The Diversity of Life
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Harvard Professor and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Wilson takes readers through time–tracing the processes that make new species, the five cataclysmic events that have disrupted evolution over the past 600 million years, and how humans are destroying diversity at a projected rate of 20 percent over the next 30 years. “In the Amazon Basin the greatest violence sometimes starts as a flicker of light beyond the horizon. There in the perfect bowl of the night sky, unconcerned by light from any human source, a thunderstorm sends its premonitory signal and starts 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 scenery visits upon its creatures, Edward O. Wilson reflects on the crucible of evolution, and so starts 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 make 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 fantastic ripple of extinction on planet–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 additional 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 point actions that will enhance rather than diminish not just diversity but the quality of life on planet. Cutting through the tangle of environmental issues that regularly obscure the real concern, Wilson maintains that the era of confrontation between forces for the preservation of scenery and persons 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 persons who care about preserving the worlds biological variety and ensuring our planets health.Amazon.com Review
Humans, the Harvard University entomologist Edward O. Wilson has experimental, have an innate–or at least extremely very ancient–tie to the natural world, and our nonstop divorce from it has led to the loss of not only “a vast intellectual legacy born of intimacy” with scenery, but also our very sanity. In The Diversity of Life, Wilson takes a sweeping view of our planet’s natural fruitfulness, remarking on what on the surface seems a paradox: “nearly all the species that ever lived are extinct, and yet more are alive today than at any time in the past.” (Wilson’s elegant explanation is a scientific education in itself.) This fantastic variety of species is, of course, threatened by habitat destruction, global climate change, and a host of additional forces, and Wilson revisits his oft-stated call for the protection of wilderness and undeveloped land, noting that “wilderness has virtue unto itself and needs no extraneous justification.” We should, he continues, regard every species, “every scrap of biodiversity,” as precious and irreplaceable, lacking attempting to place a figure on that regard with utilitarian measures such as “bio-economics.” In fleeting, Wilson offers with this book a simple, workable environmental ethic that extends the work of Aldo Leopold and additional conservationists. A remarkably productive and influential scientist, Wilson is also a fine writer, and his survey of biodiversity makes for welcome and instructive reading. –Gregory McNamee
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I despised this “book” more than most. Firstly, I thought it was a whole lot of examples prooving very few points, like a terrible essay. He also seemed to rely on his cumbersome vocabulary as a way of asserting his role as the knowledgeable professor; who does he reflect he impresses? The value of his words ought to be enough, though he doesn’t seem to know this. A writer he is not, and it takes one to be a mainstream leader. Also, his biases towards his and Darwin’s work was sheer denial of the opposing facts. Even worse, his prejudice on the Leaver tribes in the places he stayed at was ghastly. The whole thing made me retch. Why would anyone read this out of free will? The people who reflect they loved it probably didn’t know it!
Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5
Although this book was well written, with sophisticated language, it was reasonably dry. It momentously resembled a biology textbook, which causes the reader to lose interest. A lot of imagery and plain description was used, to help depict the theme of the novel. The book explores the many diverse organisms prevalent in the world, as well as the ones that were presend throughout the course of history. Wilson starts his adventure off in the Amazon River Basin, where he encounters many not widely known species. He clarifies throughout the novel, the importance of the diversity of life, as well as how nataural disasters do not neccesarily harm diversity. This book is recommended to persons who delight in biology, and want to explore the theories and examples of biological concepts.
Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5
This book was excellent because it introduced new atmostpheres of the world and how different environments are structured. It analyzed the affects that an environment has on species. It also sets up hypothetical siuations that allow the read to reflect of “what ifs.” Wilson gives examples that show thing from different perspectives, which is a positive aspect of the book. The only terrible thing was that some of the book was ranting on. I felt that some things could have been said in a more consice way.
Reader’s Rating: 3 / 5
To start with, I want to say that this book was honestly excellent. The book ongoing talking about early life on this planet, the various pioneering species of early Planet, etc. The book then goes into detail about the eolutionary paths of some of these lead the way species and of evolution in all-purpose, and of how the biodiversity on Planet has grown both in size and complexity. Towards the end, the book goes into the human influence on the environment; mostly the negative effects of human activity on theenvironment. I read this book for an AP Environmental Science class, and although this book is not the best, it had many colorful graphics and was honestly appealing and not dull like many of the books you are forced to read in school.
Reader’s Rating: 3 / 5
The Diversity Of Life is a very appealing book. The leader, Edward O. Wilson, discusses many different aspects of diversity in the world. He gives many examples from microbacteria to the wather around the world. Wilson argues against destruction of rainforests and proposes more scientists to learn more species in the world. And Wilson talks about how lacking human destruction in scenery, scenery can recover from destruction on her own. Wilson wants to save all organisms on Planet and wants to perserve scenery as it should be.
Reader’s Rating: 3 / 5