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Lost Worlds: Adventures in the Tropical Rainforest
Perhaps it is not possible to experience all the mysterious sounds, the unfamiliar smells, and the spectacular sights of a tropical rainforest without ever visiting one. But this exhilarating and honest book comes wondrously close to taking the reader on such a journey. Bruce M. Beehler, a widely traveled expert on birds and tropical ecology, recounts fascinating details from twelve field trips he has taken to the tropics over the past three decades. As a researcher, he brings to life the exotic rainforests and the people who inhabit them; as a conservationist, he makes a plea for better ways of managing rainforests—“a resource that the world cannot do without.”
Drawing on his experiences in Papua New Guinea, India, Madagascar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Panama, and the Ivory Coast, Beehler describes the surprises—both pleasant and unpleasant—of doing science and conservation in the field. He explains the role that rainforests play in the lives of indigenous peoples and the crucial importance of understanding local cultures, customs, and politics. The author concludes with simple but tough solutions for maintaining rainforest health, expressing fervent hope that his great-grandchildren and others may one day also hear the rainforest whisper its secrets.
Drawing on his experiences in Papua New Guinea, India, Madagascar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Panama, and the Ivory Coast, Beehler describes the surprises—both pleasant and unpleasant—of doing science and conservation in the field. He explains the role that rainforests play in the lives of indigenous peoples and the crucial importance of understanding local cultures, customs, and politics. The author concludes with simple but tough solutions for maintaining rainforest health, expressing fervent hope that his great-grandchildren and others may one day also hear the rainforest whisper its secrets.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published April 22, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 9, 2019
ok book about the rainforest, loved the story
May 17, 2010
Bruce M. Beehler is an ornithologist specializing in the birds of Papa New Guinea. Lost Worlds: Adventures in the Tropical Rainforest is a memoir of his career.
I keep hoping to find another science memoir like Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin and Beehler's book comes close but still doesn't hit the mark. There are a few moments in the book that I wish were the norm for it.
For example one early chapter ends with a side note about a poisonous bird who might be the key to understanding the toxin that makes the poison dart frog so deadly. The bird eats beetles that contain a toxin nearly identical to the frog toxin. The current theory is that the frogs and the beetles eat a mold and that mold is ultimately the source of these posions.
Mostly though the book is about the places he's been and his mishaps and misadventures while trying to do his field studies. These anecdotes are nice to give a feel for what it's like to start a career but by themselves don't make for a particularly interesting science memoir.
I keep hoping to find another science memoir like Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin and Beehler's book comes close but still doesn't hit the mark. There are a few moments in the book that I wish were the norm for it.
For example one early chapter ends with a side note about a poisonous bird who might be the key to understanding the toxin that makes the poison dart frog so deadly. The bird eats beetles that contain a toxin nearly identical to the frog toxin. The current theory is that the frogs and the beetles eat a mold and that mold is ultimately the source of these posions.
Mostly though the book is about the places he's been and his mishaps and misadventures while trying to do his field studies. These anecdotes are nice to give a feel for what it's like to start a career but by themselves don't make for a particularly interesting science memoir.
May 20, 2012
I really liked this collection of essays about tropical rainforests all over the world. Beehler seemed well qualified to write such a book, and his social commentary gave me lots to think about. For example, do well equipped western researches have the "right" to explore the jungles of poor countries who don't have the expertise to know what's there? Beehler discusses at length the importance of respecting local custom. I probably wouldn't have picked this book up on my own, but I'm glad my Bird Club Book Club read it.
July 4, 2012
Gets a little repetitive and preachy about conservation of rainforests. Author is an ornithologist, not a journalist, so considering that, the writing was pretty decent.
April 7, 2013
Good information on birding around the world.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews