I deem myself a very fortunate person to have bookshelves loaded with excitement, knowledge, erudition, exploration, and as one who basks in the sheer pleasure of owning books.
Two of my most treasured volumes are Ecology and Evolution of Darwin's Finches, the detailed account by Peter Grant of his fieldwork (and that of his wife, Rosemary) on Daphne, and Jonathan Weiner's Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Beak of the Finch, based on Grant's work there, aptly subtitled A Story of Evolution in Our Time.
I will leave it to you, therefore, to imagine the degree of delight that I experienced upon the arrival of Enchanted by Daphne, Peter Grant's personal story.
It seems to me that it is no accident that Grant subtitled the book The Life of an Evolutionary Naturalist, the key word being naturalist. Although Grant is a biologist of the highest rank, I am sure he views himself first and foremost as a naturalist, that wide-ranging lover of all of nature, in more of an ethological sense than within the narrow confines of statistical and mathematical biology.
The enforced isolation of COVID was the stimulus Grant needed to complete this autobiographical account of a life enriched by the landmark discovery that evolution can occur in a far narrower span than anyone ever considered possible. In fact, if not for COVID, the book would probably never have seen the light of day. Forty years of research on a tiny, rocky island in the Galápagos, not without difficulty, and even hardship, I can assure you, resulted in arguably the most significant evolutionary discovery since Charles Darwin first encountered the birds that have come to be known as Darwin's Finches, in that same isolated corner of the world.
Grant began life in a working class background in the UK, where his parents were divorced, unusual for the time, and inviting public opprobrium. His early family life was not entirely idyllic, yet events slowly propelled him towards a career in science. Early on, he was less than a brilliant scholar, giving hope to all of us! Along the way, he met his wife, Rosemary, and the two became lifelong companions in every way, personally, parentally and professionally, and one senses that if a perfect marriage exists, the Grants achieved it.
The couple lived in both Canada and the United States, finally ending their careers in Princeton, NJ. By now they were the focus of international acclaim, giving keynote addresses and teaching at universities and scientific institutions all over the world. Honour after honour was bestowed upon them; in reality they became the rock stars of the academic world. As they travelled to fulfill speaking engagements they were able to tack on personal time to explore museums, attend concerts, do recreational birding and reflect on a life well lived.
Throughout it all, based on my take on the book, Peter Grant remains what he has always been, a quintessential English gentleman. Yet at the same time he is a brilliant, incisive scientist, with determination and skills that few of us could dream of, reinforced by a wife of equal ability and mental toughness, with commitment to the same goals. They have proven beyond a doubt that long term studies will always yield the best results.
In an era when public adulation is reserved for people who can hit a ball with a stick well, or throw a pigskin farther, it is encouraging to see scientists receive their due. It is they who can explain the world to us, it is they who can make changes to it, and we are in their debt.
Thank you, Dr. Grant, for your dedication, commitment, belief in science, willingness to endure hardship, and for your humanity. It may be a very long time before we see your like again.
Enchanted by Daphne: The Life of an Evolutionary Naturalist - Princeton University Press
Peter R. Grant
Hardcover - US$35.00 - ISBN: 9780691246246
360 pages - 6.125 x 9.25 inches (15.31 x 23.125 cm)
50 black-and-white illustrations
Publication Date: 23 May, 2023
