The Flight of the Iguana: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature [Hardcover]

David Quammen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0385295928 | ISBN-13: 978-0385295925 | Publication Date: May 1, 1988 | Edition: First Edition

As he examines everything from species survival on islands to vegetarian piranhas, Quammen's funny and offbeat essays offer a unique glimpse of the natural world and, at the same time, clarify the larger biological issues and their effect on humankind.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Quammen's columns in Outdoor Magazine are famed as an entertaining source of offbeat information. In this collection, he casts sidelong glances at creationism and extinction, at giant earthworms and Canada geese. But he takes a direct view at the plight of Salvadoran refugees and at the Sanctuary Movement; he accompanied one group on a dramatic journey across the Sonoran desert. Quammen examines the special problems of species survival on islands (and tells us what is happening to the birds of Guam); he discusses the unusually small gene pool of cheetahs and how the Papago Indians survive in desert lands. There is a piece about visiting the Okefenokee Swamp, while the title essay is set in the Galapagos. Readers who enjoyed Natural Acts will find Quammen's new collection equally interesting.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Naturalist Quammen's essays, originally appearing as magazine columns, are here compiled into a lively book. His unusual way of seeing leads him into fascinating realms. How many of us have studied the face of a spider or spent an hour thinking about earthworms? Quammen has and shares his observations with us. His widely varied and thought-provoking essays range over humans and their interactions with ecology, including both desert and swamp. The only central focus of the book is Quammen's unified view of the world's natural life, which of course includes us. Recommended. Katharine Galloway Garstka, Intergraph Corp., Huntsville, Ala.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 302 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Press; First Edition edition (May 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385295928
• ISBN-13: 978-0385295925
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #437,927 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What is YOUR view of nature?, February 11, 2001

By 

Stephen A. Haines (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Flight of the Iguana: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature (Paperback)

David Quammen's Song of the Dodo led me in search of his other writings. The first reward of that quest was this book. A collection of essays from an illustrious writer with keen perception, Quammen casts his perceptive eye on a range of topics from arachnids to zoology. While an anthology lacks Song's comprehensive view, these articles are timeless. Quammen's writing evokes many levels of emotional and intellectual response.

The Introduction sets the tone: "A Mouse Is Miracle Enough". From this opening we tour the wonders of nature, with a couple of side trips to observe that strangest of animals, Homo sapiens. Quammen's gaze never ceases surveying the landscape in presenting us with things we didn't know or aspects of viewing we've not considered. While the very squeamish may balk at close examination of black widow spiders, spoon worms or scorpions, Quammen is adept at taking us gently to these confrontations. As he does, he asks us to reconsider our viewpoint of these and other creatures. We must learn to deal with "faces unlike ours" and shed prejudices even if shedding the fears is more difficult. Changing fear into respect is the first step in acknowledging our sharing this planet with other creatures and stepping back from the destructive role we've adopted.

Respect for life is the underlying theme of all Quammen's nature writings. His "sidelong view of nature" takes us along remote jungle and desert paths to watch and record life's activities. While we like to set ourselves apart from the rest of life, Quammen, with facile pressure, pulls us along with him to observe our cousins. And ourselves. Deserts, it seems, are a haven for more than scorpions and Beaded Lizards. Among the many nocturnal animals hiding from the desert sun is a bipedal hominid. In this instance, the animals are groups of refugees seeking sanctuary in a hostile environment. Quammen's account of Guatemalan refugees and their mentors, also intelligent chimpanzees risk much to support and succor them. It's not a pleasant story, nor one any American can read without remorse. Quammen has made a sharp turn here from his usual investigations of nature's secrets. Refugee running is every bit as much a secret as nature offers, but with what humans are pleased to call a "moral issue". Quammen relates how well we've addressed that issue.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, August 19, 2000

By A Customer

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This review is from: The Flight of the Iguana: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature (Paperback)

These personal essays are a delight to read. Quammen takes some serious scientific information and then filters it through his humorous perspective and draws some interesting conclusions. All the essays are short but they are provocative and well written. Gee, how come I never had a biology teacher like this!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love to re read this book when all my books are finished, October 24, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Flight of the Iguana (Paperback)

The Flight of the Iguana takes you from the absurdity of scorpions to the absurdity of creationism. One moment you are watching iguanas with Darwin and the next you are observing the austere history of the Mexican/American border in the heart of the Sonora Desert. Its a book that can be read several ways; from the standpoint of evolution or as human beings moving through history. It is not a weighty book, but it is marvelous and fascinating even to a veteran student of natural history like myself.