Naturalist: E. O.Wilson - Softcover

"What distinguishes Wilson's story is its handsome prose, honed by years of practice into a concise and sly discourse. Among literary scientists, no one since Rachel Carson has more effectively joined humble detail to a grand vision of life processes and structures."--The Washington Post Book World "A wise personal memoir.... A mixture of loneliness, amusement, curiosity and intellectual rigor makes the voice of this thoughtful man unforgettable."--The New York Times Book Review "Wilson is the grand master of lyrically analytic nature writing."--Science "This memoir, a fitting capstone to an extraordinary career, should inspire yet another generation of scientists to explore the natural world."--Library Journal "In this exquisitely written memoir, the famed Harvard scientist looks back at his childhood in the South as well as his career as a groundbreaking thinker in the field of evolutionary biology. Truly, here is the irrefutable proof that scientists have souls."--The USA Today "Vividly, often beautifully written. Wilson emerges not only as a gifted scientist, but also as a likable, passionate, eloquent person."--Jared Diamond "The New York Review of Books " "The book to read, to get the full story on Mr. Wilson's eventful life, is his memoir Naturalist, published in 1994."--The New York Times "Naturalist reads like a classic hero's tale."--Bloomsbury Review "[Naturalist] is one of the finest scientific memoirs ever written, by one of the finest scientists writing today."--Los Angeles Times

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 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.