30-Second Ecology: 50 Key Concepts and Challenges, Each Explained in Half a Minute

by Mark Fellowes, Becky Thomas

Whether you're looking to save the planet or learn more about your local environment,  30-Second Ecology  introduces you to the diversity, behaviours and challenges within our ecosystem.

Part of the 30-Second series, this  introductory guide  to ecology is split into 7 chapters that Plus profiles of notable ecologists, such as Robert H. Macarthur, Rachel Carson and Wangari Maathai.

Each topic is  summarised in 300 words  with one image, helping you understand the subject at great speed. Written by professors and experts from around the world, this book shows us that humans are truly part of this global ecology, not a separate entity from it and our collective actions have far-reaching ramifications on the environment around us.  If you like this, you might also be interested in  30-Second Zoology  . . . 

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

Published September 29, 2020

Reviews

[Flaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can safely say that this book is the most accomplished introductory ecology book. The authors have done a perfect job of explaining different concepts simply and in an accessible way for all readers.

The book manages to cover the most important topics of the field and simultaneously shines light on the problems that require urgent intervention.

[Melinda Brasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was interesting.

I'm not sure I'm a huge fan of the organization. The "30-second treatments" generally took me longer than 30 seconds to read and absorb. The "3-minute studies" took me much less than 3 minutes. So it felt gimmicky. And though the authors did a good job of breaking down complex subjects into small parcels, I often found myself wanting more detail or examples. Maybe the book (and series) would have worked better as "3-Minute Ecology" instead of "30-Second Ecology."

That said, it was interesting subject matter, explained well, and I learned some things. It also piqued my interest about a few topics I want to explore more fully.

I would read other books in the 30-Second series

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

"Ecology links nature, people and planet in a single subject, seeking to understand the fundamentals of why nature works the way it does, and then taking thtlat understanding and applying it to pressing problems in conservation, habitat management, natural resource use and agriculture."

This book introduces main concepts in bite size chunks and covers a variety of sub topics of ecology. There are glossary sections, ecologist focuses providing a history of the people behind it all, and an index if you want to find something in particular.

Each section contains a 30-sec summary of the topic but along the sides, we also get shorter summaries, quotes, a quick biography and a 3-min summary if you want to go into more detail. The layout is easy to read and informative, giving you just the right amount of information.

It's an interesting book, not knowing much about ecology myself and it explains things well in a short amount of time. It's a bit of a slog to read cover to cover, but would make a good coffee table book to pick up for a quick bit of learning.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I figured this sort of book format is perfect for reading on smart phones, being pretty much crib notes on the topic that are very short and fit the small screen easily. Key concepts from the theoretical to applied aspects of ecology are covered, handy for folks who wish to get up to speed quickly. Introductions to major personalities are a particularly useful part of the book, providing succinct biographies for each person and what their key contributions are/were. There could have been better editing overall, with the glossary sections quite repetitive in defining the same terms. And the lack of notes is I suppose understandable with such guides, but frustrating nonetheless with certain statements that were not that convincing.

[Am Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this. I already knew many of the ecological concepts mentioned within, but it was still interesting to read about them again, and to learn about key people & timelines in the field. The format & presentation made the reading fun. But I found puzzling the page about "temperate forests & grasslands" though - the "3-second survey" seemed disconnected from the rest of the text because it suddenly started talking about "trophic levels", which should have belonged under the "energy flows" topic instead (that was covered much earlier in the book).

[Jennifer Claywood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book! It covers all the main concepts of Ecology in short segments which makes it easy to commit a few minutes here and there. In a world where most of our information is consumed digitally and in small chunks, this book fits right in.

I have a background in art, graphic design, and science, and this book blended all of those factors for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the artwork, the topic, and the typesetting. Absolutely gorgeous book.

[Adam Furman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's aight I guess.

[Dr. Tathagat Varma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of the most important ideas in ecology explained in simple terms with the most influential references. Great read for someone looking to scan the key ideas.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative. I do particularly like this quick, summative format, as learning about new fields of science can be daunting and books like this make information a lot more accessible.
Also, the collages were very aesthetically pleasing.