Items related to The Fate of the Elephant
Synopsis
Largest of all beasts that dwell on land, elephants can uproot trees or topple the huts of a village. They have the power to communicate in a language of subsonic frequencies, snorkel across the open sea between islands, care for their wounded and mourn their dead. Asian elephants were domesticated more than 4,000 years ago and, like their African cousins (whose numbers have been halved each decade since the 1970s), they face extinction through an over-whelming loss of habitat. In this book, Douglas Chadwick provides a comprehensive exploration of the natural history and modern fate of the world's elephants, centred around the theme that "we are discovering a creature greater in many ways - and more like us - than we had ever imagined it to be even as we are destroying it." The book blends field biology with personal observation. It looks behind the headlines, he covers the "ivory wars" in East Africa and elsewhere.
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Review
It's no longer news that animals are being driven to extinction at an astonishing rate, with some scientists now estimating that 1,000 species disappear each year. What is news is that the species are increasingly familiar to us: lions, grizzly bears, gorillas, whales, black terns--and elephants. In the 19th century, writes Douglas Chadwick in this superb journalistic study, Africa boasted more than 10 million of the giant pachyderms; there are fewer than half a million today, a situation mirrored in Asia. The slaughter is largely the result of the illegal ivory trade, conducted through such nations as Japan and Singapore, which ignore international conventions to keep the barbarous supply rolling. Sanctions on those nations are needed, says Chadwick--but so is much more. This sobering book offers an encyclopedic look at the life history of the African and Asian elephants, which, unless something is done now, may not be long for the world.
From the Back Cover
Praise for The Fate of the Elephant
"An absolutely brilliant book that shines through and through with [Chadwick's] love for these gentle giants ... will no doubt become a classic."
John Murray, Writing in the Bloomsbury Review
"One of the most instructive, liveliest, and the most moving books I've read in quite a while."
Gary Snyder
"Chadwick is trained as a wildlife biologist, and his impressive book is both a wondrous celebration of elephants and a warning about the future of these awesome creatures in the wild. Blending lively prose and sound science, Chadwick examines the facts and the informed speculation surrounding elephants: their complex social behavior, which includes mourning their dead and caring for their sick and elderly; their use of subsonic sounds to communicate over vast distances; and their ability in captivity to respond to more than 60 different human commands."
Audubon Magazine
"A thorough overview of elephant natural history and conservation that doubles as globe-hopping travel adventure. The great strength of Chadwick's book is its intensely personal tone. He sees, touches, hears and smells the elephants, in great -- and often quirky -- detail."
San Francisco Chronicle
"An exhaustive look at the status of the world's elephants. It takes us all over the world to meet people who track elephants, study them, kill them, work with them, fear them and live off their ivory."
Boston Globe
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The Fate of the Elephant
Seller: Blue Vase Books, Interlochen, MI, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: acceptable. The item is very worn but is perfectly usable. Signs of wear can include aesthetic issues such as scratches, dents, worn and creased covers, folded page corners and minor liquid stains. All pages and the cover are intact, but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include moderate to heavy amount of notes and highlighting, but the text is not obscured or unreadable. Page edges may have foxing age related spots and browning . May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials. Seller Inventory # BVV.014023103X.A
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The Fate of the Elephant
Seller: Anybook.com, Lincoln, United Kingdom
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Condition: Poor. This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside.This book has soft covers. In poor condition, suitable as a reading copy. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item,350grams, ISBN:9780140231038. Seller Inventory # 9553905
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The Fate of the Elephant
Seller: Books@Ruawai, Kaipara District, New Zealand
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Soft cover. Condition: Worn. Inscription inside, extensive page, age spots starting, front page is coming loose, creasing on cover. Seller Inventory # 075851
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