∎ [PDF] Gratis Anthill A Novel Edward O Wilson 9780393071191 Books

Anthill A Novel Edward O Wilson 9780393071191 Books

Download As PDF : Anthill A Novel Edward O Wilson 9780393071191 Books

Anthill A Novel Edward O Wilson 9780393071191 Books

...which is Section IV: The Anthill Chronicles...and i thought it was terrific.

the rest of the book isn't so great, as it is mostly a treatise on conservation through legal techniques. Mr. Wilson is preaching to the choir, and he is only competent, not brilliant.

again, i think Section IV is marvelous and worth every penny i paid for my used, hardback copy.

now i will donate my copy to Goodwill so they can sell it again.


Tags : Anthill: A Novel [Edward O. Wilson] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <strong>Winner of the 2010 <em>Chicago Tribune</em> Heartland Prize for fiction: Inspirational and magical,Edward O. Wilson,Anthill: A Novel,W. W. Norton & Company,0393071197,Naturalists;Fiction.,Nature conservation;Fiction.,Teenage boys;Fiction.,FICTION Literary,Fiction,Fiction - General,Literary,Naturalists,Nature conservation,Teenage boys

Anthill A Novel Edward O Wilson 9780393071191 Books Reviews

Clearly, E. O. Wilson is the greatest scientific mind in our world today. Although he is a world expert on ants, Wilson has never confined his thinking to narrow scientific areas. His list of popular scientific books--which also explore the contact between science and religion--is impressive. He finally attempted to put some of his insights into the form of a novel. But the novel did not quite work. The story of the boy growing up to be an environmental lawyer is interesting enough, and the climax scene is certainly exciting. The story imbedded in the middle, about a fire ant supercolony, is also interesting. But it doesn't all fit together. I doubt that anyone except Wilson could have gotten this novel published. But I am fascinated with everything this man has ever written, so of course I did not hesitate to read it. I, for one, enjoyed the experience.
This book was a BIG disappointment. E.O. Wilson is a very good researcher and knows his field well; however, he is not an exceptionally gifted novelist. The book actually has 3 parts. The "novel" begins in the first section and establishes the characters and their issues. Then you get to the Ant Chronicles...basically the "scientific" arena of the book that deals specifically with the colonization and the behavior of ants. The third section goes back to the "novel", but this time the focus is more on religion and beliefs. Other than a carry over of a major character from the first part of the book, this seemed to be a total afterthought. Thus, this was a frustrating book to read. If the message was to get us to understand how our behavior, as humans, is much like the lives of ants, it failed. It certainly pointed out that a great researcher and publisher of research does not necessarily become a great novelist and vice versa. Wilson needs to stick to what he does best....research.
I have read several of E.O. Wilson's books, starting with The Diversity of Life. I used his biogeographical theory as part basis for a thesis and, as an evolutionary sociologist, I lapped up his Consilience. Most recently I read a short kindle version on ants by Wilson and someone else.

For me, Anthill was a lovely, lovely book. I read it overnight and it is now installed amongst my top ten ever.

I was curious to see what sort of novel E.O. Wilson would produce. I feared that it might be stilted and contrived, since he his primarily a scientist of very seasoned vintage. He writes his scientific books so well, however, that I should not have expected anything stilted. Would he be able to create a successful and original plot? The answer is yes.

Why did I choose to read a novel by E.O. Wilson? I was looking for answers that the book seemed to promise, about the problems of wilderness and biodiversity disappearing under the jackboot of 'progress' i.e. property development in the service of overpopulation. I didn't really think that Wilson would provide anything new, so I was gratified when he did. He kind of fleshed out ideas that had been hovering in my mind about how to deal with property developers. His chief character felt as I do. His creation provided a form of solidarity to me. It more than entertained me; it inspired me.

I am not very inclined to compare authors but Wilson's way of drawing the reader in actually reminded me of Anne Tyler and his style in creating atmosphere reminded me of Trueman Capote's Grass Harp. However, the substance of the novel was oh so much more than Tyler's or Capote's (of course). As other reviewers have noted, Wilson manages to make the reader think like an ant, which is quite an experience. We see the land described in the book from the points of view of a naturalist and then that of ants. I felt as if I was there and walking with the main character. The things that Wilson picks from the environment are very like those that I notice in my own, so his book was able to engage me well beyond my mind. It took me into itself and kept me there until the last page. Because of this skilled capacity to spellbind me, I experienced the drama and conflict as gripping.

Like another reviewer here, I am an Australian. In Australia we don't have the overt religious right wing elements that crop up in Anthill, however, sooner or later we get every bad thing from the US and Britain in terms of corporate treatment of the natural environment. Australia is already in a very bad way with massive population growth forced on us by a growth lobby led by property developers who have amazing influence over our governments, state and federal. Religious influence has been growing here, where once we were a pretty secular, scientific society, and, in truth, I have spoken to Australian politicians who truly think that the world is there for humans alone and who envisage maybe allowing as little as 5% to survive pan-industrialisation. So, I guess that the religious difference between Australia and the US isn't really such a difference anymore, unfortunately.

As well as painting a character with a deep love of a natural place, who values other species as co-travellers in this life, Wilson also canvases some of the political differences and conflicts that come up among environmentalist groups. He is as skilled in his depiction of human groups as he is in his depiction of ant groups. He is also skilled in his depiction of personal motive and conflict. I feel that he is truly motivated to help other environmentalists in all his books, including this one and I am very grateful to him for continuing to write for us.

I look forward to his upcoming book of letters to a young scientist.
...which is Section IV The Anthill Chronicles...and i thought it was terrific.

the rest of the book isn't so great, as it is mostly a treatise on conservation through legal techniques. Mr. Wilson is preaching to the choir, and he is only competent, not brilliant.

again, i think Section IV is marvelous and worth every penny i paid for my used, hardback copy.

now i will donate my copy to Goodwill so they can sell it again.