A review by jeo224
The Social Conquest of Earth, by Edward O. Wilson

5.0

Always iconoclastic, E. O. Wilson, at 85, has stirred up controversy again with this book. He repudiates one of the long-standing theories of Sociobiology (a discipline that he is considered the father of), that of kin selection. Richard Dawkins (of The Selfish Gene) was not amused, and attacked not only Wilson but the journal Nature for publishing his studies and new theory. This is no surprise; sociobiology, evolutionary biology and evolutionary psychology were all extremely controversial when Wilson and others came up with those theories. He is used to this. I don't have the scientific background to evaluate either theory, but I think both are worth looking at. Like all of Wilson's books, this one is very readable and makes me fall in love, again, with the endless diversity of life on this planet. Time will answer which theory "wins", which one fits the facts, some of which are still emerging, the best. And both will still be theories - with lessons to be learned. But it is more than worthwhile to read about science, in an accessible way, and Wilson is a master at writing books that make science interesting and compelling. This will be one that I suggest to my daughter.