Despite his monumental influence, and for a variety of reasons, Robert Trivers has remained in relative obscurity. But this will soon change. TIME magazine recently named him one of the 100 Most Influential Thinkers and Scientists of the 20th Century. And in 2007, he was named the recipient of the prestigious Crafoord Prize—a Nobel Prize-like award worth $500,000—for his work in Bioscience, and "his fundamental analysis of social evolution, conflict and cooperation."

As a graduate student in his twenties, Trivers wrote a series of papers in evolutionary biology that remain the most influential ever published. Touching on such ideas as altruism, cooperation, reciprocity and evolutionary dynamics, they laid the groundwork for many of his famous contemporaries. These ideas get to the very heart of the development of human civilization. They can be seen at play in such places as Google's page rankings; in amazon.com's reader reviews; and in the eBay's reputations for buyers and sellers.

Currently a Professor of Anthropology and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University, and a Visiting Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, Trivers is working on a book for a mainstream audience that focuses on self-deception. He is also making himself available for speaking engagements for the first time ever. His return has sparked a buzz in the scientific establishment, and marks the beginning of a major upheaval in the world of evolutionary biology.