Species: a history of the idea

Today I got my manuscript off to the publisher. Heaven knows what the editors will do with it; I expect a sympathetic treatment as the publisher's editorial board are quite keen. But it's like having a ten year boil lanced. And seeing a favourite child graduate. All at once.

So it remains for me to thank the enormous number of people who have helped me do this book. Nobody could have done it alone. I am amazed and heartened by the fact that no matter how much disagreement I may have with the various people involved in the species debate, they are all hell of a nice lot of guys and gals. None of them have turned out to be un-nice people, which goes right against all experience and reputation of academic debates, particularly in this field of taxonomy.

I will start with the two people who helped it get to press: Malte Ebach and Quentin Wheeler. Many thanks for soliciting it as part of their new series on species. Then I must thank my advisors, Neil Thomason and Gareth Nelson for helping me even get to PhD stage with this project. And finally, David Hull, Paul Griffiths and Kim Sterelny, who have aided my career in many ways. The rest, in alphabetical order, underneath the fold.

Noelie Alito, Scott Chase, Joel Cracraft, Michael Devitt , Mike Dunford, Malte Ebach, Greg Edgcombe, Dan Faith, Michael Ghiselin, Paul Griffiths, Colin Groves, John Harshman, Jody Hey, Jon Hodge, David Hull, Jon Kaplan, Mike S.-Y. Lee, Murray Littlejohn, Brent Mishler, Larry Moran, Staffan Müller-Wille, Ian Musgrave, Gary Nelson, Mike Norén, Gordon McOuat, Massimo Pigliucci, Norman Platnick, Tom Scharle, Kim Sterelny, Neil Thomason, Charissa Varma, John Veron, Quentin Wheeler, Ward Wheeler, David Williams, Robin Wilson; Polly Winsor

and all the folks at talk.origins and Talkorigins.org.

And anyone else I have forgotten... [let me know in the comments or by email]