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Jonathan Weiner

ジョナサン・ワイナー

Jonathan Weiner

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1953-11-26 （New York City, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Judaism
Residence History
New York City, U.S.

Career

Occupations
nonfiction writer, science journalist, professor
Active Years
1976-
Affiliations
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Princeton University, Arizona State University, Rockefeller University
Influenced By
Charles Darwin, Seymour Benzer
Nominations
Aventis Prize (shortlisted, 2000)

Education

Harvard University
Period: 1972–1976
Year of Graduation: 1976
Country: United States

Awards

Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction
1995
Work: The Beak of the Finch
Category: General Nonfiction
Organization: Pulitzer Prize
Result: Winner
Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Science)
1994
Work: The Beak of the Finch
Category: Science
Organization: Los Angeles Times
Result: Winner
National Book Critics Circle Award
1999
Work: Time, Love, Memory
Category: Biography
Organization: National Book Critics Circle
Result: Winner
Aventis Prize (shortlisted)
2000
Work: Time, Love, Memory
Organization: Aventis Prize
Result: Shortlisted

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Planet Earth

1986 Nonfiction

Companion book to the 1986 PBS series of the same name, covering Earth's environment and natural history.

environmentnatural history

The Next One Hundred Years: Shaping the Fate of Our Living Earth

1990 Nonfiction

A forward-looking examination of Earth's future over the next century and humanity's relationship with the planet.

environmental forecastingEarth's future

The Beak of the Finch

1994 Science non-fiction

Follows long-term studies of finches in the Galápagos Islands to illustrate natural selection in action. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize.

evolutionnatural selectionfield research

Time, Love, Memory

1999 Biography / Science non-fiction

A biographical exploration of geneticist Seymour Benzer and his quest to understand the origins of behavior. Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award.

geneticsbehavioral biologyscientist biography

His Brother's Keeper: A Story from the Edge of Medicine

2004 Nonfiction (medicine)

Examines people on the edge of medicine and the ethical challenges they face.

medical ethicsmedicine

Long for This World: The Strange Science of Immortality

2010 Nonfiction (science)

Surveys scientific attempts to achieve immortality and explores the ethical and social implications.

agingimmortalitybioethics

Bibliography

  • Planet Earth
  • The Next One Hundred Years: Shaping the Fate of Our Living Earth
  • The Beak of the Finch
  • Time, Love, Memory
  • His Brother's Keeper: A Story from the Edge of Medicine
  • Long for This World: The Strange Science of Immortality

Style & Themes

Literary Style
science journalismnarrative non-fictionfield-research-based narrative
Recurring Motifs
evolutionbiological observationgeneticsenvironment

Legacy

A leading figure in contemporary science journalism. Through field studies and biographical narratives he has made evolution, genetics, and environmental issues accessible to general readers. Recipient of major awards including the Pulitzer Prize.

Archives

  • Library of Congress (catalog records)

Trivia

  • He is a professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
  • Won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction for The Beak of the Finch.
  • Married to children's author Deborah Heiligman.