2010 Presenters
E. O. Wilson
Edward O. Wilson received his Ph.D. from Harvard University, where he has been on the faculty since 1956. Recognized as the world's authority on ants, he discovered their use of pheromone for communication. In 1975, he published Sociobiology, a highly controversial and influential study of the genetic basis of social behavior. Wilson also posited that the biological principles on which animal societies are based apply also to human social behavior. In On Human Nature (1978, Pulitzer Prize) he explored sociobiology's implications with regard to human aggression, sexuality, and ethics. With Bert Hölldobler, he wrote the major study The Ants (1990, Pulitzer Prize), and in The Diversity of Life (1992) he examined how the world's species became diverse and human activities of the 20th-century have caused massive extinctions.
When asked why he wrote Anthill, his first novel, Wilson replied, “people respect non-fiction. They give you prizes for non-fiction. But people read novels."
LINKS:
Wilson's biography in The Academy of Achievement
Wilson's biodiversity foundation
Video: PBS special on Wilson entitled "Lord of the Ants"
Wilson discusses the inspiration behind his novel, Anthill
The New Yorker interviews Wilson about Anthill
Barbara Kingsolver reviews Anthill for The New York Times
