The Alfred Russel Wallace Reader: A Selection of Writings from the Field (Center Books in Natural History)
- Book Review,
by Alfred Russel Wallace, Jane R. Camerini (Editor)
From Book News, Inc.
Alfred Russel Wallace, who co-originated the idea of evolution by natural selection, is believed by some to have been the greatest field biologist of the 19th century. Aimed at the general reader, this volume presents selected readings from Wallace's research in Wales, the Amazon, and the Malay Archipelago, as well as some of his ideas on such topics as natural selection and Spiritualism. Editor Camerini is a faculty associate at the U. of Wisconsin.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Review
"[Jane Camerini]... is probably best known for her informative papers on 'Wallace's Line'... These papers, and others on Wallace and 19th-century biogeography, well qualify her to edit this eclectic collection of Wallace's very readable prose... Camerini reveals his essence in a nutshell... After reading these excerpts from his books and articles, you will want to go to your library and read the originals in full."--Duncan M. Porter, Bioscience
Review
"I strongly recommend this book. Wallace has long been left out of the story of evolution and it seems highly appropriate to present autobiographical and reflective writings from the one man who matched Darwin intellectually, who shared the evolutionary moment with Darwin, and whom Darwin admired. Wallace's attractive personality, good writing style, intriguing views on all kinds of subjects, and unusual life story will make this book of interest to historians, biologists, as well as those interested in the wider debate over evolutionary theory."--Janet Browne, Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at University College London
Book Description
Long overshadowed by his contemporaries Charles Darwin and Thomas H. Huxley, Alfred Russel Wallace was an English naturalist and pioneer evolutionist who researched biological diversity through extensive exploration and travel. Independent of Darwin, Wallace developed a theory of evolution through natural selection, which ultimately spurred Darwin to complete and publish his own Origin of Species. Famous for drawing "Wallace's Line," the boundary line separating the Asian and Australian zoological regions, Wallace's studies of the distribution of plants and animals pioneered an evolutionary approach to global and island biogeography. The Alfred Russel Wallace Reader: A Selection of Writings from the Field is the first book to reintroduce Wallace to a general readership beyond the cadre of scientists and historians familiar with his work.
From the Publisher
"Wallace is one of the most important figures of nineteenth-century biology and in character among its most admirable. He is also one of the very few, like Darwin and Maxwell, whose importance grows with time. This volume, a well-written biography interleaved with Wallace's own writing, brings the great naturalist to life."—Edward O. Wilson, University Research Professor, Harvard University "I strongly recommend this book. Wallace has long been left out of the story of evolution and it seems highly appropriate to present autobiographical and reflective writings from the one man who matched Darwin intellectually, who shared the evolutionary moment with Darwin, and whom Darwin admired. Wallace's attractive personality, good writing style, intriguing views on all kinds of subjects, and unusual life story will make this book of interest to historians, biologists, as well as those interested in the wider debate over evolutionary theory."—Janet Browne, Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at University College London
About the Author
Jane R. Camerini is a faculty associate in the department of the History of Science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
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