G. Evelyn Hutchinson and the Invention of Modern Ecology

Description

Stephen J. Gould declared G. Evelyn Hutchinson the most important ecologist of the twentieth century. E. O. Wilson pronounced him “one of the few scientists who could unabashedly be called a genius.” In this fascinating book, Nancy G. Slack presents for the first time the full life story of this brilliant scientist who was also a master teacher, a polymath, and a delightful friend and correspondent. Based on full access to Hutchinson’s archives and extensive interviews with him and many who knew him, the author evaluates his important contributions to modern ecology and his profound influence as a mentor. Filled with information available nowhere else, the book draws a vibrant portrait of an original scientific thinker who was also a man of remarkable personal appeal. Contents Foreword Preface Acknowledgments 1. A Man So Various 2. “The Circumstances of My Upbringing” 3. Becoming A Zoologist: The Hunter and Gatherer 4. From Naples to South Africa: A Failed Career? 5. First Years at Yale 6. Chief Biologist: The Yale North India Expedition 7. The First Crop: W. T. Edmondson, Gordon Riley, Ed Deevey, And Max Dunbar 8. The Old and the New Limnology 9. Radioisotopes: Radiation Ecology and Systems Ecology 10. Biogeochemistry: From Linsley Pond to the Guano Islands 11. The Three Wives and Yemaiel 12. Good Friends: Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson 13. Fond Correspondents: Rebecca West and Evelyn Hutchinson 14. From The N-Dimensional Niche to Santa Rosalia 15. Hutchinson the Environmentalist 16. The Polymath: Art History and Many Other Fields 17. The Last Years—From Yale to England 18. Concluding Remarks: Hutchinson’s Legacy in Ecology Notes Bibliography Index