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Naturalist
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 man'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 Edward O. 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.
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 man'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 Edward O. 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.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1994
About the author
Edward O. Wilson
204 books2,296 followersEdward Osborne Wilson, sometimes credited as E.O. Wilson, was an American biologist, researcher, theorist, and author. His biological specialty is myrmecology, a branch of entomology. A two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction, Wilson is known for his career as a scientist, his advocacy for environmentalism, and his secular-humanist ideas pertaining to religious and ethical matters. He was the Pellegrino University Research Professor in Entomology for the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is a Humanist Laureate of the International Academy of Humanism.
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May 3, 2022
Edward O. Wilson writes here of his life and his views on nature and science. He is that American author, biologist and naturalist commonly referred to as "the father of sociobiology" and "the father of biodiversity".
Born in Birmingham, Alabama, on June 10, 1929, he is today at the ripe old age of ninety-one. This book was written when he was sixty-six. It opens when he is seven. While his parents try to sort out marital difficulties, he is placed with a family acquaintance living near Paradise Beach, Florida. What absorbs his attention is, not his parents, but instead the maritime creatures at the beach. He is enthralled by a jelly fish. This we come to see through his eyes. We learn of how he loses vision in one eye while intently observing a fish! He is struck by its dorsal fin. We learn of his peripatetic childhood, as his divorced parents shift him form one place to the next. One year he is at a military academy. We are told all of this for a reason—these events shaped him. We observe the extent to which, even at a young age, he was drawn to nature. We begin to see a pattern in his behavior. Rather than bemoaning and complaining of that which happens to him, he looks for alternatives and sets a course for himself so he can achieve what he wants from life. An appropriate motto for this guy would be—since I can’t do that, I’ll do that instead! I like this man, and this explains at least partially why I like the book.
We are given a really good picture of Wilson’s personality.
As the book continues, it covers Wilson’s education and his Southern Baptist heritage. Although he is not religious, he acknowledges its influence. We learn of how he came to hold a position of life tenure at Harvard University. His biological specialty became the study of ants, a subject on which he is considered the world’s leading expert. Wilson’s ant-investigatory travels in the South Pacific make ants, those yucky creepy-crawlies, interesting! Pretty amazing, in fact.
When in 1953 James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick discovered the double-helix DNA structure, there erupted a split in the biology discipline. Molecular biology took shape and gained prominence over other disciplines within biology. Evolutionary biology, population biology and sociobiology began to develop. Biological diversity, today coined by the phrase biodiversity, ties in here. The overlap and differences among the various disciplines are thoroughly discussed. Most of this I could follow, but not all. The academic controversy caused by the birth of molecular biology, came to have an important impact on Wilson’s teaching, ongoing research and work at Harvard. It belongs here.
This book gives the background to how biodiversity came to be recognized and valued. It shines a light on a person I find extremely interesting. I am won over by Edward O. Wilson’s personality, intellect and whole way of being. He writes with humor, knowledge and humility. Also, the book keeps on track--what is written here, should be here. Knowing a subject and knowing how to present that subject are two separate skills. Both are important! Both are evident here.
Grover Garner narrates the audiobook. I have given his narration four stars because it’s very good. Every word is clearly spoken, and he reads at a steady, even pace allowing the listener time to think. As different terms and ideas are thrown around, you do need time to absorb and make sense of the information presented.
Anybody and everybody interested in conservation. ecology and biodiversity should read this book. I believe you will find it an enjoyable experience.
************************
*Naturalist 4 stars
* On Human Nature TBR*
Born in Birmingham, Alabama, on June 10, 1929, he is today at the ripe old age of ninety-one. This book was written when he was sixty-six. It opens when he is seven. While his parents try to sort out marital difficulties, he is placed with a family acquaintance living near Paradise Beach, Florida. What absorbs his attention is, not his parents, but instead the maritime creatures at the beach. He is enthralled by a jelly fish. This we come to see through his eyes. We learn of how he loses vision in one eye while intently observing a fish! He is struck by its dorsal fin. We learn of his peripatetic childhood, as his divorced parents shift him form one place to the next. One year he is at a military academy. We are told all of this for a reason—these events shaped him. We observe the extent to which, even at a young age, he was drawn to nature. We begin to see a pattern in his behavior. Rather than bemoaning and complaining of that which happens to him, he looks for alternatives and sets a course for himself so he can achieve what he wants from life. An appropriate motto for this guy would be—since I can’t do that, I’ll do that instead! I like this man, and this explains at least partially why I like the book.
We are given a really good picture of Wilson’s personality.
As the book continues, it covers Wilson’s education and his Southern Baptist heritage. Although he is not religious, he acknowledges its influence. We learn of how he came to hold a position of life tenure at Harvard University. His biological specialty became the study of ants, a subject on which he is considered the world’s leading expert. Wilson’s ant-investigatory travels in the South Pacific make ants, those yucky creepy-crawlies, interesting! Pretty amazing, in fact.
When in 1953 James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick discovered the double-helix DNA structure, there erupted a split in the biology discipline. Molecular biology took shape and gained prominence over other disciplines within biology. Evolutionary biology, population biology and sociobiology began to develop. Biological diversity, today coined by the phrase biodiversity, ties in here. The overlap and differences among the various disciplines are thoroughly discussed. Most of this I could follow, but not all. The academic controversy caused by the birth of molecular biology, came to have an important impact on Wilson’s teaching, ongoing research and work at Harvard. It belongs here.
This book gives the background to how biodiversity came to be recognized and valued. It shines a light on a person I find extremely interesting. I am won over by Edward O. Wilson’s personality, intellect and whole way of being. He writes with humor, knowledge and humility. Also, the book keeps on track--what is written here, should be here. Knowing a subject and knowing how to present that subject are two separate skills. Both are important! Both are evident here.
Grover Garner narrates the audiobook. I have given his narration four stars because it’s very good. Every word is clearly spoken, and he reads at a steady, even pace allowing the listener time to think. As different terms and ideas are thrown around, you do need time to absorb and make sense of the information presented.
Anybody and everybody interested in conservation. ecology and biodiversity should read this book. I believe you will find it an enjoyable experience.
************************
*Naturalist 4 stars
* On Human Nature TBR*
December 30, 2020
3.5 - Edward O. Wilson is a famed Harvard scientist and winner of the Pulitzer Prize twice for general nonfiction, the first time in 1979 for ‘On Human Nature’ and the second in 1991 for ‘The Ants.’ I knew of Wilson because of my reading on environmental and conservation topics where I’ve come across numerous of his quotes. There is of necessity a lot of science in a memoir about the life of a scientist. Some of it was beyond me, but much of it was accessible, and I was interested in most of it, which can carry you through a lot of knotty pages. I traveled between an audiobook and an ebook and I blame the parts that I didn’t find as engaging on the fact that my mind wanders more when I’m listening than it does when I’m reading. Wilson has a unique writer's voice that paints extraordinary pictures of wildlife and nature, the lives of ants, and the lives of men as they conjure for a place in academia. Throughout his entire life, he retained the curiosity and wonder of the boy who roamed Paradise Beach in Florida as well as the woodlands and rivers around Mobile, Alabama.
When his parents divorced, he had a lovely grandmotherly type to watch over him, Mother Raub. At her home, he learned about the living world of plants from her “small botanic garden of ornamental plants.” Shy, introverted, and small framed, his interest in nature and wildlife suited him. He writes, “A nomadic existence made Nature my companion of choice, because the outdoors was the one part of my world I perceived to hold rock steady.” He’s the little boy with a jar of ants under his bed; he’s also the one carrying a snake through your backyard. I found it all fascinating because he grew up to give so much science to the world, all while doing work that suited him and that he loved.
One chapter is called ‘A Magic Kingdom.’ No, it’s not Disney World. For Wilson, it’s much more optimal. When he lived with his father in Washington, D.C., they lived "within walking distance of the National Zoo and a five-cent streetcar ride to the National Museum of Natural History.” He writes, ”Here I was in 1939, a little kids, nine years old, tuned to any new experience so long as it had something to do with natural history, with a world-class zoo on one side and a world-class museum on the other, both free of charge and open seven days a week.” This was beyond any magical expectation Wilson could have contrived for himself as a boy.
One aspect of Wilson’s life at Harvard that was of interest to me was that he considered James Dewey Watson of ‘Watson and Crick’ fame, an “adverse hero,” or as he puts it one of his "brilliant enemies," without whom he may not have worked so hard. A man of “bad manners” Watson was brusque and off-putting, often disdaining other scientists. When Wilson puts forward the argument that the department could use more ecologists, Watson’s reply is, “Anyone who would hire an ecologist is out of their mind.” This is the beginning of what Wilson termed “the molecular wars.” Wilson genuinely admired Watson and his work, although Watson’s attitude provoked and irked him. Watson seems to have admired no-one but his fellows in like-minded science. There is some sly humor in Wilson’s statement that the molecular and cellular biologists, “seemed to be multiplying like the E.col and other microorganisms on which their finest work had come to be based.”
I also found the science related to the study of altruism as a factor in kinship genetics interesting. Perhaps I will finally read Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene, with some small idea of what it is talking about. Wilson’s studies led him to the science of biodiversity, which is perhaps one of the most critical sciences of our time. I hope to read more by this author.
When his parents divorced, he had a lovely grandmotherly type to watch over him, Mother Raub. At her home, he learned about the living world of plants from her “small botanic garden of ornamental plants.” Shy, introverted, and small framed, his interest in nature and wildlife suited him. He writes, “A nomadic existence made Nature my companion of choice, because the outdoors was the one part of my world I perceived to hold rock steady.” He’s the little boy with a jar of ants under his bed; he’s also the one carrying a snake through your backyard. I found it all fascinating because he grew up to give so much science to the world, all while doing work that suited him and that he loved.
One chapter is called ‘A Magic Kingdom.’ No, it’s not Disney World. For Wilson, it’s much more optimal. When he lived with his father in Washington, D.C., they lived "within walking distance of the National Zoo and a five-cent streetcar ride to the National Museum of Natural History.” He writes, ”Here I was in 1939, a little kids, nine years old, tuned to any new experience so long as it had something to do with natural history, with a world-class zoo on one side and a world-class museum on the other, both free of charge and open seven days a week.” This was beyond any magical expectation Wilson could have contrived for himself as a boy.
One aspect of Wilson’s life at Harvard that was of interest to me was that he considered James Dewey Watson of ‘Watson and Crick’ fame, an “adverse hero,” or as he puts it one of his "brilliant enemies," without whom he may not have worked so hard. A man of “bad manners” Watson was brusque and off-putting, often disdaining other scientists. When Wilson puts forward the argument that the department could use more ecologists, Watson’s reply is, “Anyone who would hire an ecologist is out of their mind.” This is the beginning of what Wilson termed “the molecular wars.” Wilson genuinely admired Watson and his work, although Watson’s attitude provoked and irked him. Watson seems to have admired no-one but his fellows in like-minded science. There is some sly humor in Wilson’s statement that the molecular and cellular biologists, “seemed to be multiplying like the E.col and other microorganisms on which their finest work had come to be based.”
I also found the science related to the study of altruism as a factor in kinship genetics interesting. Perhaps I will finally read Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene, with some small idea of what it is talking about. Wilson’s studies led him to the science of biodiversity, which is perhaps one of the most critical sciences of our time. I hope to read more by this author.
January 23, 2011
I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much when I first started reading this book. I mean, it's an autobiography of a biologist. Even though I am a biologist, I still expected to have to tape my eyes open to get through it. However, I was pleasantly surprised - this book is amazing! It was hard for me to put it down. His style of writing is so effortless to read and his life story is so interesting. You probably have to be at least a little interested in natural history/biology to appreciate and enjoy the book. Overall, he seems very humble about the huge contributions he made to the field of biology. Although I'm sure I learned this at some point, I had no idea he had such a large part in developing the ideas of ecological release, competitive exclusion, island biogeography, and the field of sociobiology. And all of this came about essentially because of his childhood experiences (along with his immense intellect and dedication, of course). Overall, this book is very inspiring, extremely well-written, and a must-read for anyone with a passion for natural history.
July 26, 2009
I have followed this guy since I met him on a plane at 19 on my way to a conference where he happened to be the keynote speaker. He is a true scientist, crawling through the grass and on the ground chasing bugs. His career has more highlights than many scientists could claim in two lifetimes. This book shares just a few. I'm sure it has inspired many people, including me.
October 14, 2021
This autobiography was in two halves: the first portion was Wilson's upbringing and fascination with ants and devotion to science. Although more than twenty years my senior i was struck with how similar some things were to my own encounters: Boy Scouts, trying out for High School Football, dedication to Science and fighting schoolyard bullies.
The second half: The Storyteller focussed more on pivotal events in Biological Academia, mentioning encounters with other famous scientists at Harvard, Yale and Stanford. Most intriguing was his perceptions and exchanges with James Watson as microbiology became mainstream. The penultimate chapter was on Sociobiology finding its place and the stuggles and resistance to it being included as legitimate science.
The second part of the book also provided background to what was going on with Academia as he delved into new approaches and championed the importance Biodiversity. In the 80s while others thought population explosion or nuclear war were cause for concern he correctly identified threats to the environment as the overwhelming matter to contend with.
The second half: The Storyteller focussed more on pivotal events in Biological Academia, mentioning encounters with other famous scientists at Harvard, Yale and Stanford. Most intriguing was his perceptions and exchanges with James Watson as microbiology became mainstream. The penultimate chapter was on Sociobiology finding its place and the stuggles and resistance to it being included as legitimate science.
The second part of the book also provided background to what was going on with Academia as he delved into new approaches and championed the importance Biodiversity. In the 80s while others thought population explosion or nuclear war were cause for concern he correctly identified threats to the environment as the overwhelming matter to contend with.
November 23, 2019
In his essays, the French philosopher Montaigne suggests that education be based on Plutarch's Lives, which are biographies of historical figures. After reading Wilson's autobiography, I can see how an argument could be made for a similar approach to education today.
Wilson's book, while a biography of a man, is a biography of ideas and science through the twentieth century. While the book follows the chronology of Wilson's life, he breaks out of the timeline of his life as he discusses ideas ranging from entomology to biogeography to sociobiology.
Still, readers should not let that list of lengthy words put them off from reading the book. While Wilson expects a certain level of education from his readers (and the ability to use a dictionary), he writes about these ideas in a way that makes them accessible. Throughout his book, Wilson gives credit to his collaborators and insists that he is no genius. Instead he attributes his success in the sciences to hard work, creative thinking, and the chance to work with good people.
For readers who want to dig deeper into some of the technical information, Wilson has footnotes in many of the chapters that refer not only to his works, but also the work of other scientists who both agreed and disagreed with him.
Wilson the man is as interesting as the ideas that he discusses. He describes his childhood, which included a stint in military school that he says shaped his outlook on work, a troubled homelife that included an alcoholic father who committed suicide, and time in the Boy Scouts that shows how training for future careers can come from unexpected places. He also reveals that he is 'a bit of an arachnophobe,' which I would have thought would be impossible for an entomologist.
He reflects on how his family history (and everyone else's) is carried forward by individuals and how it changes and evolves. He also, perhaps unwittingly, talks about how human history and culture is carried forward and in a constant state of change. Wilson ends his book with a discussion of biodiversity and a call to action for environmental preservation. Wilson makes a compelling argument that we need to do more to look after the planet we live on.
This is a book that has an index which includes entries for 'newspaper routes,' 'population biology,' 'fistfights,' and 'molecular biology at Harvard.' It describes how Wilson created population biology experiments in the Everglades by fumigating small islands, and how he dealt with accusations that he was a Nazi because of his sociobiology writing. It also includes such gems as "In the natural world, beautiful usually means deadly. Beautiful plus a casual demeanor always means deadly." I think there is a life lesson there.
I would recommend this book people interested in science, the scientific method, the history and philosophy of science, intellectual history, and for those who are interested in success but not interested in reading another "think positive!" book.
Wilson's book, while a biography of a man, is a biography of ideas and science through the twentieth century. While the book follows the chronology of Wilson's life, he breaks out of the timeline of his life as he discusses ideas ranging from entomology to biogeography to sociobiology.
Still, readers should not let that list of lengthy words put them off from reading the book. While Wilson expects a certain level of education from his readers (and the ability to use a dictionary), he writes about these ideas in a way that makes them accessible. Throughout his book, Wilson gives credit to his collaborators and insists that he is no genius. Instead he attributes his success in the sciences to hard work, creative thinking, and the chance to work with good people.
For readers who want to dig deeper into some of the technical information, Wilson has footnotes in many of the chapters that refer not only to his works, but also the work of other scientists who both agreed and disagreed with him.
Wilson the man is as interesting as the ideas that he discusses. He describes his childhood, which included a stint in military school that he says shaped his outlook on work, a troubled homelife that included an alcoholic father who committed suicide, and time in the Boy Scouts that shows how training for future careers can come from unexpected places. He also reveals that he is 'a bit of an arachnophobe,' which I would have thought would be impossible for an entomologist.
He reflects on how his family history (and everyone else's) is carried forward by individuals and how it changes and evolves. He also, perhaps unwittingly, talks about how human history and culture is carried forward and in a constant state of change. Wilson ends his book with a discussion of biodiversity and a call to action for environmental preservation. Wilson makes a compelling argument that we need to do more to look after the planet we live on.
This is a book that has an index which includes entries for 'newspaper routes,' 'population biology,' 'fistfights,' and 'molecular biology at Harvard.' It describes how Wilson created population biology experiments in the Everglades by fumigating small islands, and how he dealt with accusations that he was a Nazi because of his sociobiology writing. It also includes such gems as "In the natural world, beautiful usually means deadly. Beautiful plus a casual demeanor always means deadly." I think there is a life lesson there.
I would recommend this book people interested in science, the scientific method, the history and philosophy of science, intellectual history, and for those who are interested in success but not interested in reading another "think positive!" book.
June 28, 2020
For 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 coauthored with Bert Hölldobler, though, and maybe I just prefer Hölldobler's style.) Too little science, and too much academic politics! It was interesting to hear Wilson's description of his conflict with James Watson (who after proposing the DNA double helix structure in 1953 joined Harvard's biology department in 1956 and championed a reorientation toward molecular biology). But some of the politics is just obscure, and I don't care how or why somebody became Such-and-Such Named Chair at X University. The ending is also pretty weak; Wilson just gets very defensive about sociobiology applied to humans (without actually describing *any* of the science), and about his lack of an environmental record.
Still, there are a good number of worthy anecdotes, especially from his younger years before he had settled in at Harvard. His description of his childhood, already fascinated with discovering and classifying species, is very cool (though old news). I most liked his too-brief story of studying insect repopulation after fumigation of tiny Florida islets.
> I had developed a new technique for catching flies, and I now pass it on to you. Let the fly alight, preferably on a level and unobstructed surface, such as a restaurant table or book cover. Move your open hand carefully until it rests twelve to eighteen inches in front of the sitting fly's head. Bring the hand very slowly forward, in a straight line, taking care not to waggle it sideways; flies are very sensitive to lateral movement. When your hand is about nine inches away, sweep it toward the fly so that the edge of the palm passes approximately one or two inches above the spot where the fly is resting. Your target will dart upward at about the right trajectory to hit the middle of the palm, and as you close your fingers you will feel the satisfying buzz of the insect trapped inside your fist.
> We thus were equipped with the texts of radical authority. We also had field guides and our own previously acquired expertise: fishes, amphibians, and reptiles for Boschung; mollusks for Rawls; beetles for Ball and Valentine; and ants for me. And providence shone bright on all of us together: Valentine had an automobile. … Sometimes I sat on the front fender of the car as Rawls or Valentine drove slowly. Perched that way, with my left arm curled around a headlight and a collecting jar held in my right hand, I watched for frogs and snakes spotlighted by the high beams of the car. When one was sighted the driver stopped the car, and I dashed ahead to bottle the specimen.
> They are marginal not just in having smaller numbers of ant species than the inland rain forests, but also in a purely geographic sense. Located near river banks and sea coast, they are staging areas from which it is easiest to disperse by wind and by floating vegetation from one island to another. The marginal species, I also realized, are most flexible in terms of the places in which they live. Because they face only a small number of competitors, they have been ecologically "released," able to live in more habitats and in denser populations than would otherwise be possible. It seemed likely that these ants not only could move more easily but also would tend to press older native species back into the inner rain forests, reducing their dispersal power and shattering their populations into fragments prone to evolve into endemic species.
> In 1957 Darlington had expressed the same relation in the reptiles and amphibians of the West Indies not as an equation but as the following general rule: with each tenfold increase in island area, the number of species on the island doubles.
> The farther the island is from the source areas, say the way Hawaii is farther from Asia than New Guinea, the fewer new species that will be arriving each year. But the rate of extinction stays the same because, once a species of plant or animal is settled on an island, it doesn't matter whether the island is close or far. So you expect the number of species found on distant islands to be fewer.
> When our book, The Theory of Island Biogeography, was published in 1967, it met with almost unanimous approval in the scientific journals. Some of the reviewers declared it a major advance in biology. A quarter-century later, as I write, it remains one of the most frequently cited works of evolutionary biology. The Theory of Island Biogeography has also become influential in conservation biology, for the following practical reason. Around the world wild lands are being increasingly shattered by human action, the pieces steadily reduced in size and isolated from one another.
> A decisive winner quickly emerged: the Florida Keys, if combined with the nearby northern islands of Florida Bay and the southwest mainland coast, seemed ideal. I turned to more detailed navigational charts and photographs for a closer look. The islands came in all sizes, from single trees to sizable expanses up to a square kilometer or more. They varied in degrees of isolation from a few meters to hundreds of meters from the nearest neighbor. The forests on them were simple, consisting in most cases entirely of red mangrove trees. And they were available in vast numbers. … By 250 days after defaunation, the faunas of all the islands except the distant one ("E1") had regained species numbers and composition similar to those of untreated islands even though population densities were abnormally low
> Exasperated with the gluelike mud through which we had to wade to reach several of our islands, he built a pair of plywood footpads shaped like snowshoes and drilled holes in them to reduce suction when they were lifted. When he tried them out he sank to his knees and had to be pulled out by me and another companion. I called the invention "Simberloffs" afterward. Dan was not noticeably amused.
> The public can in perpetuity, I trust, witness the Florida Keys as they were in prehistory.
> That night I could not sleep. After a delay of five years my idea had paid off with only a few hours' work: I had identified the first gland that contributes to ant communication.
> The late 1950s and early 1960s were the dawn of coupled gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, which allows the identification of organic substances down to millionths of a gram. That meant we needed tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of ants, each with its vanishing trace of pheromone, to produce the minimum amount required for analysis. … Pulling the car over to the verge of the interstate highway, we shoveled entire nests into the water of a slow-moving stream passing through one of the culverts. The soil settled to the bottom, and large portions of each colony rose to the surface. We scooped up seething masses of ants in kitchen strainers and plopped them into bottles of solvent. … In the late 1960s, ten years after I performed my first crude experiments, the field of pheromone studies was being flooded by a small army of gifted researchers prepared to make this commitment. So I pulled out, an outclassed elder at thirty-five, returning to experiments on chemical communication only when I saw the possibility of a quick result with low technology.
> Now I invested two more years, 1972 to 1974, in the equally punishing and still more massive new book, Sociobiology: The New Synthesis. Knowing where my capabilities lay, I chose the second of the two routes to success in science: breakthroughs for the extremely bright, syntheses for the driven … For a few days a protester in Harvard Square used a bullhorn to call for my dismissal. Two students from the University of Michigan invaded my class on evolutionary biology one day to shout slogans and deliver antisociobiology monologues.
> "The worst thing that can happen, will happen," I said, "is not energy depletion, economic collapse, limited nuclear war, or conquest by a totalitarian government. As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired within a few generations. The one process ongoing in the 1980s that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us." This article marked my debut as an environmental activist. I was, I will confess now, unforgivably late in arriving.
> Science is the global civilization of which I am a citizen. The spread of its democratic ethic and its unifying powers provides my faith in humanity. The astonishing depth of wonders in the universe, continuously revealed by science, is my temple. The capacity of the informed human mind, liberated at last by the understanding that we are alone and thus the sole stewards of Earth, is my religion. The potential of humanity to turn this planet into a paradise for future generations is my afterlife.
Still, there are a good number of worthy anecdotes, especially from his younger years before he had settled in at Harvard. His description of his childhood, already fascinated with discovering and classifying species, is very cool (though old news). I most liked his too-brief story of studying insect repopulation after fumigation of tiny Florida islets.
> I had developed a new technique for catching flies, and I now pass it on to you. Let the fly alight, preferably on a level and unobstructed surface, such as a restaurant table or book cover. Move your open hand carefully until it rests twelve to eighteen inches in front of the sitting fly's head. Bring the hand very slowly forward, in a straight line, taking care not to waggle it sideways; flies are very sensitive to lateral movement. When your hand is about nine inches away, sweep it toward the fly so that the edge of the palm passes approximately one or two inches above the spot where the fly is resting. Your target will dart upward at about the right trajectory to hit the middle of the palm, and as you close your fingers you will feel the satisfying buzz of the insect trapped inside your fist.
> We thus were equipped with the texts of radical authority. We also had field guides and our own previously acquired expertise: fishes, amphibians, and reptiles for Boschung; mollusks for Rawls; beetles for Ball and Valentine; and ants for me. And providence shone bright on all of us together: Valentine had an automobile. … Sometimes I sat on the front fender of the car as Rawls or Valentine drove slowly. Perched that way, with my left arm curled around a headlight and a collecting jar held in my right hand, I watched for frogs and snakes spotlighted by the high beams of the car. When one was sighted the driver stopped the car, and I dashed ahead to bottle the specimen.
> They are marginal not just in having smaller numbers of ant species than the inland rain forests, but also in a purely geographic sense. Located near river banks and sea coast, they are staging areas from which it is easiest to disperse by wind and by floating vegetation from one island to another. The marginal species, I also realized, are most flexible in terms of the places in which they live. Because they face only a small number of competitors, they have been ecologically "released," able to live in more habitats and in denser populations than would otherwise be possible. It seemed likely that these ants not only could move more easily but also would tend to press older native species back into the inner rain forests, reducing their dispersal power and shattering their populations into fragments prone to evolve into endemic species.
> In 1957 Darlington had expressed the same relation in the reptiles and amphibians of the West Indies not as an equation but as the following general rule: with each tenfold increase in island area, the number of species on the island doubles.
> The farther the island is from the source areas, say the way Hawaii is farther from Asia than New Guinea, the fewer new species that will be arriving each year. But the rate of extinction stays the same because, once a species of plant or animal is settled on an island, it doesn't matter whether the island is close or far. So you expect the number of species found on distant islands to be fewer.
> When our book, The Theory of Island Biogeography, was published in 1967, it met with almost unanimous approval in the scientific journals. Some of the reviewers declared it a major advance in biology. A quarter-century later, as I write, it remains one of the most frequently cited works of evolutionary biology. The Theory of Island Biogeography has also become influential in conservation biology, for the following practical reason. Around the world wild lands are being increasingly shattered by human action, the pieces steadily reduced in size and isolated from one another.
> A decisive winner quickly emerged: the Florida Keys, if combined with the nearby northern islands of Florida Bay and the southwest mainland coast, seemed ideal. I turned to more detailed navigational charts and photographs for a closer look. The islands came in all sizes, from single trees to sizable expanses up to a square kilometer or more. They varied in degrees of isolation from a few meters to hundreds of meters from the nearest neighbor. The forests on them were simple, consisting in most cases entirely of red mangrove trees. And they were available in vast numbers. … By 250 days after defaunation, the faunas of all the islands except the distant one ("E1") had regained species numbers and composition similar to those of untreated islands even though population densities were abnormally low
> Exasperated with the gluelike mud through which we had to wade to reach several of our islands, he built a pair of plywood footpads shaped like snowshoes and drilled holes in them to reduce suction when they were lifted. When he tried them out he sank to his knees and had to be pulled out by me and another companion. I called the invention "Simberloffs" afterward. Dan was not noticeably amused.
> The public can in perpetuity, I trust, witness the Florida Keys as they were in prehistory.
> That night I could not sleep. After a delay of five years my idea had paid off with only a few hours' work: I had identified the first gland that contributes to ant communication.
> The late 1950s and early 1960s were the dawn of coupled gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, which allows the identification of organic substances down to millionths of a gram. That meant we needed tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of ants, each with its vanishing trace of pheromone, to produce the minimum amount required for analysis. … Pulling the car over to the verge of the interstate highway, we shoveled entire nests into the water of a slow-moving stream passing through one of the culverts. The soil settled to the bottom, and large portions of each colony rose to the surface. We scooped up seething masses of ants in kitchen strainers and plopped them into bottles of solvent. … In the late 1960s, ten years after I performed my first crude experiments, the field of pheromone studies was being flooded by a small army of gifted researchers prepared to make this commitment. So I pulled out, an outclassed elder at thirty-five, returning to experiments on chemical communication only when I saw the possibility of a quick result with low technology.
> Now I invested two more years, 1972 to 1974, in the equally punishing and still more massive new book, Sociobiology: The New Synthesis. Knowing where my capabilities lay, I chose the second of the two routes to success in science: breakthroughs for the extremely bright, syntheses for the driven … For a few days a protester in Harvard Square used a bullhorn to call for my dismissal. Two students from the University of Michigan invaded my class on evolutionary biology one day to shout slogans and deliver antisociobiology monologues.
> "The worst thing that can happen, will happen," I said, "is not energy depletion, economic collapse, limited nuclear war, or conquest by a totalitarian government. As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired within a few generations. The one process ongoing in the 1980s that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us." This article marked my debut as an environmental activist. I was, I will confess now, unforgivably late in arriving.
> Science is the global civilization of which I am a citizen. The spread of its democratic ethic and its unifying powers provides my faith in humanity. The astonishing depth of wonders in the universe, continuously revealed by science, is my temple. The capacity of the informed human mind, liberated at last by the understanding that we are alone and thus the sole stewards of Earth, is my religion. The potential of humanity to turn this planet into a paradise for future generations is my afterlife.
June 30, 2020
This is one of my favorite books of all time, in my top 3 most formative in life so far. Third time reading.
It seems like Wilson has had the perfect scientific life and accomplished so much in so many different disciplines. He is a giant of biology and a personal hero.
Summary: Wilson grew up mostly in Alabama in the 30s and 40s, steeped in southern culture. He was fascinated by the life in the Gulf of Mexico and southern swamps. His parents divorced - unusual for the time - and he went to military school.
A fishing accident left him blind in one eye, which led to him focusing on animals that were small and could be viewed up close. A brief time spent living in DC introduced him the Smithsonian and professional science. As an adolescent he loved the boyscouts, collecting badges and serving as a camp counselor, specializing in wildlife, especially snakes.
He tried to enlist in the army so they could pay for his college, but his eye precluded it. Luckily he was accepted to the University of Alabama, which cost $168 a year, and majored in biology. Here he dove into the world of biology, evolution, and ecology. He and his friends would drive all over the south at night looking for snakes, insects, and frogs to collect.
He decided to go to grad school to study ants and enrolled at Tennessee. He didn't like it there so he transferred to Harvard, which had the largest collection of ants in the world. His motto in research was "Be a hunter and explorer, not a problem solver."
While at Harvard, he conducted field work in central America and the Caribbean, making new discoveries all along the way. A couple years later he traveled to the South Pacific - Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Australia, PNG - making even more discoveries. His field work informed his later theories on island biogeography.
Back at Harvard he was made faculty and worked on taxonomy and biogeography. His nemesis was James Watson who thought anything other than molecular biology was useless. With collaborators like
Robert MacArthur he formulated the theory of island biogeography (species richness, introduction, and extinction are dependent on island size and distance) and tested it in the Florida keys.
He made discoveries on the chemical communication of ants, worked on more taxonomy and co-wrote his magnum opus Ants, which was his first of 2 Pulitzer prize winning non-fiction books. He also formulated the subject of sociobiology which views the social behavior of humans through a naturalistic biological lens, which made him a lot of enemies in the social sciences. Finally, he worked conservation and writing books for the public.
It seems like Wilson has had the perfect scientific life and accomplished so much in so many different disciplines. He is a giant of biology and a personal hero.
Summary: Wilson grew up mostly in Alabama in the 30s and 40s, steeped in southern culture. He was fascinated by the life in the Gulf of Mexico and southern swamps. His parents divorced - unusual for the time - and he went to military school.
A fishing accident left him blind in one eye, which led to him focusing on animals that were small and could be viewed up close. A brief time spent living in DC introduced him the Smithsonian and professional science. As an adolescent he loved the boyscouts, collecting badges and serving as a camp counselor, specializing in wildlife, especially snakes.
He tried to enlist in the army so they could pay for his college, but his eye precluded it. Luckily he was accepted to the University of Alabama, which cost $168 a year, and majored in biology. Here he dove into the world of biology, evolution, and ecology. He and his friends would drive all over the south at night looking for snakes, insects, and frogs to collect.
He decided to go to grad school to study ants and enrolled at Tennessee. He didn't like it there so he transferred to Harvard, which had the largest collection of ants in the world. His motto in research was "Be a hunter and explorer, not a problem solver."
While at Harvard, he conducted field work in central America and the Caribbean, making new discoveries all along the way. A couple years later he traveled to the South Pacific - Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Australia, PNG - making even more discoveries. His field work informed his later theories on island biogeography.
Back at Harvard he was made faculty and worked on taxonomy and biogeography. His nemesis was James Watson who thought anything other than molecular biology was useless. With collaborators like
Robert MacArthur he formulated the theory of island biogeography (species richness, introduction, and extinction are dependent on island size and distance) and tested it in the Florida keys.
He made discoveries on the chemical communication of ants, worked on more taxonomy and co-wrote his magnum opus Ants, which was his first of 2 Pulitzer prize winning non-fiction books. He also formulated the subject of sociobiology which views the social behavior of humans through a naturalistic biological lens, which made him a lot of enemies in the social sciences. Finally, he worked conservation and writing books for the public.
September 22, 2013
This beautifully written, fascinating scientific memior from Edward O Wilson outlines his development as a scientist, from early influences (including youthful nature studies, the church and the Boy Scouts) to his greatest works as a scientist.
Wilson is an eloquent champion of biodiversity and conservation and is the world's greatest expert on ants and a pioneer in the fields of biogeography and sociobiology. Not surprisingly therefore these memoirs are wide ranging in their scope, covering the biology of ants, conflicts between field biologists (of which Wilson is one) and molecular biologists, the importance of islands in biogeography and the evolution of the study of sociobiology in the animal kingdom from ants to primates (and the controversies that arose when those thoughts about aniaml sociobiology came up against human biology).
This is a totally fascinating (and very readable) book for anyone interested in our relationship with the natural world and in how academic science works.
Naturalist by Esward O Wilson published by Penguin.
Wilson is an eloquent champion of biodiversity and conservation and is the world's greatest expert on ants and a pioneer in the fields of biogeography and sociobiology. Not surprisingly therefore these memoirs are wide ranging in their scope, covering the biology of ants, conflicts between field biologists (of which Wilson is one) and molecular biologists, the importance of islands in biogeography and the evolution of the study of sociobiology in the animal kingdom from ants to primates (and the controversies that arose when those thoughts about aniaml sociobiology came up against human biology).
This is a totally fascinating (and very readable) book for anyone interested in our relationship with the natural world and in how academic science works.
Naturalist by Esward O Wilson published by Penguin.
January 14, 2021
Although I was excited to get to my first book from author E.O. Wilson, this one did not meet my expectations...
Author Edward Osborne Wilson, usually cited as E. O. Wilson, is an American biologist, naturalist, and writer. Wilson is considered the most important and outstanding living biologist in the world, according to his Wikipedia page.
Naturalist is more of an autobiography than a traditional science book. The book highlights and chronicles the life and career of author E. O. Wilson. While the science he worked on is discussed - it takes a backseat to the broader story of Wilson's life, and how that science unfolded within the context of the author's story.
E. O. Wilson :
Having heard author Wilson being cited many times in other books I have read, I was eager to start this one, in order to get a better idea of the influential scientist and his work. Unfortunately, I found a lot of the writing here to be overly dry and long-winded, even for a book written by a scientist... Naturalist meanders along at an extremely slow and tedious pace, IMO.
The style of the writing here also reads like it was written in the early '50s; its tone and prose were like a trip back in a time machine.
Naturalist did have some interesting writing in Chapter 17, about the controversy around "Sociobiology", a field of study he played a pivotal role in developing. Sociobiology is a field of biology that aims to examine and explain social behavior in terms of evolution. It draws from disciplines including psychology, ethology, anthropology, evolution, zoology, archaeology, and population genetics. Within the study of human societies, sociobiology is closely allied to evolutionary anthropology, human behavioral ecology and evolutionary psychology.
Wilson mentions that sociobiology was met with harsh opposition by Harvard campus Marxists; naming Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin, among others:
Wilson addresses this controversy in the afterword of the book, saying the following:
Although I see that Naturalist scored a very high aggregate rating, I did not particularly enjoy the writing style and presentation of this book.
I am big on how readable a book is. Naturalist fell short on this front for me...
Thankfully it was not any longer than it was, or I would have put it down.
2.5 stars.
Author Edward Osborne Wilson, usually cited as E. O. Wilson, is an American biologist, naturalist, and writer. Wilson is considered the most important and outstanding living biologist in the world, according to his Wikipedia page.
Naturalist is more of an autobiography than a traditional science book. The book highlights and chronicles the life and career of author E. O. Wilson. While the science he worked on is discussed - it takes a backseat to the broader story of Wilson's life, and how that science unfolded within the context of the author's story.
E. O. Wilson :
Having heard author Wilson being cited many times in other books I have read, I was eager to start this one, in order to get a better idea of the influential scientist and his work. Unfortunately, I found a lot of the writing here to be overly dry and long-winded, even for a book written by a scientist... Naturalist meanders along at an extremely slow and tedious pace, IMO.
The style of the writing here also reads like it was written in the early '50s; its tone and prose were like a trip back in a time machine.
Naturalist did have some interesting writing in Chapter 17, about the controversy around "Sociobiology", a field of study he played a pivotal role in developing. Sociobiology is a field of biology that aims to examine and explain social behavior in terms of evolution. It draws from disciplines including psychology, ethology, anthropology, evolution, zoology, archaeology, and population genetics. Within the study of human societies, sociobiology is closely allied to evolutionary anthropology, human behavioral ecology and evolutionary psychology.
Wilson mentions that sociobiology was met with harsh opposition by Harvard campus Marxists; naming Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin, among others:
"...During the McCarthy era, Harvard had been a celebrated—if imperfect—sanctuary for academics accused of being members of the Communist Party. It was supposed to be a forum in which people could exchange ideas with civility, protected from defamation by political ideologues. Yet the fact that it was well populated by leftist ideologues put that genteel goal at risk. Shortly after the publication of Sociobiology, fifteen scientists, teachers, and students in the Boston area came together to form the Sociobiology Study Group. Soon afterward the new committee affiliated itself with Science for the People, a nationwide organization of radical activists begun in the 1960s to expose the misdeeds of scientists and technologists, including politically dangerous thinking. The Sociobiology Study Group was dominated by Marxist and New Left scholars from Harvard. Two of the most prominent, Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin, were my close colleagues and fellow residents of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Three others, Jonathan Beckwith, Ruth Hubbard, and Richard Levins, held faculty posts in other parts of the university.
Although the unofficial headquarters of the Sociobiology Study Group was Lewontin’s office, located directly below my own, I was completely unaware of its deliberations. After meeting for three months, the group arrived at its foreordained verdict. In a letter published in the New York Review of Books on November 13, 1975, the members declared that human sociobiology was not only unsupported by evidence but also politically dangerous. All hypotheses attempting to establish a biological basis of social behavior “tend to provide a genetic justification of the status quo and of existing privileges for certain groups according to class, race, or sex.
... [Such] theories provided an important basis for the enactment of sterilization laws and restrictive immigration laws by the United States between 1910 and 1930 and also for the eugenics policies which led to the establishment of gas chambers in Nazi Germany...”
Wilson addresses this controversy in the afterword of the book, saying the following:
"...To come to the final and most tumultuous track of my eclectic existence, the twelve years since the original publication of Naturalist have seen many changes in sociobiology, from which I have received, as its nominal founder, both anguish and satisfaction. Applied to ants and other animals, it has flourished. Applied to human social behavior it has also proliferated, but under the name “evolutionary psychology,” now an academic subject with a life of its own. Evolutionary psychology has generated some excellent research and much else that is less than distinguished. Overall it has created an industry of popular books, with substantial combined impact, and become part of the popular culture. Criticism of the kind that followed the publication of my Sociobiology: The New Synthesis in 1975 has largely disappeared. However, attacks of the early era, which were heavily ideological in origin, have left a residue of misunderstanding not just about the content but about the very meaning of the term “sociobiology.” It should be kept in mind that sociobiology is a discipline and, as such, is defined as the systematic study of the biological basis of all forms of social behavior.
The thrust of criticism in the 1970s and 1980s, which arose from the now discredited conception of the human brain as a blank slate, was that sociobiology entails a belief in biological determinism. This was a canard, and one mischievously intended. Sociobiology is not a doctrine or a particular conclusion but a discipline, an open field of inquiry, allowing in theory for the human brain to be a blank slate (disproved), or completely hardwired (never claimed), or the product of interaction between genetic predisposition and environment (well established and now almost universally accepted)..."
Although I see that Naturalist scored a very high aggregate rating, I did not particularly enjoy the writing style and presentation of this book.
I am big on how readable a book is. Naturalist fell short on this front for me...
Thankfully it was not any longer than it was, or I would have put it down.
2.5 stars.
November 30, 2014
This book illustrates the amazing breadth of E.O. Wilson’s work. The format of an autobiography allows for inclusion of everything on which Wilson worked, thought, and collaborated. He tells how each of his ideas and studies was inspired and developed, and includes the context of the state of knowledge and politics of the times. He explains conflicts with other scientists that arose on many issues, with an uncanny ability to describe other people’s mannerisms. I had no idea that ecology and biology had been so controversial. Reading these personal stories behind developing ecological principles is a good way to make them memorable. There is really more to be gained from this book that can be absorbed in one reading.
Even though Wilson writes about his childhood, his father’s alcoholism emerges later as an afterthought. Another person might have written an entire book about their struggle to overcome that kind of early life, but instead Wilson’s focus is on his passion for biology and barely touches on what others might have seen as difficulties. His passion infused his early life with joy and his later life with unbelievable achievement.
Even though Wilson writes about his childhood, his father’s alcoholism emerges later as an afterthought. Another person might have written an entire book about their struggle to overcome that kind of early life, but instead Wilson’s focus is on his passion for biology and barely touches on what others might have seen as difficulties. His passion infused his early life with joy and his later life with unbelievable achievement.
Read
June 29, 2021
“The greater problems of history are not solved; they are merely forgotten.”
It's a very rare thing for me to read and finish a non-fiction book. But a "challenge" can make me go to the extremes, I suppose.
Edward Wilson, a renowned scientist and naturalist talks about his some experiences in his life and his contributions towards the field of science. He is such an accomplished individual! He's also awarded two Pulitzer prizes for the books he's written. I second that though because this book holds a well of knowledge and the writing style is pretty smooth that ends up complementing the material. Such an intellectual person and yet so humble! Through this book, we see how he has contributed to a lot of the the ideas and theories in the field of entomology, biogeography, and sociobiology, which sprouted through his curiosity and experiments as a kid.
It's a very rare thing for me to read and finish a non-fiction book. But a "challenge" can make me go to the extremes, I suppose.
Edward Wilson, a renowned scientist and naturalist talks about his some experiences in his life and his contributions towards the field of science. He is such an accomplished individual! He's also awarded two Pulitzer prizes for the books he's written. I second that though because this book holds a well of knowledge and the writing style is pretty smooth that ends up complementing the material. Such an intellectual person and yet so humble! Through this book, we see how he has contributed to a lot of the the ideas and theories in the field of entomology, biogeography, and sociobiology, which sprouted through his curiosity and experiments as a kid.
March 29, 2021
"Se puede pasar toda una vida en un viaje magallánico alrededor del tronco de un sólo árbol."
'Tomé prestado' este libro de mi padre cuando me vine a hacer el máster, y lo acabé justo el día que entregué mi TFM sobre abejas porque pensé que sería gracioso. Pero básicamente para lo que ha servido es para recordarme que, aunque ahora mismo este rodeada de 'gente así', en la que he pensado cada pocas páginas, yo no soy parte del club.
'Tomé prestado' este libro de mi padre cuando me vine a hacer el máster, y lo acabé justo el día que entregué mi TFM sobre abejas porque pensé que sería gracioso. Pero básicamente para lo que ha servido es para recordarme que, aunque ahora mismo este rodeada de 'gente así', en la que he pensado cada pocas páginas, yo no soy parte del club.
November 16, 2022
Wilson’s tale is engaging, even thought-provoking at points. I’d recommend it to readers who want to learn more about the history of biology as a science since the mid-20th century, but it will also be a great choice for anyone with even a passing interest in the natural sciences — or anyone who just enjoys a good memoir in general.
Full review at Lone Star on a Lark
Full review at Lone Star on a Lark
December 26, 2020
3.5 stars
January 9, 2009
Really more of a 2.4 stars, but I couldn't bring myself to only give it two. This book took me about five attempts and 12 years to make it through this snoozer, but I finally did it! His 700+ page book on ants was more of a page turner.
This was a fantastic read when E.O. was covering his field work and pure science, but languished when he was gossiping about his peers a about how he synthesized his "great" concepts with his coworkers. Sadly the book dealt little with his personal life, but I kind of gather that he doesn't realy have one. For instance, I counted only 2 mentions of his having a daughter in the entire book! He talked 10 times more about jogging than that; not what I would consider the warmest of people.
However, I still look at him as one of my heroes, but I am once again reminded that you should never get too close to your heroes. More often than not they turn out to be just as big a douche as everyone else.
This was a fantastic read when E.O. was covering his field work and pure science, but languished when he was gossiping about his peers a about how he synthesized his "great" concepts with his coworkers. Sadly the book dealt little with his personal life, but I kind of gather that he doesn't realy have one. For instance, I counted only 2 mentions of his having a daughter in the entire book! He talked 10 times more about jogging than that; not what I would consider the warmest of people.
However, I still look at him as one of my heroes, but I am once again reminded that you should never get too close to your heroes. More often than not they turn out to be just as big a douche as everyone else.
July 29, 2014
An excellent account of the evolution of a scientist from his deep south Southern Baptist roots to his role as champion of the preservation of biodiversity. As Wilson concludes, "My truths, three in number, are the following: first, humanity is ultimately the product of biological evolution; second, the diversity of life is the cradle and greatest natural heritage of the human species; and third, philosophy and religion make little sense without taking into account these first two conceptions"
The dustup over Wilson's concept of sociobiology is well explained, as are population biology and biogeography. Most interesting are the accounts of those aspects of personality that drive's the authors quest for scientific explanation. The child exploring the diversity of live in southern swamps lives on in the now elderly scientist.
The dustup over Wilson's concept of sociobiology is well explained, as are population biology and biogeography. Most interesting are the accounts of those aspects of personality that drive's the authors quest for scientific explanation. The child exploring the diversity of live in southern swamps lives on in the now elderly scientist.
February 5, 2010
Old review from 2005, when I thought I would be a scientist instead of a web lackey
This is E. O. Wilson’s autobiography. I picked it up because he’s one of the few famous ecologists I can think of off hand, I would like to know more about the kind of people who populate the fields of science I may enter, and because anything with the word ‘naturalist’ in the title draws my eye. I don’t usually read biographies of any kind, let alone of scientists. Perhaps reading the autobiography of a man who’s lead a life of the highest scientific achievement, public aclaim, and derision wasn’t the best way to get a representative look at the life of an ecologist, but I think it was informative. Feeling a little better about grad school now, I think… [2010 hindsight: hahahahaha]
This is E. O. Wilson’s autobiography. I picked it up because he’s one of the few famous ecologists I can think of off hand, I would like to know more about the kind of people who populate the fields of science I may enter, and because anything with the word ‘naturalist’ in the title draws my eye. I don’t usually read biographies of any kind, let alone of scientists. Perhaps reading the autobiography of a man who’s lead a life of the highest scientific achievement, public aclaim, and derision wasn’t the best way to get a representative look at the life of an ecologist, but I think it was informative. Feeling a little better about grad school now, I think… [2010 hindsight: hahahahaha]
July 1, 2017
Wilson is an excellent writer and his descriptions of how he became interested in nature and how he retained that excitement throughout his career are absorbing. His passion for science and his delight in new discoveries shines through the book. It loses a star for the chapter on the sociobiological 'controversy' which is a little dull and for those of us who aren't in academia more than a little silly - we would have just sent the protagonists to bed without any dinner.
August 31, 2012
Science, environment, growth of a scientist, and lovely stories about a boyhood spent in the outdoors in the 1930s and '40s. Both informative and charming.
November 28, 2023
It's an interesting, well written autobiography and revealing of the man and his times. The early chapters contain sound advice for young nature lovers on how not to be dimmed by accidents, bad luck and disability.
Wilson describes himself as socially conservative, religious and scientifically materialist. He was able to make some amazing journeys at a time when some university depts felt they should pay for research adventures to develop young academics. He collected huge amounts of ant-related data and taught introductory level biology courses to non-science students at Harvard, which allowed him more thinking time. These students also gave him new perspectives on his course material.
Wilson was constantly open to new ideas and developed his thinking about ants, other insects, their evolution and distribution, by collaborating generously with other scientists.
Only two women scientists are mentioned, Rachel Carson briefly and evolutionary biologist Ruth Hubbard only by name.
He wasn’t threatened by younger colleagues and was committed to defending “classical” biology against the increasingly dominant molecular biologists who weren't interested in the names of insects or being able to recognise any organism above its molecular and cell level. James Watson of double-helixed DNA fame plagued Wilson with his views that biology had to be rewritten as physics and chemistry and break with what he felt were “stamp-collecting” methods.
But then there’s his theories around sociobiology, which are oddly explained here and famously caused a storm of reaction from many scientists, including Richards Lewontin and Levin, Ruth Hubbard and Stephen Jay Gould.
For instance, Wilson talks about scientists working on “the problem of altruism” and whether Darwin’s explanation is sufficient or can it be explained by genes and kinship?
“The degree of Kinship, Hamilton saw to be crucial in the evolution of altruism…You may be willing to risk your life for a brother, for example, but the most you are likely to give a third cousin is a piece of advice.”
This is absurd. What if your brother bullied you mercilessly as a child and you loathe him? Alright, you can get round this argument by saying “You may be willing” but doesn’t explain why he thought applying his understanding of behaviour of wasps, other social insects and chimpanzees to explain human behaviour was remotely credible.
We are the species not defined by our genes because our labour has overcome our evolution and in every other aspect of his life Wilson appears to recognise that. He knew how race and class operated.
The opponents of his work on human sociobiology were widespread and said Wilson had no evidence for his claims about it. They included his colleagues Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin in Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology. That shook him deeply but he stuck to his guns and said amongst other things that he’d never heard of Science for the People – the organisation of scientists including Gould and Lewontin, created to examine and affect how scientists work because of the effects of their work on society.
But throughout the rest of the book he is socially aware, including being unhappy about the buildup of military forces he had seen preparing to go to the Vietnam War. He must have known that many scientists were horrified at Oppenheimer’s work on the Manhatten Project and nuclear weapons and his assumption that the American state wouldn’t use them. Science for the People was one response that said scientists’ work shouldn't be separated from society precisely because its effects could be catastrophic.
It feels like a feeble defence and worse that Wilson appeared to embrace sociobiology partly for personal ambition. But he believed in reductionism and embraced what he felt were its logical conclusions without any sense that his results were interpretations filtered by his views of the world and belief system. He is strongly critical of left wing scientists interpretation of the world through their work and claims he didn't do that, which isn't possible. Everyone brings their ideas, interests and biases to work, being aware of that is half the challenge. Wilson doesn't really address the issue of his application of sociobiology to humans being bad science.
Wilson describes himself as socially conservative, religious and scientifically materialist. He was able to make some amazing journeys at a time when some university depts felt they should pay for research adventures to develop young academics. He collected huge amounts of ant-related data and taught introductory level biology courses to non-science students at Harvard, which allowed him more thinking time. These students also gave him new perspectives on his course material.
Wilson was constantly open to new ideas and developed his thinking about ants, other insects, their evolution and distribution, by collaborating generously with other scientists.
Only two women scientists are mentioned, Rachel Carson briefly and evolutionary biologist Ruth Hubbard only by name.
He wasn’t threatened by younger colleagues and was committed to defending “classical” biology against the increasingly dominant molecular biologists who weren't interested in the names of insects or being able to recognise any organism above its molecular and cell level. James Watson of double-helixed DNA fame plagued Wilson with his views that biology had to be rewritten as physics and chemistry and break with what he felt were “stamp-collecting” methods.
But then there’s his theories around sociobiology, which are oddly explained here and famously caused a storm of reaction from many scientists, including Richards Lewontin and Levin, Ruth Hubbard and Stephen Jay Gould.
For instance, Wilson talks about scientists working on “the problem of altruism” and whether Darwin’s explanation is sufficient or can it be explained by genes and kinship?
“The degree of Kinship, Hamilton saw to be crucial in the evolution of altruism…You may be willing to risk your life for a brother, for example, but the most you are likely to give a third cousin is a piece of advice.”
This is absurd. What if your brother bullied you mercilessly as a child and you loathe him? Alright, you can get round this argument by saying “You may be willing” but doesn’t explain why he thought applying his understanding of behaviour of wasps, other social insects and chimpanzees to explain human behaviour was remotely credible.
We are the species not defined by our genes because our labour has overcome our evolution and in every other aspect of his life Wilson appears to recognise that. He knew how race and class operated.
The opponents of his work on human sociobiology were widespread and said Wilson had no evidence for his claims about it. They included his colleagues Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin in Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology. That shook him deeply but he stuck to his guns and said amongst other things that he’d never heard of Science for the People – the organisation of scientists including Gould and Lewontin, created to examine and affect how scientists work because of the effects of their work on society.
But throughout the rest of the book he is socially aware, including being unhappy about the buildup of military forces he had seen preparing to go to the Vietnam War. He must have known that many scientists were horrified at Oppenheimer’s work on the Manhatten Project and nuclear weapons and his assumption that the American state wouldn’t use them. Science for the People was one response that said scientists’ work shouldn't be separated from society precisely because its effects could be catastrophic.
It feels like a feeble defence and worse that Wilson appeared to embrace sociobiology partly for personal ambition. But he believed in reductionism and embraced what he felt were its logical conclusions without any sense that his results were interpretations filtered by his views of the world and belief system. He is strongly critical of left wing scientists interpretation of the world through their work and claims he didn't do that, which isn't possible. Everyone brings their ideas, interests and biases to work, being aware of that is half the challenge. Wilson doesn't really address the issue of his application of sociobiology to humans being bad science.
June 13, 2022
Edward O. Wilson was a biologist who died at the end of 2021, aged 94. Nicknamed "ant man" for his world renowned expertise of ants, he championed concepts such as sociobiology and biodiversity. Reportedly, he was a very nice man, beloved by most of the people he interacted with. And yet, I didn't hear of him because of his scientific writings, but because of a vitriolic article published by Scientific American. In it, the author used Wilson's death and the renewed interest in his autobiography, Naturalist, to decry Wilson's views ("problematic beliefs"). He had tried to explain everything through biological lenses, for example that individual characteristics are caused by evolution and those characteristics cause the characteristics of a group or society or race in a particular environment. The article's author considered that as proof of "scientific racism", but was immediately shut down by scores of scientists who debunked her entire article and pretty much proved she didn't even read the books she was supposedly basing her writing on.
So even when I try to filter out the political idiocy that pollutes every aspect of modern life and try to keep up to date with science and technology, I still fall into these toxic holes. Ironically, one of the last chapters in Naturalist talks about how weird it was for one of his colleagues to try to explain biology ideologically (in that case Marxism). Anyway, so I decided to read the book. I usually love autobiographies, especially those of scientists and other driven people, because it makes me feel as they did. Even if prompted by an ugly example of human stupidity and malice, still something good could come of it.
Alas, while the book is interesting and takes the reader through much of Wilson's life and work, it merely describes his passion for nature, rather than evoke it. Even as it starts with a personal history and childhood, it feels strangely impersonal. A small boy with hearing issues and partial vision in one eye (accidentally caused by him trying to handle a spiked fish), he was nevertheless taught to never run away from a fight by his father, partially schooled in educational institutions that prepared children for military careers and had overall the belief that anything is possible, once you put your mind to it.
I have no doubt that his approach to life wasn't as analytical as it is portrayed in the book, but what exactly that was is hard to glimpse from this biography. Wilson published Naturalist when he was 65 and, while I am sure he worked some time on it, he treated it as any of his scientific books at the time: facts, history based on journals, actions, expectations, results. I liked the book and I liked Wilson, but I wouldn't particularly recommend Naturalist for anything than a glimpse in Wilson's nature (pardon the pun).
So even when I try to filter out the political idiocy that pollutes every aspect of modern life and try to keep up to date with science and technology, I still fall into these toxic holes. Ironically, one of the last chapters in Naturalist talks about how weird it was for one of his colleagues to try to explain biology ideologically (in that case Marxism). Anyway, so I decided to read the book. I usually love autobiographies, especially those of scientists and other driven people, because it makes me feel as they did. Even if prompted by an ugly example of human stupidity and malice, still something good could come of it.
Alas, while the book is interesting and takes the reader through much of Wilson's life and work, it merely describes his passion for nature, rather than evoke it. Even as it starts with a personal history and childhood, it feels strangely impersonal. A small boy with hearing issues and partial vision in one eye (accidentally caused by him trying to handle a spiked fish), he was nevertheless taught to never run away from a fight by his father, partially schooled in educational institutions that prepared children for military careers and had overall the belief that anything is possible, once you put your mind to it.
I have no doubt that his approach to life wasn't as analytical as it is portrayed in the book, but what exactly that was is hard to glimpse from this biography. Wilson published Naturalist when he was 65 and, while I am sure he worked some time on it, he treated it as any of his scientific books at the time: facts, history based on journals, actions, expectations, results. I liked the book and I liked Wilson, but I wouldn't particularly recommend Naturalist for anything than a glimpse in Wilson's nature (pardon the pun).
July 11, 2021
I find this book hard to rate. I found it often as tedious as uplifting, luckily never both at the same time. Feelings aside, the book offers a glimpse at a career in biological science in the XX century and some inspirations on more broad topics like mentoring and being mentored. Granted there’s probably a lot of diversity in experiences, and as the world changes and the XXI century has its unique makeup, hopefully the aspiring scientist can still gain a lot of inspiration and some good insights from this one.
A side note: not to blame the author but the absence of females (exception: the mom, the wife, the daughter and one assistant once) throughout this man’s career is painful to read. I’m not blaming him. After all, he started his studies at a time when women in the US were still not allowed to attend most universities and even when they did, you could pretty much forget about the chances to develop a career in the field. Still upsetting to read.
My favorite excerpts:
I still longed for grace but rooted solidly on Earth.
Adults forget the depth of languor into which the adolescent mind descends with ease. They are prone to undervalue the mental growth that occurs during daydreaming and aimless wandering.
I flourished under the guidance of these multiple elders. In addition to training, they gave me the most priceless gifts an apprentice can receive: They let me know that they did not understand everything, that I might acquire information they did not have and that my efforts were valued.
When I and a few other older family members die, the man and our family home will vanish as though they never existed. This observation on the human condition is one that I find both altogether banal and eternally astonishing. [...] I have felt a small pleasure from this, [...] from the fact that I am now the sole inheritor of my father’s existence. I have been freed to recreate my father not just from his scantily remembered actions but also from what I can reconstruct of his character. Some of that I will keep private and let go to oblivion, when I die.
I know better, but I press on as though I will live forever.
A side note: not to blame the author but the absence of females (exception: the mom, the wife, the daughter and one assistant once) throughout this man’s career is painful to read. I’m not blaming him. After all, he started his studies at a time when women in the US were still not allowed to attend most universities and even when they did, you could pretty much forget about the chances to develop a career in the field. Still upsetting to read.
My favorite excerpts:
I still longed for grace but rooted solidly on Earth.
Adults forget the depth of languor into which the adolescent mind descends with ease. They are prone to undervalue the mental growth that occurs during daydreaming and aimless wandering.
I flourished under the guidance of these multiple elders. In addition to training, they gave me the most priceless gifts an apprentice can receive: They let me know that they did not understand everything, that I might acquire information they did not have and that my efforts were valued.
When I and a few other older family members die, the man and our family home will vanish as though they never existed. This observation on the human condition is one that I find both altogether banal and eternally astonishing. [...] I have felt a small pleasure from this, [...] from the fact that I am now the sole inheritor of my father’s existence. I have been freed to recreate my father not just from his scantily remembered actions but also from what I can reconstruct of his character. Some of that I will keep private and let go to oblivion, when I die.
I know better, but I press on as though I will live forever.
January 15, 2015
The book I chose to read was Naturalist, by Edward O. Wilson. I chose this book because I was interested to learn about the lifestyle of a scientist, and all the crazy things that they would go through for the sake of knowledge. Mr. Wilson was a well-educated and disciplined person, he spent quite a lot of his time in early years transferring between prestigious schools. He got his love for science from all time he spent as a kid alone in the woods and on beaches, fascinated by critters he would attempt to collect. When he was young his parents separated, and decided the best way for him to be raised was a military school. So they sent him to the Gulf Coast Military Academy, where he learned to be focused and mature. Years later he attended the University of Alabama to work towards his Bachelor’s degree in science. Skip forward some more years and he has been accepted to Harvard to work towards his Ph.D. Not surprisingly he will end up becoming a professor at this prestigious school at the age of only twenty-six. With the funding of Harvard he would proceed to conduct all sorts of studies on small life forms around the world, completely interesting tasks like climbing mountains, traversing islands and most interestingly gassing an entire set of islets to wipe them temporarily clear of life. I would only recommend this book to someone interested in the process of scientific discovery, with a complex vocabulary and a grasp of scientific terms who enjoys learning from someone’s life experiences.
The author’s style was quite intriguing, since he is an educated man with a very intellectual position you would imagine his writing was reflective of his job. This proves to be true, as he describes things with a broad and advanced vocabulary, I often had to look words he used up. For example he uses plenty of scientific terms I would assume most people do not know. His writing paints a clear image in my mind, however some of his metaphors were a little weird. He described a jellyfish in the beginning chapter of the book, and from his description I knew exactly what he was looking at. I enjoyed his style, some of his writing was a little conservative and his way of describing even the simplest things while keeping to the point kept me interested. I would recommend his style for an audience that enjoys detail and advancing their vocabulary. The only thing I can compare his style to is that of a textbook author combined with someone like Anne rice, who puts quite a lot of detail into her work.
Some of the author’s experiences I could relate to, I’ve spent time in the woods before and I can share some of the feelings he had for people in positions of authority; such as the different teachers he learned from and worked beside. However do to the time gap and difference in interests between us, some of his life was foreign to me. The author developed himself very well, explaining his feelings and how he grew from the events in his life. Other characters were described thoroughly by the author if they were a character of importance in his life. He provides plenty of details about other characters, including his own opinion and observations into it. When describing some of the other professors and people he has worked with he would detail how they carried themselves and how they worked with his broad vocabulary. You can form your own opinions on some characters, however I feel as if we are intending to accept his opinion as our own because it’s intertwined into the development of the characters. He described a commander he came into contact with during his time at the Academy as an unintelligent drunk, because that was how he saw and viewed them. The author describes each person with detail, often using interesting comparisons to set up how they look or act. Like I mentioned earlier, some of his comparisons were a little weird, often specific to things during his time or in his life we most likely wouldn’t understand.
Most of this book kept my attention, because he mostly spent enough time on each event and subject to keep you interesting without it getting tiresome. There were some cases where a something was drawn out for too long, and I lost interest. There was also a few cases where the subject itself just wasn’t quite interesting, however most of these were personal to me and only a few were the cause of bad writing and lack of content. Everything in the story was in its chronological order, this kept the book interesting throughout the story because it helped you understand how he grew as a person from childhood to adult. I found the book to be very interesting during the phases of his childhood and his education, as everything was fast and contributed to his development. I especially enjoyed reading about his time in military school, not only was it much different from my schooling but it was also different because of the cultural differences during that time. The book slowed down during some points of his research out in the field, and occasionally his studies in his office were slow when he was describing how he conducted his work. The themes of this novel are to follow your passion, and hard work pays off. I was satisfied with the how the themes were presented, through the author’s thoughts and feelings. I learned quite a lot through this book, I learned about the economy of his day, the state of the natural world, how the world was advancing in and treating science, and life lessons from the author’s experiences. Every triumph and defeat the author experienced taught me a little about how I should respond to events in life, and changed my view on some things a little. I highly enjoyed this part of the book, it was one of my favorite things about reading it.
I thought this book was a pleasure to read, although a little bit of a chore at some points. It’s worth enduring any confusion and boredom to get through this story, however that’s only for the people that this book would interest. I would have to recommend this book to anyone interested in science, or who enjoys learning from other people’s experiences in life. I would give this book to someone any day, I think it would make a weird present for a holiday or birthday. This book doesn’t really remind me of anything else I have read previously, I tend to stay away from memoirs and autobiographies. After finishing this book I am going to read a suspense or mystery novel, like I am interested in reading the Davinci Code by Robert Langdon.
The author’s style was quite intriguing, since he is an educated man with a very intellectual position you would imagine his writing was reflective of his job. This proves to be true, as he describes things with a broad and advanced vocabulary, I often had to look words he used up. For example he uses plenty of scientific terms I would assume most people do not know. His writing paints a clear image in my mind, however some of his metaphors were a little weird. He described a jellyfish in the beginning chapter of the book, and from his description I knew exactly what he was looking at. I enjoyed his style, some of his writing was a little conservative and his way of describing even the simplest things while keeping to the point kept me interested. I would recommend his style for an audience that enjoys detail and advancing their vocabulary. The only thing I can compare his style to is that of a textbook author combined with someone like Anne rice, who puts quite a lot of detail into her work.
Some of the author’s experiences I could relate to, I’ve spent time in the woods before and I can share some of the feelings he had for people in positions of authority; such as the different teachers he learned from and worked beside. However do to the time gap and difference in interests between us, some of his life was foreign to me. The author developed himself very well, explaining his feelings and how he grew from the events in his life. Other characters were described thoroughly by the author if they were a character of importance in his life. He provides plenty of details about other characters, including his own opinion and observations into it. When describing some of the other professors and people he has worked with he would detail how they carried themselves and how they worked with his broad vocabulary. You can form your own opinions on some characters, however I feel as if we are intending to accept his opinion as our own because it’s intertwined into the development of the characters. He described a commander he came into contact with during his time at the Academy as an unintelligent drunk, because that was how he saw and viewed them. The author describes each person with detail, often using interesting comparisons to set up how they look or act. Like I mentioned earlier, some of his comparisons were a little weird, often specific to things during his time or in his life we most likely wouldn’t understand.
Most of this book kept my attention, because he mostly spent enough time on each event and subject to keep you interesting without it getting tiresome. There were some cases where a something was drawn out for too long, and I lost interest. There was also a few cases where the subject itself just wasn’t quite interesting, however most of these were personal to me and only a few were the cause of bad writing and lack of content. Everything in the story was in its chronological order, this kept the book interesting throughout the story because it helped you understand how he grew as a person from childhood to adult. I found the book to be very interesting during the phases of his childhood and his education, as everything was fast and contributed to his development. I especially enjoyed reading about his time in military school, not only was it much different from my schooling but it was also different because of the cultural differences during that time. The book slowed down during some points of his research out in the field, and occasionally his studies in his office were slow when he was describing how he conducted his work. The themes of this novel are to follow your passion, and hard work pays off. I was satisfied with the how the themes were presented, through the author’s thoughts and feelings. I learned quite a lot through this book, I learned about the economy of his day, the state of the natural world, how the world was advancing in and treating science, and life lessons from the author’s experiences. Every triumph and defeat the author experienced taught me a little about how I should respond to events in life, and changed my view on some things a little. I highly enjoyed this part of the book, it was one of my favorite things about reading it.
I thought this book was a pleasure to read, although a little bit of a chore at some points. It’s worth enduring any confusion and boredom to get through this story, however that’s only for the people that this book would interest. I would have to recommend this book to anyone interested in science, or who enjoys learning from other people’s experiences in life. I would give this book to someone any day, I think it would make a weird present for a holiday or birthday. This book doesn’t really remind me of anything else I have read previously, I tend to stay away from memoirs and autobiographies. After finishing this book I am going to read a suspense or mystery novel, like I am interested in reading the Davinci Code by Robert Langdon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2021
Wilson’s memoir begins at childhood, and early on he recounts a Baptist church service in excruciating detail. I was absolutely reliving my own childhood along with him, and I was not enjoying it. I almost stopped reading. It would have been a grave error.
I knew little of EO Wilson before reading this book, although I had also read and enjoyed Tales of the Ant World. I knew he had essentially founded the discipline of sociobiology, but I didn’t know that sociobiology is what has now evolved (Wilson might be more inclined to describe it as having been corrupted) into evolutionary psychology. I knew nothing of the controversy surrounding sociobiology or the prominence of Marxist philosophy among microbiologists at that time, and I’ve taken courses in the history and systems of psychology, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. It was a little bit embarrassing. Most of Wilson’s career took place before I was born and during my infancy. By the time I began to study psychology, *of course* we were all being trained in the biopsychosocial model.
It was fascinating to learn how it all unfolded. I enjoyed the book, and I look forward to reading more of Wilson’s work.
I knew little of EO Wilson before reading this book, although I had also read and enjoyed Tales of the Ant World. I knew he had essentially founded the discipline of sociobiology, but I didn’t know that sociobiology is what has now evolved (Wilson might be more inclined to describe it as having been corrupted) into evolutionary psychology. I knew nothing of the controversy surrounding sociobiology or the prominence of Marxist philosophy among microbiologists at that time, and I’ve taken courses in the history and systems of psychology, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. It was a little bit embarrassing. Most of Wilson’s career took place before I was born and during my infancy. By the time I began to study psychology, *of course* we were all being trained in the biopsychosocial model.
It was fascinating to learn how it all unfolded. I enjoyed the book, and I look forward to reading more of Wilson’s work.
July 28, 2020
I loved this autobiography by E.O. Wilson. Wilson is a brilliant scientist who studied ants in order to introduce and explain concepts in biodiversity, evolution, and sociobiology. His childhood is unexpected, including years at a military boarding school when very young, and he was always drawn to nature. His career as a top scientist at Harvard who traveled the world studying ants included honors and many prizes along the way, as well as academic conflict with others on the faculty. (There was too much detail about these conflicts for my liking, or I would've given five stars.) Wilson is a remarkable man for his humility, ability to synthesize unconnected information, and desire to collaborate with others whose talents complemented his own. And he writes with clarity and humor, telling wonderful tales about his adventures on tropical islands and in many countries. I enjoyed learning that he considered himself a "neophile, an inordinate lover of the new, of diversity for its own sake. In such a place everything is a surprise..." And now I know what to call myself, a neophile!
May 10, 2023
- The cotyledons are mostly double, and there is an observation to be made here which will appear still more important as we proceed—that is, that the leaves of the first node are often paired, even when the following leaves of the stalk stand alternately upon it. Here we see an approximation and a joining of parts which nature afterwards separates and places at a distance from one another. It is still more remarkable when the cotyledons take the form of many little leaves gathered about an axis, and the stalk which grows gradually from their midst produces the following leaves arranged around it singly in a whorl. This may be observed very exactly in the growth of the pinus species. Here a corolla of needles forms at the same time a calyx, and we shall have occasion to remember the present case in connection with similar phenomena later.
February 6, 2022
Although I am not a big fan of biographies, I enjoyed this book about the life of E.O. Wilson. The first chapters focus on his childhood and early education, which I found less interesting (but still enjoyable to read). He also describes several expeditions to South America and the South Pacific. For me, the book really got started from chapter 12 onwards where he describes the development of several ideas, such as the theory of island biogeography (with MacArthur and the experiments of Simberloff) and sociobiology. He spends some time on the criticisms on sociobiology by Lewontin and Gould, which were mainly motivated by Marxist political views. The book ends with Wilson's new focus on conservation biology.
July 29, 2023
“Naturalist” not only offers a glimpse into Wilson’s scientific achievements but also delves into his personal experiences and encounters with the natural world, making it a truly immersive and heartfelt memoir. As readers follow his adventures, they are encouraged to develop a greater understanding of the importance of conservation and the urgent need to protect our planet’s precious ecosystems.
To conclude, “Naturalist” is a beautifully written and thought-provoking book that celebrates the wonders of nature and the profound impact of scientific exploration. Edward O. Wilson’s passion and expertise make it a must-read for nature enthusiasts and anyone seeking a deeper connection with the world around us.
To conclude, “Naturalist” is a beautifully written and thought-provoking book that celebrates the wonders of nature and the profound impact of scientific exploration. Edward O. Wilson’s passion and expertise make it a must-read for nature enthusiasts and anyone seeking a deeper connection with the world around us.
May 15, 2022
I enjoyed learning about Wilson's boyhood fascination with animals and the path that led him to become an entomologist (he lost the sight in one eye and couldn't observe birds at a distance). I would have liked more of an explanation of the tenets of sociobiology. Surely it can't simply be that both genes and environment play a role in animal (including human animals) behavior. Who would deny that? So why the big uproar over Wilson's book? He suggests it's a misunderstanding of his views and takes responsibility for making one book out of what should have been two, but that seems a little disingenuous to me.
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