The Diversity of Life
1992
First Published
4.21
Average Rating
432
Number of Pages
"A superb blend of lyrical description, sweeping historical writing, lucid scientific explanation, and dire warnings... The most important scientific book of the year." ― Boston Globe In this book a master scientist tells the story of how life on earth evolved. Edward O. Wilson eloquently describes how the species of the world became diverse and why that diversity is threatened today as never before. A great spasm of extinction ― the disappearance of whole species ― is occurring now, caused this time entirely by humans. Unlike the deterioration of the physical environment, which can be halted, the loss of biodiversity is a far more complex problem ― and it is irreversible. Defining a new environmental ethic, Wilson explains why we must rescue whole ecosystems, not only individual species. He calls for an end to conservation versus development arguments, and he outlines the massive shift in priorities needed to address this challenge. No writer, no scientist, is more qualified than Edward O. Wilson to describe, as he does here, the grandeur of evolution and what is at stake. "Engaging and nontechnical prose... Prodigious erudition... Original and fascinating insights." ― John Terborgh, New York Review of Books, front page review "Eloquent... A profound and enduring contribution." ― Alan Burdick, Audubon Color plates
Avg Rating
4.21
Number of Ratings
6,211
5 STARS
48%
4 STARS
31%
3 STARS
15%
2 STARS
3%
1 STARS
2%
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Author
Edward O. Wilson
Author · 46 books
Edward 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.
