Ed Ricketts was a lone, largely marginalized scientist - an outcast to academia with no university degrees, memberships or honours. His pioneering ideas were at first dismissed by the scientific establishment. Now some sixty years after his untimely death, Ricketts' ecological approach and ethic, and especially his warnings about the excesses of modern society's material pursuit and its technological mania, are more relevant than ever.
A thoughtful and revealing portrait of symbiotic friend, the fusion of science, art and philosophy, a rousing tale of travel and discovery, and the inspiring true story of an unassuming scientist who became a legend in the annals of American literature.
"It's so much more than a biography; it's an inspiration, an intellectual feast, and an invitation to so many other domains of human thought and feeling."
– Dr. Kenneth S. Saladin, Distinguished Professor of Biology, Georgia College & State University
" Tamm's book is likely to be the best biography of Ricketts for some time [...] "
– Nature
" I liked this book so much that I read it twice."
– Bruce H. Robison, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
"Tamm resurrects Ricketts' brilliant, eccentric and ultimately tragic story."
– Monterey County Weekly