The SONG OF THE DODO: ISLAND BIOGEOGRAPHY IN AN AGE OF EXTINCTIONS
David Quammen
The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions
This is the only book on a syllabus that I devoured cover to cover
before the semester began. As a wildlife lover, I had expected a book about extinction to be terribly depressing, but instead I was met with fascinating accounts of history, evolution, world travel, and most surprisingly, humor. Quammen's illuminations about the Theory of Island Biogeography make this a truly important book in the field of conservation biology, but even if you are not into biology or science writing, I highly recommend that you read this book. The entertaining and graceful prose will grip you from the first page, and take you on an ancient journey through the nature of evolution and extinction using fantastic destinations, characters and creatures. You'll explore the reason why anyone should have a care in the world about the new environmentalist buzzword of the hour,
biodiversity, and how the Theory of Island Biogeography applies to your life and today's shrinking and increasingly isolated biological habitats. Inevitably, some discussions about the extinction of beauty brought me down, but this book does leave you with a message of hope for the future of wildlife and mankind.
