Buy used:
$11.00
FREE delivery May 21 - 28. Details
Or fastest delivery May 15 - 20. Details
Used: Good | Details
Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta
Condition: Used: Good
Comment: Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Alfred Russel Wallace
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Island Life (Great Minds Series) Paperback – December 1, 1997

by Alfred Russel Wallace (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 12 ratings
See all formats and editions
As the co-formulator with Charles Darwin of the theory of biological evolution via natural selection, naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) argued that plant and animal species develop throughout organic history. Wallace focused special attention on the diversity of tropical life forms and became acutely aware of the adaptive relationship between each species and its particular environment: an ongoing relationship that is necessary for survival and reproduction. After amassing empirical evidence from the Malay Archipelago, Wallace wrote Island Life (1881) in order to document the dynamic realtionship between organisms and their climatic habitats. Anticipating our present concern with both endangered species and vanishing environments, Wallace's ecological studies helped substantiate the fact of evolution. This book is an excellent example of long-term research and the far-reaching insights such scientific projects hold for understanding and appreciating the evolving life on Earth.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    522 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Prometheus
  4. Publication date
    December 1, 1997
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1573921777
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1573921770
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 - 1913) was an English naturalist who originated independently a theory of natural selection, an account of which he sent to Charles Darwin. The Linnaean Society of London published a joint paper by the two scientists in which the theory was presented, Wallace did extensive fieldwork, first in the Amazon River basin and then in the Malay Archipelago, where he identified the faunal divide now termed the Wallace Line, which separates the Indonesian archipelago into two distinct parts: a western portion in which the animals are largely of Asian origin, and an eastern portion where the fauna reflect Australasia.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Prometheus (December 1, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 522 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1573921777
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1573921770
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 16 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 12 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Alfred Russel Wallace

Alfred Russel Wallace

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
12 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Jim P
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2015
Verified Purchase
great read if your into scientific information.
Helpful
 Report
C. H Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars one of Wallace's enduring classics
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2000
Wallace is most remembered for his independent discovery of the theory of natural selection, but he was also the father of the modern approach to biogeographical studies, and history's foremost tropical naturalist--and he made many important contributions beyond biology as well. "Island Life" is one of his most important works. In it he extends studies begun in another of his classic publications, the two-volumed "The Geographical Distribution of Animals," to two subjects: the influence of the glacial epochs on organismal distribution patterns, and the characteristics of island biogeography. Many students of Wallace's career consider this book his finest scientific effort, both for its joining of theory and empiricism, and for his attention to detail and breadth of study. Included is a full working out of history's first theory of continental glaciation based on a combination of geographical and astronomical causes, a discussion of island classification, and a survey of worldwide island faunas and floras. I give it a "4" rating here only because *now* it is primarily of interest to historians of science and those environmentalists who might want information on the late nineteenth century state of island biotas around the world; still, as a major study by one the period's great minds, it arguably demands attention on its own terms.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

J.A.M.
5.0 out of 5 stars present
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 17, 2014
Verified Purchase
the recipient was impressed with the speed and delivery of this item which he saw advertised in a scientific journal. He is enjoying reading it.
Report
Janette Bate
4.0 out of 5 stars Island Life by Alfred Russel Wallace
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 12, 2013
Verified Purchase
This was delivered well within time and the packaging was very good. It was a present for a friend and he is enjoying it.
Report
Criliams
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
Deserves his place equal at least with Darwin.
Report
Tess
5.0 out of 5 stars Delight to read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 17, 2014
Verified Purchase
This book is surprisingly neglected. It is beautifully written and an essential companion to Darwin. Wallace is equally subtle and observant.
Report