Hello. I'm Catherine Weller and this is The Open Book.

This week's selection is The Creation: A Meeting of Science and Religion by E. O. Wilson.

"Dear Pastor, we have not met, yet I feel I know you well enough to call you friend. First of all, we grew up in the same faith. As a boy I too answered the altar call; I went under the water. Although I no longer belong to that faith, I am confident that if we met and spoke privately of our deepest beliefs, it would be in a spirit of mutual respect and good will… pastor, we need your help. The creation - living nature is in deep trouble."

So begins naturalist E.O. Wilson's latest book, The Creation. He goes on to explain that scientists estimate half of the species of earth's plants and animals may very well be extinct by the end of this century - if humans don't change the way they live within the world. To that end, Wilson has written this brief but powerful episilatory work, addressed to a non-specific southern baptist pastor - because religion and science are the most powerful forces in American society today. He believes science and religion can set aside their differences to embrace an overriding commonality: respect - even love -- for the planet on which we live. In Wilson's mind, a creationist should aspire to responsible stewardship of the earth and its inhabitants, after all, they're God's creations; a secular humanist should aspire to conserve our earth and its resources because we depend upon it for our very survival.

The five sections of The Creation outline the how's and why's of E. O. Wilson's plea. In his trademark knowledgeable, clear and endearingly friendly prose wilson lays the foundation for a working relationship between secular humanists and fundamentalist christians, walks the reader through the signs and symptoms of the mess we're in, discusses what biology has learned, emphasizes the necessity of science education and citizen scientists, and recapitulates his central thesis: we can and must come together.

This not entirely a gloom and doom book. Wilson's respect for the earth and all its inhabitants, even bacteria, is evident in his careful description of biological discoveries and his discussions of social biology theories. The reader also learns of positive steps that have already been taken, from identifying highly endangered global "hot spots" to citizen inventories of the species inhabiting a specific area. For you see, as Wilson points out, we don't even know how many species of flora and fauna inhabit the earth. We're still learning.

I am not a Southern Baptist so I don't know how effective Wilson's book will be with his target audience. Because of his cultural roots, I don't think there's a scientist better equipped for the task. I do know The Creation provided plenty of thought provoking reading for me. This is a timely book for those who love the planet and those who care about bridging the religious divide.

You've been listening to The Open Book on KCPW. I'm Catherine Weller.

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