The Rarest of the Rare: Vanishing Animals, Timeless Worlds

Diane Ackerman

Language: English

Publisher: Vintage

Published: Jul 13, 2011

Description:

The renowned author of A Natural History of the Senses takes readers in search of the "rarest of the rare, " species likely to disappear before most of us have ever seen them. From Brazil to the Pacific to Japan, Ackerman shares her concern at the animals' plight, rejoices at the chance to experience them, and cheers those who work to save these fantastic creatures.

From the Hardcover edition.

Amazon.com Review

Having written books on the natural history of the human senses and love, Ackerman turns her own exquisitely honed poetic sensibility to vanishing species. Although she travels to exotic locales such as the Amazon, the tropical Pacific, and remote Japanese islands, the powers of her craft are most evident in the chapter centering on Cornell, in Ithaca, New York, near her home. Many nature writers seem to seek out unusual terrains to find their voice. It is a tribute to Ackerman's craft -- and the extraordinary complexity of nature -- that she can turn a trip to the Entomology Department of a nearby university into a world as exotic as the Amazon. Highly Recommended.

From Publishers Weekly

For several years, Ackerman (A Natural History of the Senses) has traveled to remote places to see rare animals and threatened ecosystems. In each case, she observed animals in their natural habitat and worked with dedicated scientists in the field. Here, she focuses on three animals, two ecosystems and the migration of the monarch butterfly ("an endangered phenomenon"). Her account is a sparkling combination of natural history, travel and adventure. Ackerman visited the last refuge of monk seals on French Frigate Shoals in Hawaii and the final stronghold of short-tailed albatrosses on Torishima, a tiny volcanic island south of Tokyo. She joined a group of scientists who restore the golden lion tamarind to its native habitat in the Mata Atlantica region of Brazil. Ackerman then examines the ecosystems of the Amazon and Florida scrublands and ends this rewarding journey in the company of entomologists in Florida. Author tour.
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