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The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinction Paperback – April 14, 1997
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In The Song of the Dodo, we follow Quammen's keen intellect through the ideas, theories, and experiments of prominent naturalists of the last two centuries. We trail after him as he travels the world, tracking the subject of island biogeography, which encompasses nothing less than the study of the origin and extinction of all species. Why is this island idea so important? Because islands are where species most commonly go extinct -- and because, as Quammen points out, we live in an age when all of Earth's landscapes are being chopped into island-like fragments by human activity.
Through his eyes, we glimpse the nature of evolution and extinction, and in so doing come to understand the monumental diversity of our planet, and the importance of preserving its wild landscapes, animals, and plants. We also meet some fascinating human characters. By the book's end we are wiser, and more deeply concerned, but Quammen leaves us with a message of excitement and hope.
- Print length704 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateApril 14, 1997
- Dimensions6.13 x 1.76 x 9.25 inches
- ISBN-100684827123
- ISBN-13978-0684827124
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There is no real evidence available one way or the other. While Quammen claims to be neutral on the subject it soon became clear to me that he fell squarely into the second camp. I found many of his comments to be inappropriate and even a little offensive. Darwin was no saint, nor was he a devil and the same holds true for Wallace. They were just human and as such were subject to the same mistakes and failings that we all are. The other turning point in the book was the sudden switch from Island Biogeography to Social Science with a long segment on the cultural history of the Tasmanian Aborigines. While that was interesting in its own right, for me it was the subject for another book and not the one I was currently reading. In the latter half of the book I grew weary of the endless run of interview after interview on how various working biologist felt about the Equilibrium Theory or how the SLOSS Theory applied to their particular field of study. For me this book was a big disappointment. The final decision to buy or not to buy is, of course, yours. Any review is just the reviewers opinion so it a good idea to read several of them, both pro and con, then take the plunge (think of the famous feline alluded to in my review title). As for my recommendation? If, after you've done your home work, you're still undecided you may want to borrow the book from your local library. If you read it and don't like it, then nothing's lost but your time. If you do like it and want to add it to your collection then go for it (if I had followed my own advise I would have saved the price of this book).
I had no technical problems with this Kindle edition.
LastRanger
The used book I received had a musty ordor, so it ended up being disposed of afterwards, which is just what one gets sometimes when buying second hand.
It took me a long time to read this book not because it wasn't interesting, but because it covered a wide-range of related topics. It was as if several good books had been rolled into one.
The book focuses on biogeography. Quammen talks about the great people who've contributed to the field (beginning with Darwin and Wallace, of course,) and also talks about island extinctions (as they have been much more numerous than continental extinctions).
I found the stories about Darwin and Wallace fascinating. The chapters on rare, extinct, and (unfortunately) introduced species were the best part of the book for me. He also talks about recent studies and debates like SLOSS. Then Quammen ends the book with his own trip to Aru after years of carrying around a copy of Wallace's The Malay Archipelago.
My one criticism is in regards to the Kindle edition due to the page numbers and percentage. When I finished the book, it said I was only 60% done even though the chapters before the glossary end around page 600 out of 695. That's not 60% Kindle.
I recommend this book to anyone with interest in islands, habitat carrying capacity, and the history of natural sciences. It's a sober topic and an eye-opening read, but Quammen throws in some of his charm and wit as needed and expected.
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However, I found the book's structure to be erratic, which made it difficult for me to assimilate. The form of the writing dips and dives spontaneously between scientific explanation, biography, journal, and anecdote, feeling like there is a lack of overall direction.
Finally, as other reviewers have noted, this is an incredibly long book for the amount of digestible content. The research and investigation that has gone into the book is impressive, however I admit that I resorted to skim-reading when I found myself down many of the countless tangents and dead-end subjects, which became all to familiar.







