Restless Energy: A Biography of William Rowan, 1891-1957

William Rowan was one of the most prestigious Canadian scientists in the first half of the 20th century. He was a world-renowned biologist, an outstanding conservationist, a talented and highly regarded wildlife artist, and founder of the department of zoology at the University of Alberta. He discovered the potential of radio as a vehicle for popularizing science and conservation. For nearly three decades his nature programmes educated and entertained listeners in the western provinces and the northwestern United States. Restless Energy explores Rowan’s experiences as a European-trained scientist in the Canadian West, describes his difficulties with unimaginative administrators, and chronicles his scientific experiments and concerns over social issues. It also looks at Rowan’s career as a scientist with a feminist sensibility, and the effects of his work on his marriage.