John Alcock is Regents' Professor Emeritus of Biology at Arizona State University. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University under the direction of Ernst Mayr. His research deals with the behavioral ecology of insect mating systems, with projects that have taken him from Arizona to Costa Rica and Australia. He wrote The Triumph of Sociobiology (2001) and coauthored The Evolution of Insect Mating Systems (1983) with Randy Thornhill. Alcock has also written seven other books on animal behavior and natural history for general audiences. One of these, In a Desert Garden, received the Burroughs' Award for natural history writing in 1998. Dr. Alcock also received the Dean's Quality Teaching Award the first year it was given at Arizona State University.