Every Species is a Masterpiece

by Edward O. Wilson

In twenty short books, Penguin brings you the classics of the environmental movement.Every Species is a Masterpiece brings together some of Edward O. Wilson's most profound and significant writings on the rich diversity of life on Earth, our place in it, and our obligation to conserve the planet's fragile ecosystems.Over the past 75 years, a new canon has emerged. As life on Earth has become irrevocably altered by humans, visionary thinkers around the world have raised their voices to defend the planet, and affirm our place at the heart of its restoration. Their words have endured through the decades, becoming the classics of a movement. Together, these books show the richness of environmental thought, and point the way to a fairer, saner, greener world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Environment, Science, Ecology, Essays, Nature, Biology

89 pages, Paperback

Published August 26, 2021

About the author

Edward Osborne Wilson, sometimes credited as E.O. Wilson, was an American biologist, researcher, theorist, and author. His biological specialty is myrmecology, a branch of entomology. A two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction, Wilson is known for his career as a scientist, his advocacy for environmentalism, and his secular-humanist ideas pertaining to religious and ethical matters. He was the Pellegrino University Research Professor in Entomology for the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is a Humanist Laureate of the International Academy of Humanism.

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful punch packed into a petite package?

An important voice - largely before its time - on some of the greatest challenges of our era (and our future) - climate change, species extinction, etc. Well worth reading.

I can't get the following passage - originally published in 1993 - out of my head:

The human species is, in a word, an environmental hazard. It is possible that intelligence in the wrong kind of species was foreordained to be a fatal combination for the biosphere. Perhaps a law of evolution is that intelligence usually extinguishes itself.

This admittedly dour scenario is based on what can be termed the juggernaut theory of human nature, which holds that people are programmed by their genetic heritage to be so selfish that a global sense of responsibility will come too late.

More importantly, when I'm not utterly despondent about climate change and our (cumulative) failure to address it (or even make a good faith effort to change our behavior), what troubles me most is how much we've known for how long, and yet ... and yet ... how little we've done (or are doing - or continuing not to do - about it).

Wilson writes beautifully (and powerfully), and his arguments are as compelling as they are depressing.

This content assembled here was originally published elsewhere, at different times. Republished as a standalone here, this slender volume is installment 15 - and, frankly, one of the stronger offerings - in the Penguin Green Ideas collection, which I'm finding well worth the investment ... and the minor hassle of acquiring it... Sadly, as my local independent bookstore confirmed, it is not available for sale (in the slipcase collection) in the U.S. What a shame! (Fortunately, thanks to our modern, global economy, it's not that difficult to order it from a UK supplier). Having now reached the three-quarter point, I'm ecstatic that I found and bought it. Well worth the effort, money, and time. Frankly, I can't recommend the collection (warts and imperfections and all) enough.

[Megsie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I was expecting either a beautiful paean or a complex argument about humans and ecology; instead this series of essays contains some old basic arguments about people and how we fit into the natural world. He advances a lot of old arguments, many of which have been credibly challenged by science. For example, the idea that our carbon footprint will shrink proportionally to our population (with declining birth rates in many countries) is an appealing one if you believe overpopulation is to blame for the destruction of the earth's ecosystems-- but we know this idea isn't true because individuals' contributions to greenhouse gas emissions vary dramatically based on their income, where they live, etc. So an overall decline in birth rates may not reduce total emissions at all.

I was surprised and a little sad, at the end, that E. O. Wilson's hope for the future was that the human population would start to shrink, technology would reduce our collective carbon footprint, and that the potential utility of all the world's biodiversity for things like medicines and fuel would be the thing that convinced humanity to save it.

Maybe I need to read it more closely, but there is something sad and limited underneath the above set of ideas: that we are destructive by nature, and that the tools capitalism has used to break down complex ecosystems and sell the parts will somehow be our salvation in a disastrous future. I just don't buy it.

Addendum: Holy shit, I just went on an article bender about E.O. Wilson's relationship to scientific racism and wow! Now I understand why his perspectives seemed.... suspicious. There is almost always a relationship between scientists who think "overpopulation" is a primary conservation issue, and racism. You don't usually have to look too hard to find it. So anyway! If you've reached this point in the review, anytime you see someone griping about overpopulation (instead of, e.g., the rampant production of plastics from fossil fuel products), look them up and dig a lil deeper.

A couple articles if you're interested:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
https://magazine.scienceforthepeople....

[Lotte Christiaens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heel bevlogen boek, waarin de waarde voor mij vooral lag in de wijze waarop Wilson de basis principes en inzichten van conservation biology/natuurbehoud gebruikt om de status van de biodiversiteitscrisis op een gedreven manier te beschrijven. Zijn concrete argumenten om biodiversiteit te behouden zijn misschien wat verouderd, maar het karakter dat in het boek is gelegd is alleszins zalig motiverend om in actie te schieten.

[Jayme · Rating 4 out of 5]

The essay selection on this one was interesting. I get why they did it. It shows the evolution of Wilson’s biophilia, a core concept in his writings. But it did mean all of these essays had a sameness. And not just in their topics, but even in the specifics. For example:

“We run the risk…of beaching ourselves upon alien shores like a great confused pod of pilot whales.”

and then from an essay 3 years later, but only 20 pages in book time:

“We will have become like the pilot whales that inexplicably beach themselves on New England shores.”

It left me with quite the deja view when it happened the first time. But regardless, I enjoyed the collection. And it was really neat to see that evolution across all five essays. For example, in the first essay he spends a lot of time talking about the value of the environment through an anthropocentric lens, like the value of resources, medecine, etc. But by the third essay, he’s expanding into more philosophical concepts on the rights of species and their inherent value outside what they can do for us.

[Catullus2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit repetitive and I don’t share his faith in the free market, but eloquent on the importance of biodiversity.

[Lizzie · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was okay... the depressing thing about this penguin series is that all these books and essays were published years and years ago and nothing has gotten better, it has all become worse.
His theories were also sort of just meh, and not really based in too much science - the thing about naturephile or whatever it was... yes nature is incredible beneficial to our wellbeing and mental health.

Also I know this is pretentious but he used the term poisonous snakes and from there he lost credibility for me. Snakes are venomous not poisonous.

There were some interesting points about why we are the way we are.... but also we are sentient beings capable of conscious thought, and can make decisions... referring to "our species retains hereditary traits that add greatly to our destructive impact. We are tribal and aggressively territorial, intent on private space beyond minimal requirements, and oriented by selfish sexual and reproductive drives. Cooperation beyond the family and tribal levels comes hard"... Is this a product of our genes or the way we have created society (we have just made shit up, we can remake shit up)

🌿🌿🌿🌿
In the forest patch live legions of species: perhaps 300 birds, 500 butterflies, 200 ants, 50,000 bettles, 1000 trees, 5000 fungi, tens of thousands of bacteria.... each species occupies a precise niche, demanding a certain place, an exact microclimate, particular nutrients and temperature and humidity cycles with specified timing to trigger phases of the life cycle.... biologists could not put the community back together again

Only in the last moment of human history has the delusion arisen that people can flourish apart from the rest of the living world... the imprint of nature cannot be erased in a few generations of urban existence....[parapharse] why are do so many people have unfound phobias of natural things.. heights, snakes, spiders when they should have phobias of guns, cars, knives?

If species are to be judged by their potential material value, they can be priced, traded off against other sources of wealth and - when the price is right- discardeed

[Pi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Badly put together. Every chapter repeats the same 3-4 core argument, sometimes verbatim.

[Ruby Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

''Like it or not, and prepared or not, we are the mind and stewards of the living world...'' Wow. Through university, I always knew and revered Wilson as a great conservationist, yet this collection of his most famous writings really solidified my opinion of him. As he states, Every Species is a Masterpiece, and there becomes little purpose on Earth for Humans if these species continue to decline at rapid rates. We ourselves are animals, and our genes and souls are connected to the species around us more than some people would like to think (the snake/ natural phobia theory blew my mind!).

I really liked that this book was a collection of Wilson's books/commentaries, as you could see the shift in what conservation/biodiversity truly is and has become across 15-20 years. Given this, his essay 'Half-Earth' (the most recently written one) resonated most closely with my views on biodiversity and conservation: every species has an innate right to be on this planet, and humans have a duty to protect every species we can.

Although hope and empathy are paramount when it comes to conservation and the state of Earth, I think Edward O. Wilson perfectly balances these with a warning to all humans (including myself): We have more than enough knowledge to make great difference and positive change - But are we willing to make this change?

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I honestly feel even more inspired to explore/spend my life delving into the world of conservation biology. Now is the time to act and (for those who don't) start caring. Whether we have the time to or not.

[Dean · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of the arguments presented here are at best old hat and at worst (dare I even say it?) Problematic. They are also repeated across all of the mini-essays here, making the read quite a slog. Two stars because I really looked up to Wilson in my undergrad.

[EllaHoulihan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While important to the development of our current biological knowledge and exploration of ethics, it was overly simplistic for our current understanding of the climate catastrophe. I wonder if Penguin could have chosen another text that demonstrates the beauty and importance of biodiversity but which goes beyond the now disproven concept that human population growth is the main threat to our planet.

[Jon Zellweger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edward O. Wilson: the grumpy old man of environmentalism. There was a time when his work deeply resonated with me. I now chalk this up to myself requiring a battery of data to aid me in assembling my early thoughts on the Earth and its inevitable human-caused destruction. Data may prove one’s point, but it’s also overwhelming and can feel combative. I’m much more interested now in understanding how to change a mindset that is so deeply rooted anthropocentrism. Its insidious. Example: the way we talk about cutting down a tree, or improving our landscaping. Did anyone think to ask the tree or the plants what they wanted? Was there a negotiation? Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? But even Wilson admits this is a necessity by inversely arguing: “Without attempting to resolve the issue of the innate rights of species, I will argue the necessity of a robust and richly textured anthropocentric ethic…based on the hereditary needs of our own species.” I think this is where he goes wrong however. Never give up on focusing on achieving empathy for non-human species, especially when it would favor a naval-gazing bipedal ape.
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#edwardowilson #everyspeciesisamasterpiece #penguin #greenideas #environments #nature #ecology #globalwarming

[Koprophagus · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a real review, just some thoughts I like to write down.
Das ist keine richtige Bewertung, nur ein paar Gedanken, die ich aufschreiben wollte.

Da es quasi eine Auswahl seiner Essays ist, macht das Ganze sehr repetitiv, da teilweise ganze Sätze exakt wiedergegeben werden. Auch kann ich mich mit seinen Ansätzen nicht wirklich identifizieren. Eine genetisch codierte Biophilia macht am Ende keinen Sinn. Wir sind Teil der Natur und haben im Vergleich zu allen anderen Arten keine spezifischen Gene, die uns in die Natur ziehen. Dann der Punkt mit der Umweltöknomie, der mir persönlich aufstösst. Ich bin nicht der Meinung, dass wir allen Teilen der Natur einen entsprechenden Geldwert zuweisen müssen um deren Nutzen kommunizieren zu können. Wir sollten den Ansporn haben, die Natur um der Natur willen zu erhalten und nicht, weil wir etwas daraus gewinnen wollen. Der letzte Punkt ist der bedauernswerte Korrelation von Wissenschaftlern, die die Ansicht vertreten, dass Überbevölkerung ein Hauptproblem sei und rassistischen Ansichten. Die Erde kann die momentane Bevölkerung problemlos beherbegen, insofern wir verantwortungsvoll mit ihr umgehen würden.

Am Ende kein Input, der mich irgendwie weitergebracht hätte.

[Mads ✨is balls deep in the Animorphs reread✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but a bit repetitive. The information in here about earth's astonishing biodiversity loss from the 90s is devastating when you extrapolate it up to today -- the rate is only growing more extreme.

argument as to why we should celebrate and protect biodiversity "relies too much on "but what about the untapped resources!!" before taking the much more interesting and vital step of positing a thesis for an environmental aesthetic/morality, which he links to "biophilia". Sadly this little tome only scratches the surface of what humanity's co-evolutionary relationship with nature could mean for our neuropsychology and socioemotional and spiritual development.

Overall I was onboard until this unforgiveable NONSENSE that he reels out right at the end:

And what of per-capita consumption? The footprint will evolve, not to claim more and more space, as you might at first suppose, but less. The reason lies in the evolution of the free market system, and the way it is increasingly shaped by high technology.

I beg your FUCKING pardon???

The products that win are those that cost less to manufacture and advertise, need less frequent repair and replace-ment, and give highest performance with a minimum amount of energy. Just as natural selection drives organic evolution by competition... raising benefit-to-cost of production drives the evolution of the economy. ... All of these amenities will yield more and better results with less per-capita material and energy, and thereby will reduce the size of the ecological footprint.

WHAT????????

The year Wilson wrote this? 2016. TWENTY SIXTEEN!!!!

Wilson: and then i told them the free hand of the market was going to solve the climate crisis
Me: *choking on CO2* okay grandpa let's get you back to your Tesla sponsored retirement labour camp...

[Marija · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, short read of a collection of essays about the human-nature connection and the big issues that are threatening it. The book did feel outdated and incredibly repetitive between chapters. I enjoyed how religion and the scientific community were tied together throughout the book, but his focus lay in stating the issues at hand at a global scale so it wasn't solutions-oriented. While I feel like this book would've made a larger impact on me had I read it closer to its release date, I did think it touched on crucial and still relevant elements of the conservation topic.

[Katja · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If humanity continues its suicidal ways to change the global climate, eliminate ecosystems, and exhaust earth’s natural resources, our species will very soon find itself forced into making a choice … shall we be existential conservatives … or shall we use our new technology to accommodate the changes important solely to our own species, while letting the rest of life slip away? We have only a short time to decide.”

[MimistXYU · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book defined the word biophilia:

biophilia
/bʌɪə(ʊ)ˈfɪlɪə/
noun
(according to a theory of the biologist E. O. Wilson) an innate and genetically determined affinity of human beings with the natural world.


~Oxford languages

This book is thought provoking and well written. We are in the midst of a mass extinction and no one is moving a muscle.

[Lina Torres · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredibly interesting and passionately written book on our place in connection to the natural world, as part of it. It serves as an introduction of the workings of ecosystems and biodiversity, reminding the reader that we are connected and dependent on other species for our own survival.

[Alastair Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

5 short essays on biodiversity and the need for change. Whilst I don't agree entirely with his views on biophilia they evoke a powerful image and are well thought out. However, he can tend towards over-intellectualising some of his points which detracts slightly from the emotion of his argument.

[Beth Wolff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offers an interesting bio-philosophical reading of the 'right of species'. Although valid in its conservation science, in the context of what we know about Anthropogenic climate collapse, Wilson's human-centric philosophy reads a little dated.

[Skye Porter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn’t like his perspective on population - essentially blamed women and certain countries?? Chapters were repetitive and lacked credibility to me. Maybe he made an impact during his time but there’s much better lit today.

[Darcy Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! It’s disheartening looking at his predictions and seeing how far we’ve already fallen short. E. O. Wilson was far ahead of his time considering the scope of his arguments, and as such this is probably a good entry-level book for conservation and environmental ethics.

[Reuben Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic evidence based reminder that our ecosystems are important, that nature should be taken care of and that every species is a masterpiece with its own unique contribution.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was well written and organized, but somewhat forgettable. nothing really stood out to me to make this book itself unique.

[Tayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Published in 2022 with essays on ecology from like the 90s or something. Nothing new here, folks. Pretty dated read, don't bother.

[Adrian Cristian · Rating 4 out of 5]

About ecosystems, their scale and size, how many species of life we don't know about and what we should do in the future.

[Clair Chen · Rating 1 out of 5]

disappointed..

[Katie Corbeill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, thought provoking work by Edward Wilson.

[Rom Elias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely

[Jamie Salmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but eye-opening

[Tom G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting collection of essays - let down a bit by a passage towards the end that assumes market capitalism will solve the biodiversity crisis.