Edward O. Wilson is a well known biologist. Frustrated with the increasing political tension within the scientific community and against the scientific community, he wrote Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge in an effort to console all parties involved. He believes that the practice of science is too important to be ignored by people because of petty differences of opinion, which is not to say that he considers those opposed to the scientific community petty. In fact he extends great deference to those who are wary of traditionally scientific discussion. This is his whole point: scientific discovery is valuable enough to be considered important by everyone, so people must engage in a more honest conversation about their concerns and conclusions regarding the field.
Consilience is supposed to synthesize knowledge between fields of inquiry. Wilson is attempting to bridge all disciplines in order to explain the importance of science. For him the discussion has nothing to do with pride, a common pitfall of the scientific community. He wants people to set aside their differences in order to engage in honest discussion about facts and recent developments. This is why he takes a holistic approach to research.
Consilience was published in 1998. Neither Wilson's first nor greatest achievement, the book still received widely favorable reviews. Wilson himself is a Pulitzer Prize recipient. His ethos plays a vital role in the success of such a controversial book.
