The Other Great Idea: Alfred Russel Wallace

The name Alfred Russel Wallace is synonymous with a footnote: the man who co-discovered evolution by natural selection. But to know Wallace only as Darwin's quiet collaborator is to miss the extraordinary, complex life of a revolutionary polymath. This comprehensive biography moves beyond the single stroke of genius in 1858, tracing Wallace's incredible journey from a self-taught, impoverished surveyor who endured near-fatal expeditions in the Amazon to the meticulous naturalist who defined the Wallace Line and founded modern biogeography in the Malay Archipelago. Yet, Wallace's greatest challenge was to his own theory. This book explores his profound philosophical split with Darwin—arguing that natural selection could not account for the human mind—a conviction that led him to embrace Spiritualism and become a radical social reformer championing land nationalization. The Other Great Idea: Alfred Russel Wallace presents the full story of a towering, yet controversial, figure: a brilliant scientist whose pursuit of truth, regardless of popular opinion, forged a legacy of unwavering integrity and independent thought. Approx.155 pages, 32400 word count