- #1
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- 7
I just finished E.O. Wilson’s “The Future of Life” and was kind of disappointed by it. It was the first book of his that I have read. Given my interest in evolutionary biology and his 2 Pulitzer prizes writing on the subject of biology, I had high hopes for it. Parts of it were interesting - - and he is a good writer - - but overall, it seemed like a rant of an radical environmentalist (something he calls himself). I suppose if one is to be a radical about anything, then the environment is a good choice…and I can agree with many of his points. However, every now and then he delves into misanthropy, which I found to be disturbing. But he also expresses some optimism for Humanity, which is good. Much of the book was depressing to read (e.g., pages of details on the rates of extinction, the loss of rainforests, etc.) but the last chapter ended on a positive note with some positive trends and suggestions for righting the wrongs. An introduction in the form of a letter to Thoreau was also interesting.