The Growth of Biological Thought: Diversity, Evolution, and Inheritance

No one in this century can speak with greater authority on the progress of ideas in biology than Ernst Mayr. Ten years in preparation, this is a work of epic proportions, tracing the development of major problems of biology from the earliest attempts to find order in the diversity of life, to modern research into mechanisms of gene transmission.

Ernst Mayr was Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology, Emeritus, at Harvard University. He was the recipient of numerous honorary degrees and awards, including the Crafoord Prize for Biology, the National Medal of Science, the Balzan Prize, and the Japan Prize.