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24th out of 349 books
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382 voters
The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions
by
David Quammen (Goodreads Author)
David Quammen's book, The Song of the Dodo, is a brilliant, stirring work, breathtaking in its scope, far-reaching in its message -- a crucial book in precarious times, which radically alters the way in which we understand the natural world and our place in that world. It's also a book full of entertainment and wonders. In The Song of the Dodo, we follow Quammen's keen int...more
Paperback, 704 pages
Published
April 14th 1997
by Scribner
(first published April 12th 1997)
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This is the first book I've read by Quammen, an imminently talented journalist who perfectly balances the information and writing style of the book. He follows a chronological progression of island biogeography from Darwin through Jared Diamond (who became hugely famous shortly after the release of this book). Quammen's travelogues are excellent, combining a sympathetic, open perspective that is adventurous and engaged. Late in the book, Quammen describes a climb to the nest of a Mauritius kestr...more
After reading 'The Flight of the Iguana' by David Quammen, I had no qualms about undertaking another amazing journey, 'The Song of the Dodo' even though I had no clue at the time what island biogeography was, and only an elementary concept of extinction. This book could actually have had many titles that would have been equally mysterious to an environmental layman like me: 'The History of Biogeography and What That Actually Is' or 'Great Men With Controversial Theories of Biodiversity, and Othe...more
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Wildlife biologist and author Aldrin Mallari lent me a copy of this staggering book after knowing I had read "Wild Thoughts From Wild Places." I think I learned more about biogeography from reading this book than talking to a dozen biologists. The final image of the last Dodo on earth hunkering down in the jungle is haunting. Whenever I hear a Dutch ecologist try to lecture me about how Filipinos are ruining their environment, Quammen's descriptions of how the Dutch sailors clubbed and hunted to...more
One of my all-time favorite books (this was a re-read) by my favorite natural history author. Anyone who likes Stephen Jay Gould or Howard Zinn style writing will enjoy David Quammen. Not only is it beautifully written, it intertwines stories of the development of the theory of evolution with modern scientific research and travel, and serves as a call to arms to save the last great wild places.
A fantastic book whose only flaw is that it requires the reader to keep track of various storylines.
Let's get my only complaint out of the way. Quammen does a good job of making us feel like we are part of the investigation into island biogeography but he does so by mixing several storylines together. These are the participants, locations and the time they occur, as they occur in the first unit.
Wallace's 1856 trip from Singapore to Lambok
Quammen's recent trip to Lambok
Nicolo di Conti's trip to t...more
Let's get my only complaint out of the way. Quammen does a good job of making us feel like we are part of the investigation into island biogeography but he does so by mixing several storylines together. These are the participants, locations and the time they occur, as they occur in the first unit.
Wallace's 1856 trip from Singapore to Lambok
Quammen's recent trip to Lambok
Nicolo di Conti's trip to t...more
The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions
David Quammen
Schrodinger's Cat!
This book was not exactly what I was expecting. That's what I get for not doing my book/author research in the first place. Science writer and travel journalist David Quammen has written a rather long book on conservation biology. Using Island Biogeography as a jumping-off place, the author outlines its varied concepts like: archipelago speciation, equilibrium theory, land-bridge islands and the fo...more
David Quammen
Schrodinger's Cat!
This book was not exactly what I was expecting. That's what I get for not doing my book/author research in the first place. Science writer and travel journalist David Quammen has written a rather long book on conservation biology. Using Island Biogeography as a jumping-off place, the author outlines its varied concepts like: archipelago speciation, equilibrium theory, land-bridge islands and the fo...more
Disclaimer: I'm only about a third of the way through, I'll update this review as I go. So far:
This book is physically WEIGHTY. At first, I was pleased about this--if it's a good read give me more of it!--but as I went I grew more and more disappointed.
No, the length isn't really important, except that I feel a fine editor could have cut this into a 4-star book with ease. Quammen tells a compelling narrative of interesting, oft-overlooked biologists such as Alfred Wallace, whose story alone was...more
This book is physically WEIGHTY. At first, I was pleased about this--if it's a good read give me more of it!--but as I went I grew more and more disappointed.
No, the length isn't really important, except that I feel a fine editor could have cut this into a 4-star book with ease. Quammen tells a compelling narrative of interesting, oft-overlooked biologists such as Alfred Wallace, whose story alone was...more
Quammen's book is an exceptional read and I found his writing and organization very suitable to a layman like me. But the book does verge on being esoteric in that it attracts readers like me: people who are already interested in biodiversity and who already accept the premise of evolution. That's not to say that the book would not attract "open minded" readers looking for a fuller understanting of evolution and ecological concepts. Quammen presents very articulate arguments early in the text to...more
As someone who's a relative novice to the world of science writing beyond the few psychology articles I half-read as research for papers I wrote as an undergrad, I found this book to be a real eye opener to the complex world of biodiversity and ecological systems. Not only that, David Quammen is an engaging and gifted storyteller who could probably make a book about observing rainfall patterns sound compelling.
One thing that's always been fascinating to me about ecosystems are their complexity a...more
One thing that's always been fascinating to me about ecosystems are their complexity a...more
A great book about ecology and travel
This is unquestionably the finest book I've read that explains biogeography and population ecology in clear, concise English for the average intelligent person interested in the natural world who lacks a background in science. Quammen deserves highest praise for devoting much time to learn relevant science and then disseminating this knowledge to his readers. Much to my amazement, Quammen fully understands the implications of MacArthur's and Wilson's theory o...more
This is unquestionably the finest book I've read that explains biogeography and population ecology in clear, concise English for the average intelligent person interested in the natural world who lacks a background in science. Quammen deserves highest praise for devoting much time to learn relevant science and then disseminating this knowledge to his readers. Much to my amazement, Quammen fully understands the implications of MacArthur's and Wilson's theory o...more
This book is simultaneously interesting, depressing, and funny. It is interesting because it goes into great detail about island biogeography, which is the study of organisms and evolution as they occur on islands. As you may remember from Darwin's observations, evolution on islands often produces unique results. For example, islands evolve smaller animals with less genetic diversity that are at a much higher risk of extinction, and the number of animals is directly correlated to the size of the...more
If you don't know what "island biogeography" is, well, then I must admit that I didn't either before I read this book. But, I must say that it is a truly fascinating topic. In the simplest sense, island biogeography is the study of how different species of plants, animals, insects, etc. end up on some islands but not others. Why here but not there? Why there but not here? Topics such as speciation, competition, evolution, extinction, variation, etc., all play a role in this. And, it turns out th...more
"This one goes to 11." I would give this book 11 stars if I could.
This is THE book I recommend to people as an introduction to evolution, evolutionary biology, extinction, or anything related. I made my mother read this book. And she enjoyed it. David Quammen (whom I have been lucky enough to have drinks with...yes, I'm totally name-dropping here) is an absolutely amazing story teller who seamlessly weaves an engaging narrative of travel adventure, scientific research, and conservationism. Not...more
This is THE book I recommend to people as an introduction to evolution, evolutionary biology, extinction, or anything related. I made my mother read this book. And she enjoyed it. David Quammen (whom I have been lucky enough to have drinks with...yes, I'm totally name-dropping here) is an absolutely amazing story teller who seamlessly weaves an engaging narrative of travel adventure, scientific research, and conservationism. Not...more
I loved this book. I read it in a small village in northern Cambodia, while on a vulture research trip, and it infused the landscape and the work I was doing with new meaning - profound enough that when I finished working on that project, I went back to the US and got my master's degree in environmental science.
I'm writing this review seven years after originally reading the book, so some of the details have faded, but Quammen does an amazing job of presenting the science that revolutionized th...more
I'm writing this review seven years after originally reading the book, so some of the details have faded, but Quammen does an amazing job of presenting the science that revolutionized th...more
A big book, nicely constructed with plot threads appearing and vanishing and reappearing, and memorable characters: The boy naturalist Bedo with the incredible eyes. Alfred Russell Wallace, whose ship sinks, who lies on his back in the lifeboat and watches meteors, who arrives back in England after four years with all his dozens of specimens and cases of field notes lost, carrying only a tin box containing a handful of sketches and one diary, and four days later starts planning a trip to the And...more
This relatively non-scientific book is an excellent read for exposure to the subject of biodiversity and the contributions that the studies in island biogeography have made to the discussion of evolution and extinction. David Quammen's style is that of a travel writer, not of scientist, and many chapters are full of personal experiences during his travels; to some readers, however, the shifting and something of a disconnect between his personal antics and the science/research may be a distractio...more
This came highly recommended. And Island biogeography has been important in the development of ecological theory.
The first part of the book discusses Alfred Wallace; it's very well written and I enjoyed it. I began to part with the author when he spoke disparagingly about a simple first-order equation. He claimed he didn't need to understand it. I realized that he didn't. Things went downhill after that.
Two flaws. Quammen doesn't seem to grasp the significance of ecosystems. The fauna (and flora...more
The first part of the book discusses Alfred Wallace; it's very well written and I enjoyed it. I began to part with the author when he spoke disparagingly about a simple first-order equation. He claimed he didn't need to understand it. I realized that he didn't. Things went downhill after that.
Two flaws. Quammen doesn't seem to grasp the significance of ecosystems. The fauna (and flora...more
Great book. One of the best that I have read in a long time. It is full of difficult concepts that are written about and explained in easy to understand terms. It is about the theory of island biogeography and all the processes that determine the ecological communities that are found on islands. It talks about various evolutionary processes that shape speciation, extinction, the ecologists (including Darwin and Wallace) that shape the theories of island biogeography, examples of extinctions due...more
I have a liberal arts degree. My little sister is studying conservation biology. She gave me this book and it interested me so much that I want to go back to school and study science now.
Quammen is the best science writer out there. This is book is so good it should be taught along with textbooks in any ecology and evolution class.
I loved this book! David Quammen is a very funny writer and has a talent for making dry material juicy. On page 203: "Have you forgotten the ratites? Good. Now I invite you to forget also the geophilic carabids. In all honesty, the notion of a dirt-loving ground beetle seems blindingly redundant even to me." However, we should remember the name Darlington, who came to the conclusion that small places support fewer species than big places.
David Quammen begins with outlining the history of evoluti...more
David Quammen begins with outlining the history of evoluti...more
The stories that Quammen uses to illustrate the history of man's evolving relationships with our natural diversity are sometimes off-track and divergent from his main thread of considering modern-day evolution, adaptation and extinction of plants, animals and ecosystems.
Most of the time he does an admirable job of examining his own field work, and supporting his ideas and conclusions with his understanding of other biologists and environmentalists.
The book is a bit convoluted, so slows the readi...more
Most of the time he does an admirable job of examining his own field work, and supporting his ideas and conclusions with his understanding of other biologists and environmentalists.
The book is a bit convoluted, so slows the readi...more
Normally I wouldn’t read a science book this old (it was written in 1997), but as this one came highly recommended I ordered it from my local library, only to be daunted when I saw the size of it (over 600 pages) and the yellowing pages with dubious stains of biological origin on the pages. I took me 8 whole weeks to read – but I am very glad I did.
Quammen is a journalist with a delightful way with words and no fear of complex concepts despite his aversion to maths (particularly ‘outburst of sta...more
Quammen is a journalist with a delightful way with words and no fear of complex concepts despite his aversion to maths (particularly ‘outburst of sta...more
David Quammen is an excellent author. Having previously read Monster of God, about large predators facing extinction, I was very excited about this book. This is a long story, and Quammen takes you through a lot of territory, from narrative accounts of Darwin and other early evolutionary theorists, to discussions of contentious issues in biology and wildlife preserve design, to Indonesian tourist traps where you can see Komodo dragons, to eccentric biologists visiting remote areas to catalog spe...more
Looking back, this book played a large part in making me change my major from Biology to English in college. It was assigned as a side project with mini-quizzes in one of the most difficult and memorization-based classes I took, and reading it was a breath of fresh air every time I sat down with it. Funny thing, though, was that even though I loved it and enjoyed reading it so much, I never finished it.
That was 1999. Based on the multiple airline ticket stubs and receipts I had stuffed in the bo...more
That was 1999. Based on the multiple airline ticket stubs and receipts I had stuffed in the bo...more
‘The Song of the Dodo’ examines the effects of evolution on isolated island species. While quite a long book (624 densly worded pages), it is very well written and held my interest the entire time. Quammen mixes personal anecdotes of his travels to these remote islands with history and science to create a compelling narrative.
In addition to being entertaining, it’s informative as well. I hadn’t realized the role that islands played in the historical development of evolutionary theory or their r...more
In addition to being entertaining, it’s informative as well. I hadn’t realized the role that islands played in the historical development of evolutionary theory or their r...more
Overall this was a well written book revolving around biogeography, ecology, evolution and extinction (amongst a plethora of other things). Quammen makes it a bit of an ecology travel log of sorts, which sometimes adds but sometimes detracts from the overall goal of the book. Quammen does enjoy tangents and this can distract from the book and many times I found myself thinking that a passage should have been included in a different section or left out altogether. The lists of Latin names and tit...more
I have owned a copy of “The Song of the Dodo” for several years but at 625 pages, 178 chapters it seemed a bit daunting to dive into. There never seemed to be enough hours in the day. But after reading Quammen’s ”The Reluctant Mr. Darwin,” I felt it was time to give it a go. And go I did.
I think a good editor could have probably cut this tome down to 623 pages, which is my backhanded way of saying that "TSOTD" is a monumental book on natural history, well worth the time you need to invest into...more
I think a good editor could have probably cut this tome down to 623 pages, which is my backhanded way of saying that "TSOTD" is a monumental book on natural history, well worth the time you need to invest into...more
Errr... to be frank I haven't finished reading this book. It was my friend's, and he was moving away so he asked me to return the book to him. But I liked what I had read, although I'll still say Darwin's the one who first got natural selection in place. Would like to read this book again, since it's about biogeograpy -- one of the fields of biology that I like so much. And oh, Quammen visited Indonesia in his attempt to collect information for this book(since, well, he's writing about Wallace!)
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| Science and Natur...: February 2013: The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinction | 7 | 34 | Feb 08, 2013 07:57am |
David Quammen (born February 1948) is an award-winning science, nature and travel writer whose work has appeared in publications such as National Geographic, Outside, Harper's, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times Book Review; he has also written fiction. He wrote a column called "Natural Acts" for Outside magazine for fifteen years. Quammen lives in Bozeman, Montana.
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“The next day, William Lanney's much abused remains were carried in a coffin to the cemetery. The crowd of mourners was large. It included many of Lanney's shipmates, suggesting that the whaling profession in late-nineteenth-century Hobart was graced with a higher level of humanistic sensibility than the surgical profession.”
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