Wilson, Edward O.

The diversity of life by Edward O Wilson ( Book )
72 editions published between 1992 and 2010 in 8 languages and held by 4,267 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"In the Amazon Basin the greatest violence sometimes begins as a flicker of light beyond the horizon. There in the perfect bowl of the night sky, untouched by light from any human source, a thunderstorm sends its premonitory signal and begins a slow journey to the observer, who thinks: the world is about to change." Watching from the edge of the Brazilian rain forest, witness to the sort of violence nature visits upon its creatures, Edward O. Wilson reflects on the crucible of evolution, and so begins his remarkable account of how the living world became diverse and how humans are destroying that diversity. Wilson, internationally regarded as the dean of biodiversity studies, conducts us on a tour through time, traces the processes that create new species in bursts of adaptive radiation, and points out the cataclysmic events that have disrupted evolution and diminished global diversity over the past 600 million years. The five enormous natural blows to the planet (such as meteorite strikes and climatic changes) required 10 to 100 million years of evolutionary repair. The sixth great spasm of extinction on earth - caused this time entirely by humans - may be the one that breaks the crucible of life. Wilson identifies this crisis in countless ecosystems around the globe: coral reefs, grasslands, rain forests, and other natural habitats. Drawing on a variety of examples such as the decline of bird populations in the United States, the extinction of many species of freshwater fish in Africa and Asia, and the rapid disappearance of flora and fauna as the rain forests are cut down, he poignantly describes the death throes of the living worlds diversity - projected to decline as much as 20 percent by the year 2020. All evidence marshaled here resonates through Wilson's tightly reasoned call for a spirit of stewardship over the worlds biological wealth. He makes a plea for specific actions that will enhance rather than diminish not just diversity but the quality of life on earth. Cutting through the tangle of environmental issues that often obscure the real concern, Wilson maintains that the era of confrontation between forces for the preservation of nature and those for economic development is over; he convincingly drives home the point that both aims can, and must, be integrated. Unparalleled in its range and depth, Wilson's masterwork is essential reading for those who care about preserving the worlds biological variety and ensuring our planets health

On human nature by Edward O Wilson ( Book )
61 editions published between 1978 and 2004 in 4 languages and held by 3,849 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Presents a philosophy based on sociobiological theory and applying the theory of natural selection to human society

Consilience : the unity of knowledge by Edward O Wilson ( )
55 editions published between 1998 and 2010 in English and German and held by 3,469 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Biologist Wilson, considered to be one of the world's greatest living scientists, argues for the fundamental unity of all knowledge, that everything in our world is organized in terms of a small number of fundamental natural laws. Wilson, the pioneer of sociobiology and biodiversity, now once again breaks out of the conventions of current thinking. He shows how and why our explosive rise in intellectual mastery of the truths of our universe has its roots in the ancient Greek concept of an intrinsic orderliness that governs our cosmos--a vision that found its apogee in the Age of Enlightenment, then gradually was lost in the increasing fragmentation and specialization of knowledge in the last two centuries. Drawing on the physical sciences and biology, anthropology, psychology, religion, philosophy, and the arts, Professor Wilson shows why the goals of the original Enlightenment are reappearing on the frontiers of science and humanistic scholarship.--From publisher description

The future of life by Edward O Wilson ( Book )
36 editions published between 2001 and 2005 in 4 languages and held by 3,308 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Examines the richness of the natural world, how it is currently being threatened, and what can be done to safeguard it

Sociobiology : the new synthesis by Edward O Wilson ( Book )
54 editions published between 1975 and 2008 in 4 languages and held by 2,986 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
When this classic work was first published in 1975, it created a new discipline and started a tumultuous round in the age-old nature versus nurture debate. Although voted by officers and fellows of the international Animal Behavior Society the most important book on animal behavior of all time, Sociobiology is probably more widely known as the object of bitter attacks by social scientists and other scholars who opposed its claim that human social behavior, indeed human nature, has a biological foundation. The controversy surrounding the publication of the book reverberates to the present day. In the introduction to this edition, Edward O. Wilson shows how research in human genetics and neuroscience has strengthened the case for a biological understanding of human nature. Human sociobiology, now often called evolutionary psychology, has in the last quarter of a century emerged as its own field of study, drawing on theory and data from both biology and the social sciences. For its still fresh and beautifully illustrated descriptions of animal societies, and its importance as a crucial step forward in the understanding of human beings, this anniversary edition of Sociobiology: the new synthesis will be welcomed by a new generation of students and scholars in all branches of learning

Biodiversity II understanding and protecting our biological resources ( )
16 editions published between 1996 and 1997 in English and held by 2,904 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Biodiversity is the whole of life on Earth - and every day it is diminished as human population growth and exploitation of land causes the extinction of animal and plant species. If the world does not act quickly and cooperatively, species numbering into the millions will be doomed. In the process, we lose opportunities in medicine, agriculture, biotechnology, and a host of other human endeavors. This is the warning sounded by some of the world's most renowned environmental authorities in Biodiversity II. In words meaningful to lay readers and scientists alike, this book alerts us that we may soon be bereft of species that could help us fight disease and produce useful products - not to mention bringing us the wonder of natural life. Unlike other books on the topic, Biodiversity II tells us what can and must be done right now to preserve life on Earth. The experts who lend their voices to Biodiversity II explain how scientists study biodiversity, what they have learned about the scope of life on the planet, and what urgent questions remain. These experts advocate the fusion of resources already at our command - government biological surveys, private agencies, museum collections, universities - into a more effective force to better understand and protect the wealth of the natural world

Biodiversity by Edward O Wilson ( )
44 editions published between 1986 and 2003 in English and Undetermined and held by 2,551 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
This important book for scientists and nonscientists alike calls attention to a most urgent global problem: the rapidly accelerating loss of plant and animal species to increasing human population pressure and the demands of economic development

The creation : an appeal to save life on earth by Edward O Wilson ( Book )
11 editions published between 2006 and 2007 in English and Spanish and held by 2,348 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Like Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, this is a book about the fate of the earth and the survival of our planet. Wilson attempts to bridge the seemingly irreconcilable worlds of fundamentalism and science. Passionately concerned about the state of the world, he draws on his own personal experiences and expertise as an entomologist, and prophesies that half the species of plants and animals on Earth could either have gone or at least are fated for early extinction by the end of our present century. This is not a bitter, predictable rant against fundamentalist Christians or deniers of Darwin; rather, Wilson, a leading "secular humanist," draws upon his own rich background as a boy in Alabama who "took the waters," and seeks not to condemn this new generation of Christians but to address them on their own terms.--From publisher description

The ants by Bert Hölldobler ( Book )
12 editions published in 1990 in English and held by 2,189 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Reviews in detail all topics in the anatomy, physiology, social organization, ecology, and natural history of ants

Biophilia by Edward O Wilson ( Book )
20 editions published between 1984 and 2003 in English and held by 2,179 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
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