The Company We Keep: America's Endangered Species [Hardcover]

Douglas H. Chadwick (Author), Joel Sartore (Author), National Geographic Society (U. S.) (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1996

A richly photographed study of more than 650 American species and their threatened environments includes range maps, habitat descriptions, population counts, and current status for all endangered North American species and examines past and current conservation efforts. 35,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is one of the most powerful and controversial pieces of environmental legislation ever passed in the United States. In a brief text with more than 70 photographs, wildlife biologist Chadwick (The Fate of the Elephant, LJ 10/15/92) and wildlife photographer Sartore profile 17 species protected by the ESA, including the bald eagle, the green sea turtle, and the El Segundo blue butterfly. They also include a photographic essay about three threatened ecosystems?the Pacific Northwest, the desert Southwest, and Florida?stressing the need to consider ecosystems (including their human members) as a functioning whole. Writing in the popular, nontechnical style of National Geographic magazine, Chadwick examines the scientific, political, social, and ethical questions surrounding the ESA, offering a balanced and realistic discussion that is neither overly optimistic nor pessimistic. Sartore's photography is of the superior quality we have come to expect of that magazine. A highlight is the ten-page gatefold illustration that depicts the more than 950 species and subspecies classified as endangered in the United States today. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries.?Bruce D. Neville, Univ. of New Mexico Lib., Albuquerque
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Though the primary reason to add this book to your library is probably Joel Sartore's magnificent photos of many of the 950-plus endangered species in the U.S., the text by Douglas Chadwick is what will make it a useful reference. The introduction provides a capsule history of the loss of species as the country was settled and the subsequent rise of the conservation movement, culminating in the passing of the Endangered Species Act in 1973. A foldout chart documents every species listed under the act and gives the main reason for its decline. A section of photographs and text highlights a variety of species, both famous (California condor) and little known (vernal pool tadpole shrimp), and looks at three major ecosystems under siege, emphasizing the role of habitat protection. Three essays cover successes and failures of the recovery of endangered species, followed by a complete list of U.S. species included under the act. This volume will be useful for all ages and belongs in all libraries. Nancy Bent

Product Details

• Hardcover: 157 pages
• Publisher: Natl Geographic Society (November 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792233107
• ISBN-13: 978-0792233107
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,871,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)