Naturalist: A Graphic Adaptation

E.O. Wilson, famed myrmecologist, controversial sociobiologist, father of biodiversity, determined conservationist, the respected teacher along with many other labels that can be applied to this talented naturalist. Based on his earlier memoir of the same title, Jim Ottaviani and C.M. Butzer have transcribed this famed scientist’s story into this colorful graphic format. Using earthen greens and browns, the illustrations trail and detail a perpetually curious Wilson from his unsettling childhood to the present. In the course of time, the reader follows this backpacker as he explores different world regions and samples the biota. Meet the diverse population of scientists he has interacted with, read about some of the experiments performed leading to the theory of island biogeography, or detecting the pheromone communication system used by ants. In this colorful portrayal of the life of the award-winning evolutionary biologist, the reader is shown the recipe that helped shape this ever inquiring youth into the world recognized scientist. It may present some difficulties for the young science neophytes to follow the undeveloped findings but should bring recognition pleasure to those already familiar with Wilson’s work. One caveat, it would have been helpful to have printed the contents in. a larger format, to ease the tiny eye-straining captioned type comments.