Editorial Reviews
Review
"At last, Alfred Russel Wallace is getting a fairer share of the limelight... Jane Camerini's excellent selection of Wallace's copious and diverse writings allows the man to speak for himself." -- Douglas Palmer, New Scientist
"Camerini's volume benefits from the inclusion of generous selections from the naturalist's marvelous travel journals." -- Edward J. Larson, Washington Post Book World
"[Wallace's] extraordinary range of interests is explored in Jane Camerini's fine anthology... Linked by deft introductions and prefaced by a brief biography, these [selections] give a wonderful insight into the passion for natural history that gripped Wallace throughout his life... It is in his writings from the field that Wallace comes across most vividly." -- James A. Secord, American Scientist
"Wallace's 'problematic' interests and perspectives are [here] revealed... to be key to understanding the mid-nineteenth-century debates about evolution in their true cultural complexity." -- Charlotte Sleigh, Nature
"Camerini [takes] a quiet delight in presenting Wallace's long-out-of-print writings as gifts to a generation that has never seen them." -- Natural History
"Explore[s] the extraordinary range of Wallace's interests, which encompassed ecology, evolution, spiritualism, and socialism. Camerini presents her selections (generally entire articles or book chapters) chronologically. Her succinct introductory essays place Wallace and his work in context." -- Science
"Tantalizes readers to learn about the life and complex interests of this important figure... revealing just enough of Alfred Wallace to make the reader ready to search for more." -- Nancy E. Cowden, Plant Science Bulletin
"I very much enjoyed reading this book and having had the opportunity to get on more familiar footing with a complicated but fascinating person." -- Michael Kiehn, Plant Suplematics and Evolution
"[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
"Camerini provides clearly written introductions that carefully place the writings in their broad social, political and intellectual context and explains the basics of scientific theory and practice." -- British Journal for the History of Science
Review
"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
The Alfred Russel Wallace Reader : A Selection of Writings from the Field (Center Books in Natural History)
The Alfred Russel Wallace Reader: A Selection of Writings from the Field (Center Books in Natural History),David Quammen,Jane R. Camerini,The Johns Hopkins University Press,0801867894,1823-1913,Biogeography,Environmental Conservation & Protection - General,Life Sciences - Biology - General,Life Sciences - Evolution,Natural selection,Nature/Ecology,Science,Wallace, Alfred Russel,,England,Evolution,History of science,NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS,Nature / Natural Resources,Popular science,c 1800 to c 1900
Buy Best Books:
Recommended Books