University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Recognition

Among my collection of E.O. Wilson’s thought-provoking books, this book and The Future of Life are my favorite. Wilson elegantly lay out his theory about how humans (as one of the millions species on Earth) evolved over geological time scales to become what we are, the evolutionary origin of the complex and conflicting human nature, and the meaning of human existence. More importantly, the book inspires the readers to think about life on Earth as a whole, not only from the human perspective. Poetically written, the book is exemplary in how we as scientists can teach general public on complex topics and influence the society’s thinking in positive directions.