Life: A Journey Through Science and Politics - Paperback

by Paul R. Ehrlich (Author)

A renowned scientist and environmental advocate looks back on a life that has straddled the worlds of science and politics

"Compelling. . . . [Ehrlich's] memoir includes remarkable stories of his research, travels, friends, colleagues, and scientific controversies that still roil today."--Peter Gleick, Science

Acclaimed as a public scientist and as a spokesperson on pressing environmental and equity issues, delivering his message from the classroom to 60 Minutes, Paul R. Ehrlich reflects on his life, including his love affair with his wife, Anne, his scientific research, his public advocacy, and his concern for global issues. Interweaving the range of his experiences--as an airplane pilot, a desegregationist, a proud parent--Ehrlich's insights are priceless on pressing issues such as biodiversity loss, overpopulation, depletion of resources, and deterioration of the environment. A lifelong advocate for women's reproductive rights, Ehrlich also helped to debunk scientific bias associating skin color and intelligence and warned some fifty years ago about a possible pandemic and the likely ecological consequences of a nuclear war.

This book is a vital contribution to literature focused on the human predicament, including problems of governance and democracy in the twenty-first century, and insight into the ecological and evolutionary science of our day. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding global change, our planet's wonders, and a scientific approach to the present existential threats to civilization.

Author Biography

Paul R. Ehrlich is cofounder of the field of coevolution and a pioneer in alerting the public to the problems of overpopulation, depletion of natural resources, and deterioration of the environmental systems that support humanity. His previous books include Humanity on a Tightrope: Thoughts on Empathy, Family, and Big Changes for a Viable Future, The Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment, Human Natures: Genes, Cultures, and the Human Prospect, and the bestselling The Population Bomb. He lives in Palo Alto, CA.