The Heretic in Darwin's Court: The Life of Alfred Russel Wallace
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.82 (549 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0231130104 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 602 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 0000-00-00 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
In addition to his divergence from Darwin on two fundamental issuessexual selection and the origin of the human mindhe pursued topics that most scientific figures of his day conspicuously avoided, including spiritualism, phrenology, mesmerism, environmentalism, and life on Mars.Although there may be disagreement about his conclusions, Wallace's intellectual investigations into the origins of life, consciousness, and the universe itself remain some of the most inspired scientific accomplishments in history. Tracing step-by-step his discovery of natural selectiona piece of scientific detective work as revolutionary in its implications as the discovery of the structure of DNAthe book then follows the remaining fifty years of Wallace's eccentric and entertaining life. After examining his early years, the biography turns to Wallace's twelve years of often harrowing travels in the western and eastern tropics, which place him in the pantheon of the greatest explorer-naturalists of the nineteenth century. During their lifetimes, Alfred Russel Wallace and Charles Darwin shared credit and fame for the independent and near-simultaneous discovery of natural selection. Together, the two men spearheaded one of the greatest intellectual revolutions in modern history, and their rivalry, usu
But, as Slotten shows, he was very much interested in other causes as well. . Illus., maps. All rights reserved. He demonstrates that Wallace was a brilliant, complex man and argues persuasively that Wallace never resented Darwin's receiving much more credit for the theory of natural selection than he did. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Wallace, perhaps more than Darwin, took on all comers and was an articulate and forceful spokesman for natural selection. Darwin, who had been working on this topic for 20 years but had not yet published anything, feared that Wallace's paper would take precedence over all of his own earlier work. Physician and amateur historian Slotten does a very good job of contextualizing this critical moment in the history of biology within the life and times of Wallace. From Publishers Weekly In 1858, Alfred Russel W
"More Wallace" according to C. H Smith. Ross Slotten's new biography of Alfred Russel Wallace (182More Wallace Ross Slotten's new biography of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) continues where others have left off. There has now been at least one full-length biographical study of Wallace published each year since 2000, plus several anthologies and other works. Clearly, Wallace is starting to "get his due." But there is yet much to do, and this latest biography demonstrates this point well. Slotten is an amateur investigator, and this work was obviously a labor of love. But he's put a good deal of effort into . -191More Wallace Ross Slotten's new biography of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) continues where others have left off. There has now been at least one full-length biographical study of Wallace published each year since 2000, plus several anthologies and other works. Clearly, Wallace is starting to "get his due." But there is yet much to do, and this latest biography demonstrates this point well. Slotten is an amateur investigator, and this work was obviously a labor of love. But he's put a good deal of effort into . ) continues where others have left off. There has now been at least one full-length biographical study of Wallace published each year since 2000, plus several anthologies and other works. Clearly, Wallace is starting to "get his due." But there is yet much to do, and this latest biography demonstrates this point well. Slotten is an amateur investigator, and this work was obviously a labor of love. But he's put a good deal of effort into . A very useful study of the great evolutionist William Podmore Ross Slotten, an American family doctor, has written a fine biography of Alfred Wallace, the 19th century's greatest explorer-naturalist and the co-discoverer of evolution.Wallace's 1858 essay `On the tendency of varieties to depart indefinitely from the original type' outlined the theory of evolution and pushed Darwin into publishing his The origin of species by means of natural selection in 1859. They "had discovered a true natural system, one without a predetermined balance, teleology, or divine p. The "Indiana Jones" of Evolution This book was recommended by a friend. It's a great read, and would make a great action movie. I dimly remembered someone simultaneously developing a theory of evolution with Darwin. After reading this book, I don't know why Wallace isn't more famous than Darwin. He was certainly more interesting. He was self-made, from London's lower classes; trecked around the jungles of South America and the Pacific islands; was involved in a shipwreck; was recognized by England's most prestigious scientific socie