by John and Mary Gribben – $18.00

James Lovelock is considered the father of the Gaian theory and this book gives a definitive biography of how Lovelock became a scientific icon.

Lovelock always challenged every scientific theory presented to him and did his own research into theories.

Much of this book is about Lovelock’s scientific experiments and his professional life, doing what all good scientists do: making an intuitive guess about something and spending ages and ages testing the guess.

The chapters on Lovelock’s personal life, his family, his son’s illness and, in later life, his first wife’s debilitating disease are particularly interesting and poignant.

Lovelock married a second time and he and his wife Sandy (whose husband also died from a debilitating disease) have the good fortune to continue to be in a happy and serene partnership. A strikingly positive influence on their lives is their mutual interest in and support for Gaia: the belief that all living things on this planet Earth and their interactions regulate the composition of the atmosphere.

Everyone interested in the scientific proof that all living organisms are compatible with each other and mutually contribute to the life of this great planet Earth will enjoy reading about a great scientist and environmentalist.