Every one of Earth's teeming ecosystems is an evolutionary cauldron
Christopher Wills's claim has its roots in an insight from Charles Darwin: the interactions between species in an ecosystem are a powerful driver of evolution. In this book Wills describes how, by using the latest genetic techniques, we are probing ecosystems and discovering that even the most apparently barren of them are rich in variety, especially of microbes. Exploring the many ways in which ecosystems have coped with past change, and how rapidly an ecosystem can develop complexity, Wills illuminates a pathway of hope for the natural world that we have so damaged and depleted. Our new genetic knowledge can help these evolutionary cauldrons to continue brewing richness and diversity, the better to heal our living world and to enable our own survival.
Christopher Wills is Professor of Biology at the University of California. In his popular books, which include Yellow Fever, Black Goddess (RB# 95048), he offers fascinating insights into the world of biological science and how it affects our daily lives. Children of Prometheus answers three basic but intriguing questions: Are we still evolving? If so, how? What are we evolving into? As Wills traces the many forms of natural selection in Part I, he considers examples ranging from Sherpas to British civil servants. Part II examines the stormy evolutionary history that moved us beyond chimpanzees and gorillas. The final section looks ahead to the sorts of diversity the future holds for our species as we live longer and challenge our minds and bodies in new ways. Clearly written, touched with humor, and soundly reasoned, Children of Prometheus will delight anyone who is curious about who we are and where we are going. Narrator Richard M. Davidson's lucid performance complements Christopher Wills' accessible work and its provocative conclusion.
In Yellow Fever Black Goddess, popular author and biology professor, Christopher Wills, brings the latest scientific developments to the page in entertaining, dramatic form. Through meticulous yet riveting research, he pens a vivid account of deadly microbes struggling for survival in hostile hosts. Beginning with ancient illnesses like the Black Death and syphilis, Christopher Wills explores how these devastating diseases have changed their method of attack through the years. And against the backdrop of more contemporary threats-the spread of AIDS and deadly outbreaks of the Ebola virus-he attempts to answer the compelling question: Will dangerous new plagues sweep the world with death and disfigurement? A remarkable book, Yellow Fever Black Goddess examines headline-making maladies with a balanced approach that respects their powers, yet has faith in the victory of scientific research. Veteran narrator Richard M. Davidson holds listeners spellbound with his thought-provoking rendition.
