Customer Reviews

Hope for Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued from the Brink

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been a fan of Jane Goodall for a long time. This book demonstrates how involved she is with conservation and her quest for knowledge regarding the various species of animals, plants, fish, and insects on our planet.

This text highlights just some of the animals that are or were:
- extinct in nature
- almost extinct in nature
- those making a comeback in nature
- those that were thought extinct (the Lazarus Syndrome) but have since been rediscovered
- etc., etc.

Some of the animals (and other rarities) you will become acquainted with are the Pere David's deer, Sumatran Rhino, some Asian Vultures, Panamanian Golden Frog, Crimson Spider Orchid (flower--picture only, no story), Coelacanth (fish), Lord Howe's Island phasmid (stick insect), the Tahina Palm (plant), etc., etc.

The latest conservation efforts are presented in short book report form for each of the many extinct or almost extinct animals, plants, fish, and insects. The only reason I rated the book four stars is because you feel you are reading individual book reports instead of an engaging flowing narrative. However, I am not sure this book could have been written any other way.

A website was mentioned as an extension to this book but no website address was given. As of today I could not find such a site during a Google search.

"Hope for Animals and their World..." is definitely an enducational read for someone interested in the natural world.

I read this book through the eyes of an elementary school teacher of the gifted.
This school year, because of the book, my students will not focus on endangered animals but will celebrate the lives of those animals "rescued from the brink".
I want to thank the authors for all the new knowledge that has allowed me to teach with understanding and has given me the tools necessary to awaken my children.

Hope for Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued from the Brink blends Jane Goodall's firsthand experiences with research from some of the world's foremost scientists, offering a survey of environmentalists' efforts to protect the habitats of species. A centerfold of color photos adds to a history of environmental efforts and threats to specific species as well as the animal kingdom as a whole.

Jane Goodall, the grande dame of conservation, offers a new book on extreme conservation. She and her co-authors gives us stories, lots of them, about a few people doing whatever it takes to save the rarest of the rare from extinction. Her stories are told conversationally, as though Goodall is just talking over tea or a meal. Co-author Thane Maynard occasionally chimes in, as though something Goodall mentions reminds him of a story from his personal experience.

The stories are simply presented, some are longer and more detailed than others. The book is organized clearly. Coverage is very broad. Hope for the Animals and Their World includes not just the charismatic megafauna and poster species (oh, they are here) but also frogs, fish, and even an insect.

The stories focus on the individuals whose dedication and hard work are saving species. The book really celebrates these individuals as much as each saved species. That's not to say this book doesn't bubble over with the joy of a true animal lover talking about animals. It does. But these stories are mostly about the people.

After Goodall et al tells these inspirational stories, she closes with details on how regular people can make a difference for rare animals. And readers are frequently urged to visit the Jane Goodall Institute's website for more stories of hope. I found that a tiny bit annoying but it's a minor quibble. The slightly uneven storytelling is another minor quibble. But it's basically a good book that delivers what it promises.

I greatly admire the work Jane Goodall has done and her efforts to bring many more people into the fight to save endangered wild life through her constant travel and her Roots and Shoots Program. The joy she finds in learning about and telling the stories of those around the world who have struggled against all odds to bring various species back from the brink is wonderful.

I thought the first half of the book was fascinating, but sad to say then I got bogged down and scanned through the rest. For some reason, it just didn't hold my interest. I am glad I read the first part though.

I purchased this audiobook after hearing about the author in one of my Anthropology classes. This book is definitely an eye-opener as to HOW involved one can be in nature and how "easy" it could be to reverse the effects of our "footprint"...if only we would try... It is a good read (listen) for all that are interested in the topic, conservation of our wildlife, and in Anthropology in general.

Jane Goodall has an incredibly positive writing style! Its very fun to read and inspiring!

I love the focus on hope in these success stories. Too often (because it can't be helped, really) books about endangered animals are depressing--but not with Jane Goodall. Her work is such a gift to all of us! On a related subject: please take a look at our book of whimsical "pourquoi poems" that aim to get kids wondering about endangered animals--Once Upon A Tiger. Once Upon A Tiger: New Beginnings for Endangered Animals My dream as a children's author is to write something that will inspire a child to grow up to be the next Jane Goodall!

I think it is a very nice book but she kind of droans on and on about each animal. I think it could be better.

Jane Goodall has done an excellent job in telling real stories of how animals threatened with extinction are instead being preserved for future generations. It is obvious that her bond with chimpanzees in Gombe has led her to go on further into the world to participate in the preservation of nature as a whole. She accurately tells how several biologists take part in preserving animals. One thing that startled me for one is how she speaks up for wolves; she disagrees with the mean image they have had in the past. She is also forthright about the fact that she could not cover all situations of animals preservation. In fact, as I read her book, I was reminded of the seven and a half years I lived in Florida and followed the events surrounding the preservation of the manatee, a sea mammal in peril. And when my granddaughter and I visited Sea World in Orlando, Florida, we came across the manatee exhibition aquarium and noticed a motto reading, "Extinction means forever. Endangered means we still have a chance." That is so true. And I was saddened to learn that this year, manatees died in the cold water brought on by the brutal winter we have had this year.
Jane Goodall also comments on the water pollution that has been done to the rivers, saying that the Potomac River was, as she bluntly worded it, "stinking." Reading this, I remembered how I, en route to Rome, Italy, by train in 1963, passed by the Tiber River, and found it fairly clean until it flowed past an industrial plant that spilled tons of white powder into it. From then on, it was thoroughly polluted all the way to the Mediterranean. At that time, no one was concerned with the environment, however, I hope that Italian authorities have done something to stop this insane pollution.
Jane Goodall's message to us, the readers, is: get involved with saving the enviroment by whatever means you can. It is important that we humans save our natural habitat and preserve animal life as well. And I again state that Jane Goodall is a great humanist and merits the Nobel Peace Prize.