2024 Hamilton Book Award Grand Prize Goes to David Hillis for Homage to Texas Hill Country’s Biological Diversity

"Armadillos to Ziziphus," a book that serves as both an education and celebration of the Hill Country's natural beauty and diversity, has been named the grand prize winner of the 2024 Hamilton Book Awards.

Its author, David Hillis, an evolutionary biologist and director of the Biodiversity Center in the College of Natural Sciences, uses short essays and vivid color photos to guide readers through the rich environment of the Hill Country. Hillis infuses his encyclopedic knowledge of the Hill Country into charming and casual explanations of everything from the ecological significance of microscopic organisms in springtime mud puddles to a spiny shrub called Ziziphus.

The Hamilton Book Awards are among the highest honors of literary achievement given to authors at The University of Texas at Austin and are sponsored by the University Co-operative Society and the Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors. The awards are named for the late Robert W. Hamilton, emeritus professor in the UT School of Law and former chairperson of the Co-op's board of directors.

All 21 authors who were nominated for the 2024 Hamilton Book Awards were honored at a ceremony on Nov. 13. In addition to Hillis, three finalists were also recognized:

• Geoffrey Smith, director of the Institute for the Study of Antiquity and Christian Origins, and Brent Landau, senior lecturer, Department of Religious Studies, College of Liberal Arts, for "The Secret Gospel of Mark"
• James Slotta, associate professor, Department of Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts, for "Anarchy and the Art of Listening"
• Scott Stroud, professor, Department of Communication Studies, Moody College of Communication, for "Evolution of Pragmatism in India"

"The Hamilton Book Awards celebrate longform research while honoring the vital role authors play in engaging broad audiences in the joy and journey of discovery," said Dan Jaffe, vice president for research. "Through their books, UT authors are bridging new knowledge and perspectives with public understanding and enlightenment."

Hillis is a lauded scientist who was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 1999 and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2008. He is also known for his discovery of numerous new species, including Austin's iconic Barton Springs salamander.

In his review of Amadillos to Ziziphus, Austin American-Statesman columnist Michael Barnes praised Hillis as polymath who can write easily and accessibly about any subject.

"Some of his essays are almost purely descriptive and can take in the expanse of the Edwards Plateau. Others focus on small worlds, such as the vernal pools whose life adjusts to the wet and dry seasons of the Hill Country," Barnes wrote. "I will read these incandescent essays … again and again."

Hillis, who owns a ranch in Mason County, said the book started as a weekly column for the Mason County News during the pandemic.

"I always wanted to write a book about why the Hill Country is such a beautiful place and answer some of the questions people have about the things they see on a daily basis," Hillis said. "It's really a love letter about the Hill Country and about my lifetime working in the Hill Country."

To learn more about 2024 Hamilton Book authors and to purchase their books, visit the Gallery of Nominees.

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