false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173797901m/328976.jpg 328976 3 <div>One hundred and fifty years after the publication of <i>On the Origin of Species</i>, award-winning environmental reporter Alanna Mitchell set out to retrace the idea of evolution and grapple with the fact that a massive extinction of the planet's species was well under way. So began a three-year odyssey in which Mitchell picked up where Darwin left off, examining not just the origin but also the ultimate fate of our world. <br><br>Combining scientific curiosity with travel and adventure, <i>Dancing at the Dead Sea</i> takes the reader on an intimate tour through the world's environmental hotspots. Readers join Mitchell as she tracks the spectacular biodiversity of regions as extraordinary as the island of Madagascar, the rain forests of Suriname, the parched oases of Jordan, the Arctic desert of Banks Island, the volcanic crests of Iceland, and, ultimately, the Galapagos archipelago, where Darwin conducted his famous research. Along the way, Mitchell introduces us to the numerous scientists and conservationists who are working to protect these endangered places. She also chronicles the courageous efforts of everyday men and women in these regions as they try to convince governments to turn the world's hotspots into environmentally protected areas. <br><br>Ultimately, Mitchell's travels around the world compel her to ponder our shelf life as a species in the grand evolutionary scheme of the planet. She wonders what Darwin would make of the profound ecological destruction she witnesses. Is the human race suicidal? What can help our species avert extinction? Posing tough and cutting questions such as these, <i>Dancing at the Dead Sea</i> is a must-read for aficionados of good science writing and travel literature alike.<br><br><br></div> 319594 2004 Dancing at the Dead Sea: Tracking the World's Environmental Hotspots total:6|5:1|4:1|3:3|2:1| 6 20 10 3 3 0 false false Wed Aug 03 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Mon Jan 28 18:06:25 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 28 18:06:38 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Tue Sep 25 17:52:39 -0700 2007 Tue Sep 25 17:55:25 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Oct 02 09:56:29 -0700 2007 Sun Nov 18 12:38:23 -0800 2007 4 0 false false Sun Mar 08 01:22:46 -0800 2009 Sun Mar 08 01:22:46 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sun Mar 01 12:49:57 -0800 2009 Sun Mar 01 12:49:57 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Sep 09 09:51:57 -0700 2008 Wed Sep 10 03:07:32 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Sun Jul 27 04:19:26 -0700 2008 Sun Jul 27 04:19:26 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sat Jun 21 10:35:29 -0700 2008 Sat Jun 21 10:37:25 -0700 2008 2 0 false false Sat Mar 08 09:19:31 -0800 2008 Sat Mar 08 09:19:31 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Fri Jul 20 17:16:39 -0700 2007 Fri Jul 20 17:16:39 -0700 2007 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=328976