Gordon H. Orians lives in Seattle, where he is professor emeritus of biology at the University of Washington. He is the author or editor of several books, including, most recently, Red-Winged Blackbirds: Decision-Making and Reproductive Success and Life: The Science of Biology.
No scholar better understands the intimate linkage between evolutionary biology and the human condition, and none has expressed it in a more interesting and well-illustrated manner than Orians. (E. O. Wilson, Harvard University) A neat, thought-provoking volume. (New Scientist) Orians argues that our emotional responses to aesthetics in nature are hardwired and an evolutionary legacy of our animal origins. Here, he explores the relationship between our 'ghosts of environments past' and our view of the world. (Times Higher Education)