The Galapagos Islands: The Essential Handbook for Exploring, Enjoying and Understanding Darwin's Enchanted Islands [Paperback]

Marylee Stephenson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2000

A dedicated amateur naturalist presents an updated guide to visiting Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. Covers the plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, and underwater creatures; major islands and visitor sites; and travel tips, from planning a visit to what to bring. Illustrations are all new to this edition

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

When not traveling in the Galapagos Islands or dreaming of it, MARYLEE STEPHENSON has her own consulting business as a program evaluator and social policy researcher. She lives in Vancouver, B.C.

Product Details

• Paperback: 158 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books; 2nd edition (December 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089886688X
• ISBN-13: 978-0898866889
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #100,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > Travel > Latin America > South America > Ecuador & Galapagos Islands
  • #68 in Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Guidebooks

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More of a checklist than an explication, January 26, 2003

By 

Glen Engel Cox (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Galapagos Islands: The Essential Handbook for Exploring, Enjoying and Understanding Darwin's Enchanted Islands (Paperback)

The subtitle gives you an indication that this is not exactly a reading experience, but a guidebook during your actually sojourn. While it contains some useful pre-trip information, Stephenson concentrates on detailing the flora and fauna that are on each island, and their approximate locations, in a format that is almost like a checklist (or, for the birders out there, a lifelist). Stephenson is knowledgeable, and her information accurate as far as I can tell, but there's really no savoir faire here, and there's the rub. If I had only this to base my foreknowledge of the islands, I'm not so sure I'd be so excited about going. Luckily, there's other books that are better at capturing the uniqueness of the islands and their place in history and our world today.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful guide, March 20, 2010

By 

Paul Waugaman (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Galapagos Islands: The Essential Handbook for Exploring, Enjoying and Understanding Darwin's Enchanted Islands (Paperback)

The handbook is well-written, from the viewpoint of a conservationist. Lots of natural history and explaination of the ecology of these islands. A good resource for visitors.