愛德華·威爾遜(Edward O．Wilson)，1929年生於美國阿拉巴馬州伯明翰，1949年畢業於阿拉巴馬大學，1955年獲哈佛大學生物學博士學位，同年開始在哈佛大學執教。目前，他任教於佩萊格裏諾大學(Unuversnty of Pellegrino)，並為哈佛大學的昆蟲學研究員。

威爾遜是當今美國生物學翹楚。他於1969年當選為美國國傢科學院院士，獲過全世界最高的環境生物學奬項，包括美國的國傢科學奬、瑞典皇傢科學院頒發的剋拉負德奬(Craford Prize)。1996年，威爾遜被《時代》雜誌評為對當代美國影響最大的25位美國人之一。

威爾遜擅長著述，曾以《論人性》(On Human Nature)和《螞蟻》(The Ant)兩度獲普利策奬。

InNaturalist, Wilson describes for the first time both

his growth as a scientist and the evolution of the science

he has helped def ine. He traces the trajectory of

his life—from a childhood spent exploring the Gulf

oast of Alabama and Florida to life as a tenured

professor at Harvard—detailing how his youthful

fascination with nature blossomed into a lifelong

calling. He recounts with drama and wit the adventures

of his days as a student at the University of

Alabama and his four decades at Harvard University,

where he has achieved renown as both teacher and researcher.

As the narrative of Wilson's life unfolds, the reader is treated to an

inside look at the origin and development of ideas that guide today's

biological research. Theories that are now widely accepted in the scientific

world were once untested hypotheses emerging from one man's

broad-gauged studies. Throughout Naturalist, we see Wilson's mind

and energies constantly striving to help establish many of the central

principles of the field of evolutionary biology.

The story of Wilson's life provides fascinating insights into the making

of a scientist, and a valuable look at some of the most thought-provoking

ideas of our time.