Amazon.co.uk Review
Lying some 250 miles off the east coast of Africa, Madagascar is the world's fourth-largest island. It is quite unlike the neighbouring continent, and, for that matter, quite unlike any other landmass on the planet. Its plant life is almost wholly endemic: eight out of ten plants there grow naturally only on Madagascar, and it has an entire ecosystem, the spiny desert, that is found nowhere else on earth. Many of its animal species, too, seem to have emerged from some evolutionary track that runs parallel to the rest of the world's; here can be found lemurs that will fit into a human palm, dwarf hippos, giant chameleons, and other rarities.
These plants and animals constitute an extraordinary diversity, writes science journalist Peter Tyson in this engaging book, and the island's richness of life has long intrigued scientists, who have proposed several theories to explain it. Those scientists, some of whom Tyson profiles at work in the field, are racing against time to catalogue island life before it disappears, for Madagascar's human population is rapidly growing, and with it the island's forests and other habitats are falling. The urgency may abate, Tyson writes with guarded optimism, now that the island's current president has proposed that all of Madagascar be considered as a United Nations World Heritage Site, which would help provide funds to prevent further loss of habitat and diversity. Though this proposal is not without its controversial aspect, Tyson makes a good case for why it should be taken up--and he shows just how high the stakes are.
Throughout his narrative, Tyson mixes scientific reportage with a nicely rendered travelogue that guides readers across the island while outlining key concepts of island biography and conservation biology. His book makes for a worthy companion to David Quammen's Song of the Dodo, and valuable reading for anyone concerned with the world environment. --Gregory McNamee
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"Peter Tyson has delivered a travelogue of the first rank. It is about the true Lost World of this planet. Walk and ride with him through Madagascar, and you will be riveted on every page by a rich mix of natural and human history enlivened by personal anecdote. Madagascar matters!"-- Edward O. Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Ants and "Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge"Madagascar always seems somehow separate'so oddly beautiful, so completely strange. But Peter Tyson, in this remarkable book, bridges that distance. He eloquently makes real and familiar both the island and the island-dwellers, and he makes us realize how much we would all lose if they were not part of our far-flung extended family."-- Deborah Blum, Pulitzer-prize winning author of "The Monkey Wars and "Sex on the Brain"Whether meeting a leaf-tailed gecko eye to eye, searching for the extinct giant lemur, discussing the biogeography of animals, or describing conservation issues and local customs, Peter Tyson's narrative is a delight, the most informative, fascinating, and enjoyable book on the natural and cultural history of Madagascar I have read."-- George B. Schaller, Director for Science, Wildlife Conservation Society"This is indeed a lovely book. It is simultaneously authoritative and quirky. It teases the reader with surprises to discover and ideas to savor'whether the leaf-tailed gecko plastered to a tree trunk or the oratory of Malagasy poetry. In a country counted among the world's poorest, Tyson unveils riches."-- Alison Jolly, author of "Lucy's Legacy: Sex and Intelligence in Human Evolution"An anecdotally rich portrait of the biological wonderland known as Madagascar. . . . Tyson's sciencewriting shines; it is a testament to his fluency that he can impart an understanding of variance and dispersal, and even the isotasy responsible for continental drift, without missing a beat. . . . A fine portrait of Madagascar's singular culture and biodiversity, its great beauty and dire straits."-- "Kirkus Reviews"Suprisingly, there's not all that much in the current general literature about this incredible place. . . . Tyson goes a long way toward filling the gap. . . . [he is] roughing it in a very rough place, and weaving into the story [Madagascar's] curious natural history. . . . A thorough researcher, Tyson packes this book with solid information. . . . And he covers an amazing amount of terrain with a scholar's love of detail."--"The Chicago Tribune"This is an absolutely absorbing book. Peter Tyson takes us with him on a journey of discovery, describing Madagascar with a rare depth of understanding and a fine eye for detail. He offers adventure, natural history, geology, evolution, anthropology -- all with a sense of wonder that is most refreshing. There is humor, sadness, puzzlement, hope for the future. When you put the book down, you truly feel as if you have been there. But you will want to actually go, even if it is only to see for yourself a giraffe-necked weevil!" -- Jane Goodall"This often droll travel book has an old-fashioned appeal."--"Outside"Part field report, part travelogue, part ecological history, Tyson's book is an engrossing testament to one of the planet's most astonishing places."--"Discover"A sharp picture of an intriguing place."--"Scientific American"For readers who have not experienced Madagascar, THE EIGHTH CONTINENT will provide a quantum leap intheir understanding of Malagasy culture and the island's diverse landscape and wildlife."--"Wildlife Conservation"In this impressive volume, [Tyson] writes about what he learned on [his] visits, successfully conveying both the flavor of field research and the biological mysteries of the island nation."--"Publishers Weekly"This compendium of ecological information and personal anecdote illuminates a land that, even in the jet age, stands aside from the modern world."--"Booklist"A thorough researcher, Tyson packs this book with solid information....And he covers an amazing amount of terrain with a scholar's love of detail."--"Boston Globe
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