an influential member of the biodiversity preservation movement, and a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Wilson's gift for translating the complexities of science, particularly evolution, into lucid and welcoming prose is evident in his earlier books, including On Human Nature and The Diversity of Life, as well as in his newest autobiographical work. Here the process of natural selection takes on an enticingly personal form: Wilson's own evolution from a small, lonely, nature-loving boy into a world-class scientist. Wilson describes his boyhood raptures over the beauty and mystery of wildlife, how he came to study insects, and the foundation for his lifelong diligence and devotion to his ideals. Appreciative of both his supportive colleagues and "brilliant enemies," Wilson tells the stories behind his discoveries about ants and their chemical communication systems, his pioneering studies of island insect populations, and his visionary, hotly contested theories about the evolution of social behavior. Along the way, he also exposes some extreme examples of the politics of science, especially within the ivy-clad walls of Harvard. It's a privilege to learn about the man behind the scientist and the boy at the heart of the man. Now when we think of Wilson's achievements, we'll see him as a seven-year-old boy staring at a jellyfish in wonder and bliss. Donna Seaman
From Kirkus Reviews
``When others at Harvard spoke of their experiences at Hagia Sophia and the Prado, I reminisced about the wondrous ants I examined in Geneva and Paris,'' remarks the eminent Harvard entomologist in his stylish autobiography. Now 66, Wilson (Biophilia, 1984, etc.) recounts the life of a born observer and synthesizer. As a boy he roamed the woods and creeks of Florida and Alabama collecting bugs; he went on to become the world's leading authority on ants and insect societies. He also pioneered the study of chemical communication among insects and, of course, effected the marriage of population biology and evolutionary biology that led to the still controversial field of sociobiology. Wilson deals fairly with the debate, as well as with the earlier ``molecular wars'' that pitted Wilson and his fellow naturalists against Jim Watson and the new breed of molecular biologists. He provides telling sketches of the principals, confesses to some navet on his own part, but generally adopts a more-in-sorrow-than-anger stance. These chapters, along with his descriptions of mentors and collaborators over the years, are valuable contributions to the sociology of the rapidly changing science of biology. Wilson still thinks the time will come for a theory of human behavior based on the co-evolution of genes and culture. He also argues for his ``biophilia'' hypothesis--the idea that human beings have an inborn affinity for other forms of life. Not surprisingly, he has become an ardent spokesman for biodiversity, deploring the daily loss of species and natural terrain. Next time around, he says, he'll opt for being a microbial ecologist: ``Ten billion bacteria live in a gram of ordinary soil...they represent thousands of species, almost none of which are known to science.'' To which the reader can only respond: Go to it, and tell us all about in another grand book. (Natural Science Book Club dual main selection; first printing of 40,000) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Review
"Naturalist reads like a classic hero's tale." ― Bloomsbury Review
"[Naturalist] is one of the finest scientific memoirs ever written, by one of the finest scientists writing today." ― Los Angeles Times
"The book to read, to get the full story on Mr. Wilson’s eventful life, is his memoir Naturalist, published in 1994." ― New York Times
"What distinguishes Wilson's story is its handsome prose, honed by years of practice into a concise and sly discourse. Among literary scientists, no one since Rachel Carson has more effectively joined humble detail to a grand vision of life processes and structures." ― Washington Post Book World
"A wise personal memoir…. A mixture of loneliness, amusement, curiosity and intellectual rigor makes the voice of this thoughtful man unforgettable." ― New York Times Book Review
"Wilson is the grand master of lyrically analytic nature writing." ― Science
"This memoir, a fitting capstone to an extraordinary career, should inspire yet another generation of scientists to explore the natural world." ― Library Journal
"Vividly, often beautifully written. Wilson emerges not only as a gifted scientist, but also as a likable, passionate, eloquent person." ― New York Review of Books
"In this exquisitely written memoir, the famed Harvard scientist looks back at his childhood in the South as well as his career as a groundbreaking thinker in the field of evolutionary biology. Truly, here is the irrefutable proof that scientists have souls." ― The USA Today
About the Author
Edward O. Wilson is Pellegrino University Professor and curator of entomology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University.
