First copy of the Species book! 7 Aug 2009 It arrived this afternoon. Looks great. This must mean they are about to start selling it, so go order! I’ll sign any copy that is presented to me, of course. Look at it: my dreams made real… Book Science
Biology The Velvet Underground of… 8 Oct 2010 Recently there have been a couple of “Velvet Underground” posts, of the kind that the VU were a very unknown but amazingly influential group. As Chad Orzel says, “only of order a thousand people bought the first Velvet Underground record, but every one of them went on to start a… Read More
Biology Reduction and emergence 8 Aug 20118 Aug 2011 I have been having a metaphysical debate on Twitter, which is more surreal than reading the Tractatus. My interlocutors said a few things which leads me to want to clarify my views a little more than Twitter allows. Hence… My thesis is this: Emergent properties are no different, ontologically speaking,… Read More
Accommodationism Undefining religion 15 Feb 201429 Jun 2024 [This will be a series of posts based on a book I am writing – see last post] When anthropologists began to study religions in cultures other than the European context, which itself was based upon Roman jurisprudence, they encountered a difficulty. Until this time, in the mid-nineteenth century, “religion”… Read More
This book I think will arrive for me at Robinson Bookshop soon. I will let you know when it arrives John.
John, I’d love to be able to get you to sign a copy. I’m in Adelaide; any chance you’re heading down this way? I notice that the link on the UC Press website is still to the old blog, too…
Not in the near future, but I’d love to go visit some friends there sometime soon. I told ’em about the blog change. *sigh*
Congratulations! This must be a very proud moment for you. All that hard work come to fruition. Just imagine generations of future biologists citing ‘Wilkins on species’ as a classic text in the field. Savour it for all it’s worth. You’ve earned it.
“Wilkins on species”? You make it sound like I have to buy two copies. One to be preserved (never opened), and one to be read.
“This is not the potted history that one usually finds in texts and review articles. It is a fresh look at the history of a field central to biology, but one whose centrality has changed in scope over the centuries. Wilkins’ book will be a standard source for all kinds of people working in systematics. There is not another book on the subject, amazingly enough, and his perspective is so comprehensive and well-taught that it will replace any standard review articles and older histories.”—Kevin Padian, University of California, Berkeley Awesome. You’ve carved out your very own literary niche all to yourself!
“Expected to ship August 11.” So when are you going to be in New York on the world-wide book tour? I expect to be invited to publisher’s party. Where’s it going to be … Le Cirque? … The Rainbow Room? … The Hard Rock Cafe?
Sure thing. Just send the tickets today, and I’ll get on the plane tomorrow. Include hotel costs as well…
Yahbbut I don’t like cold showers. I have seen the homeless in Central Park have them. I felt enormously sorry for the poor bastard, and it was 100°F at the time.
Just imagine generations of future biologists citing ‘Wilkins on species’ as a classic text in the field. “Wilkins on species”? You make it sound like I have to buy two copies. One to be preserved (never opened), and one to be read. Copies of real classics are dog-eared and well-thumbed with greasy and torn pages, broken spines and disintergrating covers from the constant use to which they are put over many, many years and even generations.
I’ll buy a copy if you come to Germany to sign it! Actually I’ll wait till it has officiall apeared before I order it as I have noticed that the price on Amazon Germany for academic books tends to fall about a month to six weeks after publication.
Oh good – I might be able to get a signed copy via a mutual friend. Are you sending out review copies?