Nature's Oracle: The Life and Work of W. D. Hamilton
"I suspect that, of all his twentieth century successors, Darwin would most have enjoyed talking to Hamilton. Partly because they could have swapped jungle tales and beetle lore, partly because both were gentle and deep, but mostly because Hamilton the theorist was responsible for clearing up so many of the very problems that had intrigued and tantalized Darwin." --Richard Dawkins"William Hamilton's name stands above all others in evolutionary biology since the Modern Synthesis of the 1930s and '40s. As John Maynard Smith, with whom he had a troubled relationship, said, "He's the only bloody genius we've got." As geniuses often are, he wasa complex character and an exceptional challenge for any biographer. Ullica Segerstrale is ideally qualified to rise to that challenge. She achieves a genuinely affectionate yet warts-and-all portrait of her subject, combined with a good understanding of the deep subtleties of his thinking. Those who loved him, as I did, and those who wish to know more of the astonishing originality and versatility of his contributions to science, will treasurethis book." -- Richard Dawkins"This is an outstanding biography of a truly brilliant scientist. Segerstrale beautifully interweaves Hamilton's epic work with the details of his life." -- Robert L. Trivers"Bill Hamilton's remarkable story has now been told: a truly great naturalist, who thought his way to the very heart of evolution by natural selection, completing and expanding the insights of Darwin as he discovered the disorienting and enlightening perspective of the gene itself." -- Matt Ridley, author ofThe Red Queen"Bill Hamilton is the greatest evolutionary biologist of the last hundred years. Among other achievements are breakthroughs on two of Darwin's enduring puzzles: why individuals are often altruistic even in a competitive world, and why sexual reproduction is so common despite its two-fold cost. Throughout his life Hamilton was driven by intense curiosity, insightful creativity, and intellectual courage. He submitted himself to the bites of a thousand types of insects in the Amazon jungle, and the stings of a hundred varieties of sceptical reviewers from academic journals. Professor Segerstrale's definitive intellectual biography lucidly explains what Hamilton accomplished and-more importantly-how he did it." -- Robert Axelrod, author ofThe Evolution of Cooperation"In this superb biography, Segerstrale brings this brilliant, brooding man to life as a meticulous naturalist, ingenious theorizer, prickly introvert, eccentric risk-taker and reflective defender of the underdogs...An expert on the debates surrounding sociobiology in the early years, Segerstrale does a wonderful job of summarizing Hamilton's main arguments and the scientific debates that he was weighing in on at the time . . . It has been ages since I enjoyed a book so much." -- Sarah Hrdy, author ofMother NatureandMothers and Others"The skilled historian Ullica Segerstrale has had full access to Hamilton's papers and letters and has done the subject full justice." --Quarterly Review of Biology