The Rarest of the Rare: Vanishing Animals, Timeless Worlds [Hardcover]

Diane Ackerman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 3, 1995 | ISBN-10: 0679403469 | ISBN-13: 978-0679403463 | Edition: 1

The renowned author of A Natural History of the Senses takes readers in search of the "rarest of the rare, " species likely to disappear before most of us have ever seen them. From Brazil to the Pacific to Japan, Ackerman shares her concern at the animals' plight, rejoices at the chance to experience them, and cheers those who work to save these fantastic creatures.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Having written books on the natural history of the human senses and love, Ackerman turns her own exquisitely honed poetic sensibility to vanishing species. Although she travels to exotic locales such as the Amazon, the tropical Pacific, and remote Japanese islands, the powers of her craft are most evident in the chapter centering on Cornell, in Ithaca, New York, near her home. Many nature writers seem to seek out unusual terrains to find their voice. It is a tribute to Ackerman's craft -- and the extraordinary complexity of nature -- that she can turn a trip to the Entomology Department of a nearby university into a world as exotic as the Amazon. Highly Recommended.

From Publishers Weekly

For several years, Ackerman (A Natural History of the Senses) has traveled to remote places to see rare animals and threatened ecosystems. In each case, she observed animals in their natural habitat and worked with dedicated scientists in the field. Here, she focuses on three animals, two ecosystems and the migration of the monarch butterfly ("an endangered phenomenon"). Her account is a sparkling combination of natural history, travel and adventure. Ackerman visited the last refuge of monk seals on French Frigate Shoals in Hawaii and the final stronghold of short-tailed albatrosses on Torishima, a tiny volcanic island south of Tokyo. She joined a group of scientists who restore the golden lion tamarind to its native habitat in the Mata Atlantica region of Brazil. Ackerman then examines the ecosystems of the Amazon and Florida scrublands and ends this rewarding journey in the company of entomologists in Florida. Author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 1 edition (October 3, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679403469
• ISBN-13: 978-0679403463
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,991,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Diane Ackerman is the acclaimed author of "A Natural History of the Senses," the bestselling "The Zookeeper's Wife," "Dawn Light," and many other books. She lives in Ithaca, New York, and Palm Beach, Florida

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What We Stand to Lose, January 30, 2002

By 

Jena Ball "Jena Ball" (North Carolina, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Rarest of the Rare: Vanishing Animals, Timeless Worlds (Paperback)

Ackerman's gift is her ability to capture and convey her wonder, delight and fascination with the creatures that inhabit the Earth. She is equally at home with whales and crocodiles, finds cuddling baby penguins as entertaining as discussing bombardier beetles and thinks nothing of tackling stormy seas and the vertical slopes of volcanic islands to catch a glimpse of a rare sea bird.

In this, her latest attempt to help humans see and understand the "interlocking business of species," Ackerman introduces us to some of the world's most beleagured inhabitants. Meet the Hawaiian monk seal with its "bulbous head covered in silky fur, with black-buttonhook-shaped eyes, a snout on which springy nostrils open full like quotation marks, tiny tab shaped ears, a spray of cat's whiskers, and many doughy chins;" the golden tamarind monkey, with its "sunset-and-corn-silk coloring;" and the magical monarch butterfly, "gliding, flapping and hitching rides on thermals like any hawk or eagle."

Then there are the creatures of the Amazon river - armoured catfish, cashew piranhas, striated herons, sphinx moths, yellow-footed tortoises and bewhiskered dolphins. On the volcanic Japanese island of Torishima, we are introduced to the last of the short-tailed albatrosses and the young Japanese orinthologist who is trying to save them.

Whether she is bushwacking through rainforests, fighting seasickness or summoning the nerve to touch a shiny beetle, Ackerman is always fully and actively present for her reader. Reading one of her books is the next best thing to being in the field with her, and certainly a lot less strenuous. This book is a treat that shouldn't be missed.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars beautiful journey, July 7, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rarest of the Rare: Vanishing Animals, Timeless Worlds (Paperback)

Diane Ackerman takes us on a journey from continent to continent exploring the habitat of several rare animals, including the golden lion tamarind, short-tailed albatross, and monk seal. In every case, Ackerman doesn't just observe, she gets right up close, in some cases risking or sustaining injury. She catches crickets, tags seal pups, and presses bombardier beetles to see them spray a warning. (All this is done under the eyes of experts in the various fields.) Her descriptions of the habitats are, as usual, beautiful but real enough so that you are transported right into these remote locations with her. By simply describing the work of those who study and handle the animals, Ackerman reminds us how important it is to preserve what's left of their habitats, always worth emphasizing.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Collection of essays on endangered species, March 2, 2004

By 

Peggy Vincent "author and reader" (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rarest of the Rare: Vanishing Animals, Timeless Worlds (Hardcover)

I want Diane Ackerman's life. She gets to visit weird, remote, exotic locations, observe unusual flora and fauna, write about them - and earns enough money to go out and do it again.
In The Rarest of the Rare, she gathers together 6 essays previously published elsewhere; all deal with endangered species such as the golden lion tamarind, the monarchs, monk seals, and others. But she's not just a do-gooder naturalist: she's also a poet, a philosopher, and a heck of a good writer. Some of her musings, the questions she asks of herself, the parallels she makes, remind me of Annie Dillard's nature writing - her books such as Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.
It's a joy to share these things that I will never experience through the eyes of such a consummate scientist and writer and human being.
Also, for an entirely different approach to observing endangered species, see Daniel Glick's Monkey Dancing.