Alfred Russel Wallace: A Life.

Rating:
Summary: A Disappointing Life
Review: ...In light of the fact that Alfred Russell Wallace (ARW) has himself authored books on two essential and crucial periods of his life, viz. his travels and tribulations in the Amazon[.com] and in the Malay Archipelago, and has also written an autobiography, one is tempted to ask whether this biography by Peter Raby was necessary. I think it was. It focuses a spotlight on a great naturalist and contemporary of Darwin who like him conceived one of the most important theories of biology of all times, but has not received equal credit. This is most obvious by the fact that many biology textbooks feature Darwin, but do not even mention ARW. To judge by the text, notes, index, and bibliography, Raby has researched the subject of his book very thoroughly. As ARW's autobiography might be difficult to get a hold of it is very convenient to have this information together with an annotated summary about his travels in a single book. Having read 'The Malay Archipelago', a number of internet pages on ARW, as well as a couple of books on Wallacea I was especially curious about his early and later life. If the early years of ARW appear comparatively light also in Raby's book I suppose it is because of the lack of sources. The years following ARW's return to England, on the other hand, are richly documented and satisfied my curiosity entirely. A minor gripe I have is that certain important dates are rather camouflaged in Raby's book. For instance, when ARW is elected a Fellow of the Zoological Society on March 19, 1862 (p. 163), one would like to know whether this occurred after his arrival in England or while he was on his way. But try to find the arrival date! Any serious reader interested in ARW's eastern travels, in biogeography and in the theory of evolution and how it was developed, is faced with the question what other books to read. 'The Malay Archipelago' provides a perfect background for Raby's biography and I would recommend to read it first. David Quammen's 'Song of the Dodo' and the superb album 'Archipelago: The Islands of Indonesia' by Gavan Daws and Marty Fujita certainly make for enriching complementary reading. The traveler to the archipelago can see some birds of paradise in the Taman Mini Park and in the Rangunan Zoological Garden in Jakarta, and the Jurong Bird Park in Singapore displays beautiful specimens of several species in spacious aviaries.

Rating:
Summary: worth reading
Review: Bronowski's Ascent of Man acquainted me with the main facts of Wallace's life. Frankly, that sufficed... Raby did not delve deeply enough into aspects of Wallace's character or contributions. The value of Raby's detailed biography lies not in learning more about Wallace's travels or seances, but in his careful, evenhanded examination of the relation between Darwin and Wallace.

Anybody pondering accusations of conspiracy would be well advised to read this book. The ending is particularly well done.

Rating:
Summary: It Wasn't Just Darwin
Review: Everyone has heard of evolution, and everyone has heard of Charles Darwin. Indeed, evolution is sometimes called Darwinism. 143 years after papers on the Theory of Evolution were first published, however, relatively few people know that Darwin was a co-discoverer of the theory. Independently, Alfred Russel Wallace had come up with it, and their papers were announced together. Wallace fully deserves as much credit for the theory as Darwin, but will never get it because of Darwin's more voluminous writings on the subject. Nonetheless, as a scientist and as a participant in one of the great dramas of science, Wallace deserves to be better known, and there is now the first biography of him in 20 years, _Alfred Russel Wallace: A Life_ (Princeton University Press) by Peter Raby, a full and fascinating book which tells plenty about Wallace, Darwin, and their theory.

Comparisons to Darwin run throughout the book, quite naturally. Darwin's background was such that he never had to worry much about getting an education or earning a living. Wallace was the son of an attorney who fared poorly, and throughout his life had to fret about money. His formal schooling ended at age 14, and he eventually took up as a professional collector, selling prized specimens from the Amazon and the Malay Archipelago to museums and armchair naturalists. His explorations enabled him to view island species and boundaries, and in 1858, recovering from Malaria, he had his inspiration of survival of the fittest. He wrote from Malay to Darwin a paper about his ideas. Darwin was startled. He could not honorably publish his ideas, now that Wallace had come up with them independently, but he also did not want to lose the prize of his years of work on what turned out to be the backbone of biology. Darwin conscientiously discussed the matter with his friends, and a thoroughly decent decision was made of jointly publishing the Wallace and Darwin papers. Wallace never wavered in his admiration for the work Darwin had done, and never was jealous that even in his lifetime, Darwin got the credit for the theory.

Wallace may have undermined his fame by his insistence on spiritualism, and by deeply humane political convictions on such things as land reform, women's rights, and British imperialism. He had come up with the idea of survival of the fittest, but he championed the causes of the underprivileged in Wales as well as in Papua New Guinea. This fine biography tells a great story of a nearly-forgotten scientist and an original and caring human being.

Rating:
Summary: good but light biography
Review: My view of this book falls somewhere between those of the first reviewer, and the most recent one. Raby's organization and style of writing is light, bright and entertaining, and he researched his subject well enough to come up with some tidbits that had not been generally known before--such as the name of the lady who spurned Wallace's advances shortly after he returned from the Malay Archipelago. Some of the photographs he includes are real gems, as well. This is a very good, largely error-free and readable biography if one wishes a general survey of Wallace's life, which was a very impressive one. On the other hand, it is largely a failure as an analytical work. Although Raby in effect summarizes various people's opinions as to what exactly it was that Wallace was about, he offers no fresh insights as to the nature of his thought. Some will argue that it is enough to lay a foundation that will help in getting people to start *thinking* about Wallace's ideas again, but there is not even the hint of a suggestion in this study that we need to do more in this sense than marvel at the man's feats of exploration and fieldwork, decent, inventive character, and range of interests--marvelous as they all were.

I submit that there is in fact a good deal more that needs to be done in unravelling Wallace's worldview. Beyond the fact that he came very close to becoming one of the very most famous scientists in history (and indeed by the end of his life he may well actually have been *the* most famous scientist in the world!), his positions on evolutionary cosmology (as well as on natural selection in particular) have not so much proved to be wrong as they have not (yet) been proved to be right. A few apt theoretical and/or conceptual discoveries could quickly change this.

There is hardly another person in history who had such a coherent and comprehensive view of nature and humankind's place in it (that is, not just as an abstraction as many of our other great thinkers--philosophers, theologians, etc.--have had, but as a real and natural environment within which things actually happen, and for particular reasons). I think it would be a pity if we relegated him to "history" and left it at that.

Rating:
Summary: Alfred Russel Wallace: A Life
Review: Raby (drama and English, Cambridge Univ.) has written a very readable biography of Victorian naturalist Wallace. He describes how Wallace's friendship with the budding entomologist Henry Walter Bates led to travels with Bates to the river basins of the Amazon.com and Rio Negro in South America and to his subsequent journey to the archipelagoes of the East Indies where he formulated his own theory of evolution. The "luxuriance" and "diversity" he witnessed there profoundly influenced his maturation as naturalist and evolutionist; i.e., his concept of zoogeography (symbolized by the term, "Wallace's Line") was the result of his observations on the distribution of flora and fauna. Raby indicates that Charles Darwin's discoveries in organic geography and geology, Charles Lyell's geological contributions and ideas on the "antiquity of man," and the evolutionary theories of Jean Baptiste de Lamarck and Robert Chambers led Wallace to develop an evolutionary theory quite similar to that of Darwin, thereby prompting the latter to publish his own ideas on evolution. The book is well documented and will be a good resource for historians of science and students of Victorian history and ideas. General readers; upper-division undergraduates through professionals.

Rating:
Summary: An informative overview
Review: Victorian Britain was a time of exploration, industrial advance, social and political experiments and scientific speculation. Although many key figures appeared, few covered so many elements of this dynamic as did Alfred Russell Wallace. From almost desparately poor beginnings, Wallace became a dedicated explorer and specimen collector. Raby's sympathetic portrayal of this complex character is a good introduction. Wallace travelled and collected far more widely than did his contemporary Charles Darwin. That both developed the same concept, evolution of species by natural selection, was the result of keen powers of observation. Wallace's wide-spread interests took his attention into areas Darwin either ignored or avoided. Unlike the retiring Darwin, Wallace was at the forefront of many issues, speaking and writing on many issues. Some of these, as Raby carefully recounts, led him into difficulties, both financial and intellectual.

Raby traces the development of a man who almost beggars analysis. Wallace's life was dogged by near penury due to family commitments and lack of regular employment. His decision to explore the upper Amazon basin was almost an act of desparation, but it led to a lifelong interest in nature and "primitive" people. Overcoming the loss of four years of exploration and study, he recovered deftly with a long-term examination of the East Indies archipelago. Early flirtations with socialist ideals gave him a more sympathetic view of indigenous people than the average Victorian Briton. He adopted a strong sense of independence from authoritarian measures, leading him to oppose land enclosures and vaccination, which he saw as doing more harm than good. The great issue in his later years was spiritualism. This last proved a stumbling block to his scientific ambitions. Although many authors disparage this interest as demeaning, in Raby's view it is simply another aspect of Wallace's probing intellect.

The primary concern with Wallace remains his co-authorship of evolution by natural selection. Darwin's insight occupied his thinking for two decades while he considered evidence. Wallace had been considering the issue for several years, finally synthesising his ideas during confinement from a malarial attack. Wallace never disputed Darwin's priority nor his superiority as a scientific genius, although recent historians have taken up his "cause" in an attempt to erode Darwin's reputation. Raby examines these claims in some detail, either refuting them or questioning the validity of the evidence. Wallace diverged from Darwin's version of natural selection in some details, most notably over human evolution. In line with his spiritualism, Wallace insisted the human mind could not be an adaptation and must be the result of influence by a "higher power". He wasn't alone in that view either then or now.

Raby's examination of the life of another "tormented evolutionist" is an engaging read and fluent introduction to this charismatic figure. With his long life encompassing an era of many new ideas, Wallace doesn't stand out in the history of science nearly as much as is his due. This book goes far in restoring his image. Raby's prose style is clear and expressive without descending into unnecessary adulation of his subject. The greatest lack is in his failure to place Wallace more fully in the context of his times. Since that would cover the whole of the Victorian era and beyond, we may forgive this curtailment. There are, after all, numerous works providing that overview. A valuable summary for the reader interested in exploration, natural science and Victorian personalities. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Rating:
Summary: An informative overview
Review: Victorian Britain was a time of exploration, industrial advance, social and political experiments and scientific speculation. Although many key figures appeared, few covered so many elements of this dynamic as did Alfred Russell Wallace. From almost desparately poor beginnings, Wallace became a dedicated explorer and specimen collector. Raby's sympathetic portrayal of this complex character is a good introduction. Wallace travelled and collected far more widely than did his contemporary Charles Darwin. That both developed the same concept, evolution of species by natural selection, was the result of keen powers of observation. Wallace's wide-spread interests took his attention into areas Darwin either ignored or avoided. Unlike the retiring Darwin, Wallace was at the forefront of many issues, speaking and writing on many issues. Some of these, as Raby carefully recounts, led him into difficulties, both financial and intellectual.

Raby traces the development of a man who almost beggars analysis. Wallace's life was dogged by near penury due to family commitments and lack of regular employment. His decision to explore the upper Amazon basin was almost an act of desparation, but it led to a lifelong interest in nature and "primitive" people. Overcoming the loss of four years of exploration and study, he recovered deftly with a long-term examination of the East Indies archipelago. Early flirtations with socialist ideals gave him a more sympathetic view of indigenous people than the average Victorian Briton. He adopted a strong sense of independence from authoritarian measures, leading him to oppose land enclosures and vaccination, which he saw as doing more harm than good. The great issue in his later years was spiritualism. This last proved a stumbling block to his scientific ambitions. Although many authors disparage this interest as demeaning, in Raby's view it is simply another aspect of Wallace's probing intellect.

The primary concern with Wallace remains his co-authorship of evolution by natural selection. Darwin's insight occupied his thinking for two decades while he considered evidence. Wallace had been considering the issue for several years, finally synthesising his ideas during confinement from a malarial attack. Wallace never disputed Darwin's priority nor his superiority as a scientific genius, although recent historians have taken up his "cause" in an attempt to erode Darwin's reputation. Raby examines these claims in some detail, either refuting them or questioning the validity of the evidence. Wallace diverged from Darwin's version of natural selection in some details, most notably over human evolution. In line with his spiritualism, Wallace insisted the human mind could not be an adaptation and must be the result of influence by a "higher power". He wasn't alone in that view either then or now.

Raby's examination of the life of another "tormented evolutionist" is an engaging read and fluent introduction to this charismatic figure. With his long life encompassing an era of many new ideas, Wallace doesn't stand out in the history of science nearly as much as is his due. This book goes far in restoring his image. Raby's prose style is clear and expressive without descending into unnecessary adulation of his subject. The greatest lack is in his failure to place Wallace more fully in the context of his times. Since that would cover the whole of the Victorian era and beyond, we may forgive this curtailment. There are, after all, numerous works providing that overview. A valuable summary for the reader interested in exploration, natural science and Victorian personalities. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]