The unity of knowledge is a 1998 book by the biologist e. Wilson has published his latest warning about life on earth. Wilson the naturalist and entomologist, whose new book is genesis, loves a reptile guide called lizards and snakes of alabama, which speaks to my boyhood passion and is. Wilson made his first major entomological discovery at age. Our planets fight for life completes a trilogy that includes the social conquest of earth 2012 and the meaning of human existence 2014. The naturalist and entomologist, whose new book is genesis, loves a reptile guide called lizards and snakes of alabama, which speaks to my. The unity of knowledge, is further justification for these accolades. Wilsons new take on human nature the eminent biologist argues in a controversial new book that our stone age emotions are still at war with our hightech sophistication. Wilson renews the enlightenments search for a unified theory of knowledge in disciplines that range from physics to biology, the social sciences and the humanities. Wilsonhas laid and elegant and ingratiating literary style over a fundament of science to produce a book that will enlighten the uninformed, correct the misinformed and serve as a beacon of lucidity in. He decided to move out to the country following his dissatisfaction with american policies following the war. The deep origins of societies, called arrestingdeeply informative and provocative by booklist. Edward osborne wilson, university research professor emeritus at harvard, is the guiding force that shapes the mission of the e.
Wilson, in full edward osborne wilson, born june 10, 1929, birmingham, alabama, u. His biological specialty is myrmecology, the study of ants, on which he has been called the worlds leading expert wilson has been called the father of sociobiology and the father of biodiversity for his environmental advocacy, and his secularhumanist and deist. Owing to limitations of space, all acknowledgments of permission to reprint previously published material will be found following the index. In the final chapter of the book sociobiology wilson argues that the. Richard dawkins in furious row with eo wilson over theory. He was also the foremost proponent of sociobiology, the study of the genetic basis of the social behaviour of all animals, including humans wilson received his early training in biology at the university of alabama b. Wilson used sociobiology and evolutionary principles to. Wilson, is an american biologist, naturalist, and writer. Wilsons childhood fascination with insects and other living things matured into an intellectual passion that fired one of the greatest careers in modern science.
He was born in baltimore but moved to the united kingdom after he served in the vietnam war. The author of more than thirty books, including halfearth, the social conquest of earth, the meaning of human existence, and letters to a young scientist. Wilson uses the term consilience to describe the synthesis of knowledge from different specialized fields of human endeavor. Edward osborne wilson born june 10, 1929, usually cited as e.
Wilson, including the diversity of life, and the future of. Reflecting on the deepest origins of language, storytelling, and art, wilson demonstrates how creativity began not ten thousand years ago, as we have long assumed, but over one hundred thousand years ago in the paleolithic age. By the time he completed graduate school he was already winning recognition as the worlds foremost authority on ants. Wilson popularized the term sociobiology as an attempt to explain the evolutionary mechanics behind social behavior such as altruism, aggression, and the nurturing of the young. The compulsion was one of the mental factors that led me in later years to develop with robert h. It helped start the sociobiology debate, one of the great scientific controversies in biology of the 20th century and part of the wider debate about evolutionary psychology and the modern synthesis of evolutionary biology. The naturalist and entomologist, whose new book is genesis, loves a reptile guide called lizards and snakes of alabama, which speaks to my boyhood. Wilson is pellegrino university professor at harvard university. Wilson edward osborne wilson, more commonly known as e. Wilson popularized the term sociobiology as an attempt to. One of the leading figures in sociobiology, he is often dubbed as the father of sociobiology. The future of life may be bleak, wilson warns, but it remains in our hands to save it. The new york times as elegant in its prose as it is rich in its ideas. Wilson finds hope in selfless ants and ecology studies.
The books that influenced edward o wilson farnam street. In consilience a word that originally meant jumping together, edward o. The naturalist and entomologist, whose new book is genesis, loves a reptile guide called lizards and snakes of alabama, which speaks to. Wilson is widely recognized as one of the worlds preeminent biologists and naturalists. Wilson used sociobiology and evolutionary principles.
Wilson has 143 books on goodreads with 230186 ratings. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Wilson argues that our natural affinity for lifebiophiliais the very essence of our humanity and binds us to all other living species. The latest attempt to reinvigorate these tired theories comes with the alleged creation of a new discipline, sociobiology. Wilson, in which the author discusses methods that have been used to unite the sciences and might in the future unite them with the humanities. This letter, which is directed against my book sociobiology. Wilson, including the diversity of life, and the future of life, and more on. Wilson, responds to the question of which books had the most influence over. For more than six decades, the influential biologist edward o.
We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Of this trilogy wilson writes, it describes how our species became the architects and rulers of. The library of congress has cataloged the knopf edition as follows. Using the natural sciences as his model, wilson forges dramatic links between fields. Wilsons twentyfirstcentury statement on darwinian evolution. The author of more than twenty books, including consilience, the diversity of life, the social conquest of earth, the meaning of human existence, an. The book bursts to life with wilsons observations of nature, from fire ants and social spiders to starlings. Many of his colleagues in the sciences and humanities consider wilson the most important biologist since charles darwin, and one of the most important scientists of any kind in the 20th century. Wilson, is an american biologist who is widely considered to be the worlds leading authority on ants. The new synthesis, is an openly partisan attack on what the signers mistakenly.
Wilson, considered to be one of the worlds greatest living scientists, argues for the fundamental unity of all knowledge and the need to search for consiliencethe proof that everything in our world is organized in terms of a small number of fundamental natural laws that comprise the. In the final chapter of the book sociobiology wilson argues. Wilsons most personal book, an evocation of his own response to nature and an eloquent statement of the conservation ethic. In addition to two pulitzer prizes one of which he shares with bert holldobler, wilson has won many scientific awards, including the national medal of science and the crafoord prize of the royal swedish academy of sciences. The eminent biologist argues in a controversial new book that our stone age emotions are still at war with our. Wilson 2000, hardcover, anniversary at the best online prices at. In this groundbreaking new book, the american biologist edward o. Wilson has a new book, the social conquest of earth, and it is already prompting sharp criticism from fellow. Wilson reveals, have their roots in human creativitythe defining trait of our species. Wilsons new book, social conquest of earth the new. The great and essential biologist and naturalist edward o. Wilson harvard university museum of comparative zoology 26 oxford street cambridge ma 0282902 email. Macarthur the theory of island biogeography, which has become an influential part of ecology.