Amazon.com
That the United States government engaged in dangerous biological research during World War II will come as no surprise to Americans jaded by revelations of secret medical experiments and radiation exposures. But that the accident-plagued facility where it happened--and continues to happen--is just off the coast of Long Island may alarm many readers of Michael Christopher Carroll's Lab 257. Carroll, an attorney by trade, gamely takes on complex microbiology and shady government record-keeping in telling the story of Plum Island, home of the Animal Disease Center--no place for a casual picnic. The lab, initially set up by the Army to research ways of destroying Soviet farm animals (and to keep them from destroying ours), has often dealt with bacteria and viruses that can be passed from animals to humans. Carroll draws compelling causal links between Plum Island and the introduction of Lyme disease, West Nile virus, and duck enteritis, all non-native germs that wreaked sudden havoc in North America, and all germs that Plum Island scientists were allegedly working with. With hurricanes and terrorists on his mind, Carroll asks readers to imagine a scenario in which the Plum Island lab might release pathogens into the most densely populated area in the country. He ends the book with two chilling questions. First, does the United States need a research facility that investigates animal pathogens with potential for human transmission? Second, considering that Plum Island never had a particularly good safety record, is it the right place for such a facility? Lab 257, while occasionally veering into unsupported speculation, introduces key questions to the debate on biological security in the 21st century. --Therese Littleton
Book Description
Nestled near the Hamptons, the fashionable summer playground of America's rich and famous, and in the shadow of New York City, lies an unimposing 840-acre island unidentified on most maps. On the few on which it can be found, Plum Island is marked red or yellow, and stamped U.S. government—restricted or dangerous animal diseases. Though many people live the good life within a scant mile or two from its shores, few know the name of this pork chop-shaped island. Even fewer can say whether it is inhabited, or why it doesn't exist on the map. That's all about to change.
Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government's Secret Plum Island Germ Laboratory blows the lid off the stunning true nature and checkered history of Plum Island. It shows that the seemingly bucolic island on the edge of the largest population center in the United States is a ticking biological time bomb that none of us can safely ignore.
Based on innumerable declassified government documents, scores of in-depth interviews, and access to Plum Island itself, this is an eye-opening, suspenseful account of a federal government germ laboratory gone terribly wrong. For the first time, Lab 257 takes you deep inside this secret world and presents startling revelations including virus outbreaks, biological meltdowns, infected workers who were denied assistance in diagnosis by Plum Island brass, the periodic flushing of contaminated raw sewage into area waters, and the insidious connections between Plum Island, Lyme disease, and the deadly 1999 West Nile virus outbreak.
An exploration of the complex world of microbiology, viruses, and bacteria, Lab 257 also shows how the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which ran Plum Island for the last half century, is far more than wholesome grade-A eggs and the food pyramid. The book probes what's in store for Plum Island's new owner, the Department of Homeland Security, in this age of bioterrorism. And for those interested in questions of national security and safety, it is a call to action for those concerned with protecting present and future generations from preventable biological catastrophes.
Lab 257 will change forever our current understanding of Plum Island -- a place that is, in the words of one insider, "a biological Three Mile Island."
Customer Reviews:
Interesting and frightening read.......2007-04-11
I picked up this book on a whim because I love the conspiracy theory-type books about all the shady government projects. As it turns out, this book really disturbed me.
Carroll, an attorney, wrote this book over the course of seven years, during which he requested government documents under the FOIA, conducted interviews with current and former employees of Plum Island, researched the connection to US-harbored Nazi scientists, and the inevitable decline of lab conditions under the new American trend of "privatization". Carroll visited the island himself before his access was pulled; he never states exactly why this happened. The book outlines the creation of the labs, how and why the island location was chosen (prevailing winds blow out to sea rather than inland, or so they said at the time), how it went from the US Army's jurisdiction to the USDA, and from there how the program went into a long, slow decline in standards, safety, and hazards. The chapter on the hurricane was terrifying in itself - you can feel the terror the maintenance workers must have felt knowing how helpless they were to prevent a potential "biological meltdown".
The book brings up some interesting potential connections between the labs on Pulm island and the relatively sudden appearance of Lyme disease and West Nile virus. Even if the research into animal diseases is the absolute truth, you still can't help but feel incredibly suspicious that the highest concentration of both Lyme and West Nile began in and around Connecticut and Long Island - the closest points of civilian population to Plum Island. Couple that with the discussion of bird migration and mosquito infestations, and you're inspired to do further reading on your own to uncover more of the truth - you can't take anything at face value, but any time the US government is involved on this large of a scale, healthy skepticism of government denials is required.
For those who wonder if we aren't already seeing "bioterror" attacks in the form of salmonella and e. coli attacks on our food manufacturing facilities and mad cow disease ravaging British livestock, this book is a must read on the programs that Richard Nixon supposedly ended in 1972.
The U.S. Government exposed...again........2006-12-13
I don't know about most American's, but I for one am fed up with the insane amount of government corruption. Every day there is something new discovered, or admitted by the government that shows how the principle that one's government should benefit them and protect them before anything else is falling apart. Lab 257 exposes the truth about some of the nation's greatest mysteries, including the outbreak of both Lyme disease and the West Nile virus, both unseen in the United States until after Plum Island's research on the substances, both originating in the area immediately surrounding the island. Carroll ultimately allows the reader to draw their own conclusions about the nature of the Biological Time Bomb known as Plum Island, but as for me, it is quite obvious that the American government is not always working for its people. The sad truth, the harsh truth, must be known; reading this book is essentially to destroying the ignorance so prevalent in the mass society we live in, the ignorance towards politics and just what exactly is going on in terms of biological research. The greatest threat to America is not from Islamic terrorists, but from its own government's lack of care for the most dangerous of situations. Plum Island is one startling example of such blatant disregard, and Lab 257 ingeniously exposes the true nature of its past, present, and frightening future.
Worth your time!.......2006-08-08
Quick read that will really make you question your government. While the intentions were good in the beginning..it just goes to show what happens when we get lazy about certain things (security) and start neglecting important details.
This one will have you scratching your head about the intelligence of our government. I only wonder if this would happen in a post 9-11 America.
Hurricane Bob, Hurricane Katrina = Government Keystone Cops.......2006-03-14
Read and become informed of an enemy within, your? government's arrogance coupled with incompetence. But they did stay at a Holiday Inn Express! With leaders like these who needs enemies? Plum Island brings on the West Nile virus, Lyme disease & many more. Yes, the point of origin, Plum Island USA, a biological laboratory doing dangerous germ/bacterial warfare expermintation. Your tax dollars are killing you! Surprize, Surprise! Well researched by an author who lived it for more than 5 years before publishing. The mainsteam press won't touch this! Its simply too true. Off limits for public consumption. You be the judge.
Lab 257.......2006-03-01
Carroll has done his homework - he documents all the chilling incidents in the history of this "lab of terror." His speculations on the origins of Lyme Disease are thought-provoking, too. A good read with a lot of detail.
Average customer rating:
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Island Biology
Sherwin Carlquist
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0231035624 |
Amazon.com
In a wonderful weave of science, metaphor, and prose, David Quammen, author of The Flight of the Iguana, applies the lessons of island biogeography - the study of the distribution of species on islands and islandlike patches of landscape - to modern ecosystem decay, offering us insight into the origin and extinction of species, our relationship to nature, and the future of our world.
Book Description
David Quammen's book, The Song of the Dodo, is a
brilliant, stirring work, breathtaking in its scope,
far-reaching in its message -- a crucial book in
precarious times, which radically alters the way in
which we understand the natural world and our place
in that world. It's also a book full of entertainment
and wonders.
In The Song of the Dodo, we follow Quammen's keen
intellect through the ideas, theories, and experiments
of prominent naturalists of the last two centuries.
We trail after him as he travels the world,
tracking the subject of island biogeography, which
encompasses nothing less than the study of the origin
and extinction of all species. Why is this island
idea so important? Because islands are where
species most commonly go extinct -- and because, as
Quammen points out, we live in an age when all of
Earth's landscapes are being chopped into island-like
fragments by human activity.
Through his eyes, we glimpse the nature of evolution
and extinction, and in so doing come to understand
the monumental diversity of our planet, and
the importance of preserving its wild landscapes,
animals, and plants. We also meet some fascinating
human characters. By the book's end we are wiser,
and more deeply concerned, but Quammen
leaves us with a message of excitement and hope.
Customer Reviews:
Science Journalism? Yeh, it rules!.......2007-09-26
This is the first book I've read by Quammen, an imminently talented journalist who perfectly balances the information and writing style of the book. He follows a chronological progression of island biogeography from Darwin through Jared Diamond (who became hugely famous shortly after the release of this book). Quammen's travelogues are excellent, combining a sympathetic, open perspective that is adventurous and engaged. Late in the book, Quammen describes a climb to the nest of a Mauritius kestrel: "When I'm thirty feet up, a tree branch flicks off my glasses, which drop to the ground. I could go down and retrieve them, sure, that would be sensible, but I'd fall too far behind the cheerful maniacs...
'Do you trust this vine?' I call up to Jones. Gangly but tall, he must weigh two hundred pounds, and from this angle I can appreciate the size of his feet.
'Not greatly.'
We ratchet our way upward, slowly, on the cliff face. It isn't Half Dome but it's more perilous than the average birdwatching stroll. We rise out above the valley. As we move beyond the treetops, I give myself an explicit mental reminder: Fall from here and you don't go home. Finally, Jones and I catch up with Lewis on a narrow rock shelf, like a window ledge ten stories above Lexington Avenue...
I gaze out at the panorama--the forested canyon below us, the deer ranch beyond, and the cane plantation beyond that, all spreading westward for five miles to the crescent of beach and then the great turquoise plane of the Indian Ocean." (562-3)
It's Quammen's excitement and sensitivty that inspire the reader to continue and to care, to take notice of humanity's influence: carving nature into islands, resulting in astonishing rates of extinction and ecosystem decay. But Quammen urges us to cling to hope, not despair, because "besides being fruitless it's far less exciting than hope, however slim." (636)
Desultory fluff.......2007-09-06
This is by far the most desultory, fluff-filled history of biological evolution that I've ever read. Generally, I am not a skimmer of Quammen's work, and in fact often enjoy his wit and lithesome prose, but after only a dozen pages or so into Dodo I found myself flipping page after page looking for something substantive, looking for meat. In one word, the pace is SLOW. Over and over again in the margins I found myself scribbling "Go! Go! We'd advanced this far thirty pages ago!" But on the plus side I suppose if you are looking for a book to practice your speed reading, Dodo may be it: you can flip ten pages at a throw and hardly miss a thing.
Fabulous.......2006-09-06
Quammen's book is a rare bird--a clearly written science book that doesn't condescend to readers. It's long enough to go fairly deep, and deep enough to be interesting: it's on my short list of favorites.
As other reviewers point out, the history of squabbles wears a little thin, but neither Darwin nor anyone else sticks in my memory as having been unfairly kneecapped. In fact, the only faintly negative impression I had was of the excessive care Quammen takes in presenting some fairly basic math. Highly recommended.
Plotting the roadmap to species extinction.......2006-07-23
"Islands are where species go to die." - David Quammen, author of THE SONG OF THE DODO
This book is all about the birth, maturation, and real world applications of the science of island biogeography as it relates to the circumstances of species isolation and diversification and subsequent decline and extinction. Here, "island" means not only the obvious - a bit of land surrounded by water - but any habitat separated from the rest of the world by a geographic barrier which its resident species are unlikely to cross. "Island", then, can refer, for examples, to a lake, a remnant of rain forest surrounded by clear-cut, a temperate mountaintop surrounded by desert, a national park hemmed in by human habitation, a cave, an expanse of jungle bordered by wide rivers, or a literal island in the sea.
Island biogeography inexorably leads the reader to the concept of conservation biology and viable-population theory. You see, the rampant human population is cutting the world's diverse ecosystems into little bits - islands - thus dooming countless species living within them - especially large vertebrates - to eventual destruction.
THE SONG OF THE DODO is a lucid, erudite, troubling, and extensively researched piece of science writing by journalist David Quammen. It's biggest fault is that he just about beats the subject to death. Where, perhaps, just a few examples of past species extinction (the Dodo or the Micronesian honeyeater) and present pending extinction (the indri of Madagascar or the Concho water snake in Texas) would suffice, the author includes at least a dozen more. But, as Quammen is such an excellent writer who feels strongly about this important subject, one cannot award less than five stars. Amidst the record of both realized and threatened animal extirpations, David even manages to be humorous when his narrative becomes a personal travelogue as he journeys to exotic places to observe the pending carnage for himself, as when tripping face-first into a spiderweb on Guam ("My worst nightmares feature tarantulas the size of badgers") or getting mugged in Rio de Janeiro. About the last incident, when confronted at the local police station with the one (of three) of his attackers unlucky enough to get caught, David quips:
"He's looking at five years (imprisonment) I'm told. Cinco anos. Cinco, no kidding? that's a lot of anos, I say. Probably I should feel terrible for the young thug, on grounds of socioeconomic extenuation, but in the weakness of the moment my liberal knee fails to jerk and cinco anos sounds fine."
The most glaring negative is the lack of photographs, both of the various creatures under discussion and the scientists, past and present, who've contributed to, and fought over, the theory and practice of island biogeography.
Recently, I saw AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, a documentary on global warming. Taken together with THE SONG OF THE DODO, my pessimism is kindled to a white heat. I don't have a high opinion of my fellow man: Homo sapiens is a rapacious species ungenerous to the other life forms riding Mother Earth. We blithely defecate on our own doorstep. At some point, the planet, which will ultimately endure, will turn to Man and say, "I'll show you!" Then, as Quammen puts it:
"When we ourselves do go (extinct), the sparrows and the cockroaches and the rats and the dandelions that survive us should eventually give rise to a new inflorescence of diversity. I'll leave it to you to decide whether that represents a gloomy scenario or a cheery one."
Comprehensive.......2006-07-19
Mr Quammen's work is the finest written on the facts of island biogeography. Broad in scope, the writer visited the leks of the birds of paradise and those nasty lizards on Komodo. Other places of interest the book visits are Madagascar and the Galapagos, known for their weird endemic faunas that can only be explained in an evolutionary, and biogeographic manner.
Book Description
A detailed overview of what is presently know about the behavior and ecology of reef fishes inhabiting the waters of Florida, Caribbean and Bahamas. The enjoyable fact-filled text is lavishly illustrated with 475 marine life photos, many capturing spectacular fish behaviors never before documented.
Customer Reviews:
Fish Behavior.......2007-05-27
As a family we enjoy scuba diving. Our last vacation in Honduras we were noticing certain fish "acted" in very specific ways and some making no sense to us at all. We were told about this book and have read it now and things we saw make much more sense now. We will be heading back to Honduras in August and hope to use this new found knowledge regarding fish behavior in helping us capture better pictures.
fantastic.......2007-05-08
so glad i broke down and bought this! after taking all my photos and comparing them to the details in this book, i am 99% sure of my labels! and after doing so, it was amazing how much of the info stuck in my brain!
Reef.......2007-01-21
Perfect condition through Amazon.
This is a very good complement to the reef set, from the same author.
Fascinating window into the lives of reef fishes.......2006-11-19
While on vacation in Florida, I read Reef Fish Behavior by Ned Deloach and Paul Humann. It is a fascinating, well researched book on the behavior of reef residents in the wild, based on many months of observation on dives. There are incredible pictures here showing life and death on the reef.
The writing is well done, and lets readers feel like they are observing along with the authors. Witness, for example, these few sentences taken from the section on Sailfin blennies: "...late one afternoon we saw a Sailfin making a mad dash across the seafloor. The little fellow looked vulnerable and out of place in the open....This was our first observation of what we came to call runners. After several minutes of crazy zigzags, the runner arrived at a hole occupied by a slightly smaller male, and a miniature version of a marine Jurassic Park commenced."
Probably the best book available on this topic........2006-08-01
If you are hesitating due to the price of this book don't. Check out the contents page on the 'look inside' facility above. It is well worth the expense. Excellent photos,( I wonder how many hours underwater they spent observing the behaviour captured in these pics?) highly informative text, an absolute mine of interesting facts and observations about a complex subject. Though specific to the Caribbean and Bahamas it can also be used by divers in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Obviously it does not cover all species and unfortunately misses out on some of my personal favourites Morays, Lionfish, Boxfishes, Porcupinefishes and Puffers but at 360 pages it still covers a lot of ground. Enjoy!
Book Description
Biogeography was stuck in a "natural history phase" dominated by the collection of data, the young Princeton biologists Robert H. MacArthur and Edward O. Wilson argued in 1967. In this book, the authors developed a general theory to explain the facts of island biogeography. The theory builds on the first principles of population ecology and genetics to explain how distance and area combine to regulate the balance between immigration and extinction in island populations. The authors then test the theory against data. The Theory of Island Biogeography was never intended as the last word on the subject. Instead, MacArthur and Wilson sought to stimulate new forms of theoretical and empirical studies, which will lead in turn to a stronger general theory. Even a third of a century since its publication, the book continues to serve that purpose well. From popular books like David Quammen's Song of the Dodo to arguments in the professional literature, The Theory of Island Biogeography remains at the center of discussions about the geographic distribution of species. In a new preface, Edward O. Wilson reviews the origins and consequences of this classic book.
Customer Reviews:
dated, but excellent for seeing where the field began.......2003-08-26
This is a wonderful book that spawned a new sub-field in ecology as well as providing a major theoretical approach to conservation issues. Island biogeography provided us with a new way to view biodiversity as it related to space. A wonderful book.
Reprint of MacArthur's and Wilson's Seminal Ecological Tome.......2002-04-20
Originally published as part of the Princeton University Press' Monographs in Population Biology series, Robert MacArthur's and Edward O. Wilson's "Theory Of Island Biogeography" is regarded by many as the most influential tome in theoretical ecology published in the latter half of the 20th Century. Its importance is due to its success in predicting the causes and outcomes of variations in species diversity across a wide range of habitats, not only tropical islands. Furthermore it is the underlying theory behind current research in conservation biology. And it has played a magnificient role in analyzing fluctuations in taxonomic diversity from both marine and continental fossil records across the span of more than half a billion years of Earth history. MacArthur and Wilson conceived of a simple, yet conceptually fruitful equilibrium model of species diversity, recognizing that species diversity is often in a state of flux between varying rates of species immigration (or perhaps, speciation) and extinction. This then novel way at looking at species diversity combined MacArthur's sound mathematical reasoning with Wilson's excellent field biogeographic research (Yet those who are not mathematically inclined should not feel intimidated; their theoretical arguments are made through lucid, exquisite prose.). Without a doubt, their equilibrium theory of island biogeography is one of the finest achievements of 20th Century ecology.
The young lion revisited.......2000-07-31
Robert McArthur was on he knew was his last speaking trip across the country when I heard him in Boulder in the winter of 1974. He didn't talk about death; he talked about life and how it works. He wrote one short equation on the blackboard, then talked about it for an hour. No long after he was dead, but he was the real young lion, he changed ecology forever. His start was simple: look at avifauna in terms of foliage height diversity, but he did not stop there.
Wilson? He's brilliant in his own way, of course, but I'm betting his contribution to Island Biogeography was criticism and editing.
People have spent a lot of time attacking parts of this book, an equation here, an equation there. And if you don't like equations at all, skip them and go for the ideas. This was the seminal book, the start of the New Era, where complex ideas can be encapsulated in a brief expression, then turned around and it's implications tested. It will teach you how to think.
Book Description
Louisiana crawfish, cheatgrass, Russian thistle, Hottentot figs, rats, and sweet fennel. These and dozens of other seemingly benign flora and fauna have become some of the worst culprits in the destruction of ecosystems and native wildlife in the American Southwest and Baja California. Although widely publicized threats—such as pollution, land development, changes in the atmospheric condition, fire, and drought—are frequently credited with posing the greatest danger to indigenous animals and plants, invasive species are quickly becoming a far more insidious peril to the survival of native wildlife. A result of both accident and human intervention, the frequency with which exotic species are being introduced into nonnative environments is increasing at an alarming rate. In Unnatural Landscapes, Ceiridwen Terrill combines lucid science writing with first-person tales of adventure to provide a compelling introduction to invasion ecology and restoration management. Traveling aboard her trusty kyak, The Grebe, Terrill brings readers on a firsthand tour of various “islands” in the Southwest and Mexico—both actual islands and self-contained habitat communities. From the islands of Anaho, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa to Isla Tiburón in the Sea of Cortez, Mexicali irrigation canals, and Pyramid Lake, Terrill takes an in-depth look at the damage that invasive species cause. Drawing on field observations, research, and interviews with scientists, resource managers, and local residents, this book provides readers with the background and knowledge they need to understand and to begin combating what is quickly becoming the most important environmental crisis facing the fragile ecosystems of the Southwest.
Customer Reviews:
Her journeys read like a blend of scientific investigation and travelogue.......2007-06-09
Any collection strong in biological science - particularly college-level holdings - will want UNNATURAL LANDSCAPES: it blends science writing and research with first-person stories of adventure to provide a lively introduction to invasion ecology and restoration management, and uses the author's own kayak trips as a basis for considering invasive species in the Southwest and Mexico regions. Her journeys read like a blend of scientific investigation and travelogue and thus serve as a fitting introduction to habitat management issues.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent text and photos in this brief book.......2007-07-11
I agree with the previous reviewers: I carried this book to the Galapagos and found it a super companion. It isn't comprehensive -- and a few additional pages of IDs and photos might be desirable -- but it covers all of the essential natural-history topics: geology/volcanoes, history, fish, birds, mammals, turtles & iguanas, geography and so on -- and the photos and text are excellent. Indeed, the text is what sets it apart; there are short, interesting discussions of many of the features that are exceptional to the islands, so without any deep study you come away with some appreciation of what you have seen. Finally, in addition to the good chapters mentioned by other reviewers, there is an excellent chapter for planning your trip, which details what you will see where. It is amazing that so much good stuff was fit into this thin book. Take it with a more comprehensive treatment if you want the name of everything you see (or ask your guide).
Galapagos Wildlife, 2nd:A Visitor's Guide.......2007-03-27
Small enough to bring with me, but comprehensive enough to be helpful giving a good overview of the habitat and wildlife of the Galapagos. Pictures good as are descriptions of the islands and conservation.
Good to superficial guide, depending on your interests.......2002-12-05
Having visited the Galápagos and planning my return, I can say this introductory booklet (140 pages) is a reliable for people who want an overall idea of the ecology and want to identify some of the most prominent wildlife they are likely to encounter - it is easy to understand, has good information, decent photos of the main players and illustations of the commonest landing sites. For you, this booklet rates three stars for clarity, comprehension level and lightness in your backpack, but it fails next to Andy Swash and Rob Still's more comprehensive and better illustrated "Birds, Mammals and Reptiles of the Galápagos Island".
For those who want a more in depth knowledge of the Galápagos and their wildlife, or are traveling to some of the more remote sites or the northernmost islands: you will feel short-changed and wish you had purchased more comprehensive guide(s), so you can identify all the critters you will possibly observe and learn much more about their habitats and behaviors, climate and cvlimate zones, etc. For those travelers (birders, nature buffs, divers, etc.), this booklet rates a generous three stars for its relatively topical treatments.
Choose your guidebooks according to your interests and skills. And go there, walk softly and leave nothing. Visiting should have as little impact as possible, and in my opinion when done properly does help protect these wonderful islands of biological diversity from rampant pirate fishing, oil spills and short-sighted political stewardship. Our "tangibilitized" interest is the only one the Ecuadorian government- at least up until now- has responded to.
Galapagos Wildlife.......2001-12-06
I just came back from the Galapagos and found David Horwell's book indispensable. It is a very readable and concise introduction to the flora and fauna of the Galapagos islands. Beautiful photographs. Very informative. Easy to carry around and refer to. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in the Galapagos islands.
Travel size Galapagos.......2000-01-18
This relatively small book on the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands is packed with information and pictures. The author has gone to a great deal of trouble to condense a vast amount of data into a handbook for the traveller, without sacrificing essential information, clarity or accuracy. Not only does it cover the wildlife that the visitor is most likely to encounter, it also gives a succinct history of the islands. Working in the Galapagos Travel Industry, and having considered many similar books for pre-trip briefing and ready reference while in the islands, this is the book I would recommend.
Average customer rating:
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Island Biogeography: Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
Robert J. Whittaker , and
Jose Maria Fernandez-Palacios
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0198566123 |
Book Description
Island biogeography is the study of the distribution and dynamics of species in island environments. Due to their isolation from more widespread continental species, islands are ideal places for unique species to evolve, but they are also places of concentrated extinction. Not surprisingly, they are widely studied by ecologists, conservationists and evolutionary biologists alike. There is no other recent textbook devoted solely to island biogeography, and a synthesis of the many recent advances is now overdue. This second edition builds on the success and reputation of the first, documenting the recent advances in this exciting field and explaining how islands have been used as natural laboratories in developing and testing ecological and evolutionary theories. In addition, the book describes the main processes of island formation, development and eventual demise, and explains the relevance of island environmental history to island biogeography. The authors demonstrate the huge significance of islands as hotspots of biodiversity, and as places from which disproportionate numbers of species have been extinguished by human action in historical time. Many island species are today threatened with extinction, and this work examines both the chief threats to their persistence and some of the mitigation measures that can be put in play with conservation strategies tailored to islands.
Book Description
Lavishly illustrated in color, with typical nature scenes of the Caribbean and color photographs, this book provides the reader with an identification guide to the flora, fauna and sea life of the islands. Its vivid descriptions of local flowers, trees, desert landscapes, rain forests, undersea gardens and common island fauna reflect Barlow's love of nature.
Customer Reviews:
Nature's Passport to the East Caribbean.......2005-05-02
I've been meaning to review this book for some time now. I've been travelling to the Eastern Caribbean for over twenty years; for the past few, it's been yearly. This book is one of the essentials for my journeys, like sun lotion and a passport. I swore at myself last year when I forgot it.
I travel for the sun and heat, of course, but rather than see the sites and take part in all the activities, I am happy just to be in the place, to see the islands, the people and their environment. Virginia Barlow's sweet book helps me ground myself every time I return. It's small and easy to carry and is one of the first books I turn to when I arrive.
Not Just a Field Guide, Surprisingly Interesting Reading.......2005-01-19
This short (150 page)book gives the reader an excellent introduction to the animal, plant and bird life of eight different types of habitats found on the islands of the Eastern Caribbean. The photos and illustrations are very good, but the text is what surprised me the most. Rather than simply providing a dry list of data points usually found in field guide species accounts, just about every species description is remarkably fascinating reading. The book's extensive bibliography shows that the naturalist author drew from a wide range of primary scientific sources to weave together uniquely interesting information regarding the inter-relationships of organisms in these neo-tropical environments. Most readers will welcome these brief but intriguing natural history accounts, and will be pleased that the author selected to describe only the most abundantly observed species. Personally, my only regret was that the book wasn't considerably longer. I have tried hard to find other, more in-depth, guides to the natural history of this region, but there simply don't seem to be any. To learn more about the region, one would have to research primary scientific sources, as this author has (thankfully) done for us, and beautifully synthesized her findings.
Just the type of book I was looking for for an easy summary.......1999-02-17
I wasn't looking to study a huge encyclopedia type book, but I did want to know more about the plants I encounter on St. Thomas. This book was the perfect introduction providing not only visual references, but also practical information on where certain species are likely to be found, i.e. road sides, beaches, etc. Now that I have read through it, I find the need for a more thorough book, however this was the perfect start - just what I was hoping for.
Amazon.com
In this work of scientific journalism, Osha Gray Davidson surveys the condition of the world's great coral-reef systems, which offer habitat to countless diverse species of marine life. Many of those systems are now threatened by development--some, ironically, by the construction of resorts for the ecotourism market. Others have been destroyed by the fishing industry's use of dynamite and cyanide to bring in catches. Some 10 percent of the world's reefs, we learn in Davidson's pages, are already damaged beyond recovery, and another 30 percent are in grave danger of joining them. Combining firsthand travel narrative with abundant documentary research, Davidson makes a good case for the importance of conserving the reefs that remain. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
"There is a word for what Darwin and the rest of us have felt when in the presence of the reef: 'awe.' Confronted with the reef, awe is the most appropriate response. It is probably in our nature. It is also, apparently, in our nature to destroy that which we hold in awe." âfrom The Enchanted Braid
Of the myriad ecosystems populating the underwater world, coral reefs are by far the most complex. While their stunning beauty has been extolled for centuries, the intricate workings of reef environments remained largely hidden from view. In fact, until the advent of scuba diving just fifty years ago, corals have been among the last natural histories to be extensively explored. The high passion with which scientists have greeted this particular investigation âbeginning with the foundational theories of Charles Darwin in 1842âis perhaps unprecedented, but hardly difficult to understand. A phenomenon of both awesome beauty and vital importance, the coral reef is home to the most diverse range of species of any environment on the planet, including fish, shrimps, worms, snails, crabs, sea cucumbers, sea stars, urchins, anemones, and sea squirts.
The crux of reef life, scientists have discovered, lies in nature's most intimate example of symbiosis: the mutually beneficial relationship between the coral polyp and its "tenant," the zooxanthellate algae. Davidson's history begins with this deceptively diminutive hybrid, the engine behind the construction of the limestone-based coral structure. Together, the three elements comprise a unique zoophytalite (animal-plant-mineral) form, or an "enchanted braid."
Aided by an eight-page, full-color photographic insert demonstrating the incredible intricacies of the reef and its unique inhabitants, The Enchanted Braid identifies the approximately 240,000 square miles of coral reef on the planet today as indispensable not only to the livelihood of the oceans but also to humans. The reef is, after all, the "soul of the sea," the spawning ground for tens of thousands of marine species. As sources of food (many islands rely on reefs for all their protein), medicine (corals are used in bone grafts and to fight cancer and leukemia), and detailed insight into the history of climatic conditions, coral reefs are critically important to human life on Earth. However, in a world of oil tanker disasters, global warming, and dwindling natural resources, they are also in grave danger of extinction.
Osha Gray Davidson's urgent clarion call to halt today's man-made degradation of coral reefs is both alarming and persuasive, effectively underscored by the rich historical context of passages from Darwin's captivating diary of his seminal work on reefs 150 years ago. Like the coral reef, The Enchanted Braid is itself a rare hybrid, a graceful combination of aesthetic appreciation, scientific inquiry, and environmental manifesto.
Customer Reviews:
Great book for a layman!.......2006-09-23
Although I've been an avid scuba diver for twenty years, I've never really studied the scientific aspects of the coral reefs that I dive on. I hoped that this book would be a good introduction to coral reefs without getting too bogged down in textbook-level details, and it was all that I hoped for and more. The author, Osha Gray Davidson, knows his subject, and he knows how to write. Even though I have dived many coral reefs, I learned a lot of fascinating details about how coral reefs are built, how they reproduce, and how they are sustained. There are also many fascinating tidbits about the behaviors of reef fish and reef invertebrates.
The first half of The Enchanted Braid is about coral reefs and how they work. The second half is about the current state of coral reefs and the many threats to their continued existence. It gets pretty gloomy, reading about the worldwide decline of reefs and how much humans have contributed to this decline. There are some hopeful notes, but overall it's pretty depressing, which is probably the message that we need to hear if anything is to be done to preserve these magnificent creations.
A superb book for anyone who has an interest in coral reefs or oceanology but doesn't want to wade through a college textbook.
Every marine life and coral lover should read this book.......2006-08-15
I rarely read nonfiction in bed because I fall asleep too quickly. Not so with this book. Davidson's writing is compulsively compelling. Though the book details the disturbing trends affecting the health of coral reefs worldwide, it also offers hope by describing in vivid and accessible detail how corals have survived for millenia. Though they haven't survived rapidly warming surface temperatures like we're seeing today.
Davidson describes coral reefs as "the soul of the sea" and aptly describes their biology and importance to the ocean and to humankind. The book is simultaneously a travel narrative, scientific and environmental treatise, and philosophical look at why we need to take better care of coral reefs and other precious ecosystems. Though the messages in the book are clear that coral reefs are in trouble, Davidson's writing is not filled with gloom and doom and somber predictions of a coral-less ocean. By putting coral reefs in the context of survival, he inspires hope for their future. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!
Excellent read.......2002-11-27
Even if you have no prior knowledge about reefs, this book explains and makes sense of the entire reef ecosystem. I would highly reccommend it, especially for teenagers with an interest in coral reefs and thier preservation, to spark thier interest in environmental issues.
Great book! Educational and engaging........1999-11-11
I have read hundreds of articles and books about coral reefs, "The Enchanted Braid" offers one of the best introductions you could ask for into the world of coral reefs. The book features both biological and historical descriptions of coral reefs as well as reporting on what is happening today to coral reefs around the world. It is clear, well written and easy for us "non-scientists" to understand. SCUBA divers, snorkelers and anyone else who loves the ocean should read this book.
A great book for the sport diver and reef lover........1998-07-21
A book well written and researched for the layman. The Enchanted Braid describes the addiction to the sea that many sport diving enthusiast experience. It provides a global perspective of the mysterious plight of our coral reefs. I read the book while in Bali, Indonesia. The well travelled author's feelings about the plight of the reefs is true to form from my perspective. The message is one we all should read and heed.
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- Library Lion
- Living With Blind Dogs: A Resource Book and Training Guide for the Owners of Blind and Low-Vision Dogs, Second Edition
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- Magic Tree House Boxed Set 1, Books 1-4: Dinosaurs Before Dark, The Knight at Dawn, Mummies in the Morning, and Pirates Past Noon
- Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog
- Million Dollar Dilemma: Love Me, Love My Dog #1 (Life, Faith & Getting It Right #6) (Steeple Hill Cafe)
- My Smart Puppy: Fun, Effective, and Easy Puppy Training (Book & 60min DVD)
- My Smart Puppy: Fun, Effective, and Easy Puppy Training (Book & 60min DVD)
- Old Dog, New Tricks: Understanding and Retraining Older and Rescued Dogs
- Origami Zoo: An Amazing Collection of Folded Paper Animals
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