The Flight of the Iguana: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature

Quammen, David

ISBN 10: 0385295928 / ISBN 13: 9780385295925

Published by Delacorte Press, 1988

About this Item

Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc.

Seller Inventory # 00083160212

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Flight of the Iguana: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Publication Date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0385295928
• ISBN 13: 9780385295925
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

A naturalist/scientist introduces unusual creatures and their surprising habits, in a study that emphasizes the wealth of variety in the animal kingdom rather than the "freakishness" of the uncommon

Reviews

Quammen's columns in Outdoor Magazine are famed as an entertaining source of offbeat information. In this collection, he casts sidelong glances at creationism and extinction, at giant earthworms and Canada geese. But he takes a direct view at the plight of Salvadoran refugees and at the Sanctuary Movement; he accompanied one group on a dramatic journey across the Sonoran desert. Quammen examines the special problems of species survival on islands (and tells us what is happening to the birds of Guam); he discusses the unusually small gene pool of cheetahs and how the Papago Indians survive in desert lands. There is a piece about visiting the Okefenokee Swamp, while the title essay is set in the Galapagos. Readers who enjoyed Natural Acts will find Quammen's new collection equally interesting.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Naturalist Quammen's essays, originally appearing as magazine columns, are here compiled into a lively book. His unusual way of seeing leads him into fascinating realms. How many of us have studied the face of a spider or spent an hour thinking about earthworms? Quammen has and shares his observations with us. His widely varied and thought-provoking essays range over humans and their interactions with ecology, including both desert and swamp. The only central focus of the book is Quammen's unified view of the world's natural life, which of course includes us. Recommended. Katharine Galloway Garstka, Intergraph Corp., Huntsville, Ala.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.