Ant Hill

The first book I read on my Kindle was Ant Hill by E O Wilson. Wilson is a rather well known biologist and naturalist who was born in Birmingham and grew up in Washington DC, spending some time in Mobile, AL. He was a controversial scientist in the 70's but has since been shown to be quite on the mark in his findings in sociobiology. He has a vast amount of work published along with his own books written to help illustrate his ideas and research. Ant Hill was the first work of fiction he penned as well as the first book of his that I have read.

Ant Hill is about a young boy named Raphael (known as Raph) who spends his childhood exploring a natural wood and wetland area know as the Nokobee forest. This fictional forest is placed in the area somewhat near the Conecuh forest and the Mobile Delta. Raph grows up with a father whom can be described as a working class man who has his faults but does what he needs to raise his son. His mother was born into a family of privilege but married a man who was not- it is noted that she regrets the decision and only stays with him for Raph's sake. Raph develops the curiosity of a scientist and naturalist with the help of a FSU professor and mentor all by exploring the Nokobee forest and learning about everything within it. When Raph is older he is given the opportunity to go to FSU by his uncle on his mother's side; an attempt to bring him into the privileged life and restore his mother's status in southern society of Mobile. Raph really has no interest in his uncle's plans but accepts. Raph wants to study science and biology. The compromise is that he will later attend law school. Raph agrees and the story tells of his motivations to succeed later. Nokobee is threatened by development and Raph wants to use the law to stop it. Much is written about his culture shock at Cambridge and the experiences of a young man coming into his own.

Where the book diverges is in the narrative of the Nokobee ants. Raph's senior thesis is written about the ants that inhabit the forest and takes up about the middle third of the book. It is actually an anthropomorphic account of the social structure of ant colonies and their struggle against each colony to survive. It's a great method of illustrating the ideas behind sociobiology and the motivations behind the organisms described.

Much of the book is an examination into the different types of people you encounter that are either proponents or opposed to naturalism. Raph is mixed up into a world of people who are naturalists because it's a rebellious trend, naturalists who share his passion, developers who think commerce is more important than conservation and even religious fanatics who believe that land is meant to be used up by man in a manifest destiny sort of fashion. They in fact believe that to protect it is to prolong the time before the second coming. If it sounds absurd that's because it is but unfortunately I've met fanatics in real life that believe that very same thing. It's more than apparent that E O Wilson is writing about his own struggle to find acceptance for his ideas in Alabama and I sympathize. He's a man who seems to appreciate the Alabama that was and resent it at the same time. He sees the old southern culture as both interesting and absurd. I think his view is more of an appreciation of cultural heritage but a recognition that no one outside of your social circle really cares. He sums up very accurately the difference between the good people he affectionately calls rednecks and the minority of alienated whites better know as "white trash." If you live in Alabama you immediately think of people you have encountered that certainly fit the description.

Ant Hill is a good read for those that are interested in conservation and naturalism in the South. A good story with some science thrown in and even a little action towards the end leads to a very enjoyable novel. Give Ant Hill a try and let me know what you think.