The Hidden Universe: Adventures in Biodiversity

by Alexandre Antonelli

We don't know what we've got until it's gone...This brief, lucid book by the Director of Science at Royal Botanical Gardens takes you on an unforgettable tour of the natural world, showing how biodiversity - the rich variety of life in the world and in our own backyards - provides both the source and the salvation of our existence. Combining inspiration stories and the latest scientific research, Alex Antonelli reveals the wonders of biodiversity at a genetic, species and ecosystem level - what it is, how it works, and why it's the most important tool in our battle against climate change.A deeper understanding of biodiversity has never been more important, as the slow violence of habitat loss has put the fate of almost one-fifth of all species on Earth at risk of extinction in the coming decades. These building blocks of life form a network that underpins almost every aspect of our lives, providing invaluable sources of food, medicine, fibre, clothing, building material and more. With simplicity and clarity, The Hidden Universe shows you not only what's at stake, but what can be done (and is already being done) to protect and restore biodiversity around the world. It marks the arrival of a bold new voice in popular science.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Nature, Environment, Biology, Animals

276 pages, Hardcover

First published July 14, 2022

Reviews

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I found it interesting and learned a few things altough they way it was written wasn't quite my thing. But I think it's a good place to learn about this topic.

[Kaelan Ratcliffe ▪ كايِلان راتكِليف · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life In Peril

I gave three stars for this book; all three are for the excellent and profound information Alexandre Antonelli provides regarding biodiversity, species, genes, and evolution. These chapters encapsulate the sacredness and awe of nature and, frankly, how we are one with, and a part of, the living earth in a deep and profound way.

The two stars knocked off were for a simple reason. If this book were released between 1980-1999, I might forgive the last segments direction, as well as the authors call to action regarding fixing climate change and biodiversity loss. However, the substantial, micro-individualised, extensive laundry list of "how you should be fixing this" provided by Alexandre, which trojan horses a highly damaging crypto-consumer based mentality ("switch off your lights more and don't accept free gifts from companies!") to tackle the destruction of the planet, rings utterly hollow now in 2023. There is zero excuse to ignore the elephant in the room now regarding what is clearly driving species extinction, agriculture expansion, and biodiversity annihilation; capitalism - and, by extension - the profit motive.

It's beyond baffling to me when people in the scientific community do this. Of all professions equipped to observe how systems function, and how these systems influence the behaviour of individuals/organisms within them, those like Alexandre should be able to conclude quite rapidly (and impartially as any scientist should), that a system which requires constant expansion and an ever growing need for further profit, will lead to the damage being done on ecosystems that we're seeing now. And yet - and I don't include all scientists in this of course - there seems to be a switch that flicks off in certain heads when it comes to putting two and two together. This book is a perfect case study of how deep our marriage is to our societies conditioning. People have been critiquing this issue for decades, and it's even become more mainstream to highlight the connection between ecocide and capital accumilation. Yet, here we are again, watching someone this qualified and intelligent dance around the - and I'm going there - parade of elephants in the palace; it boggles the mind.

I could write an essay on this, but please don't shoulder the responsibility for this on yourselves. Yes, we should collectively be trying to reduce individual over-consumption. Nothing of what is written in the book is necessarily wrong. But what is omitted is unacceptable. We need systemic change that remodels what incentivses individuals within the system they're operating in. A section on democratising our workplaces, direct action against environmental destruction (among other things), and educating readers on how systemic change is needed was what was required in the finale of this book. As stated above, there's no excuses left, and at this stage it's willfully ignorant to continue to push narratives about how we need to make micro-consumer changes to our lifestyles whilst completely ignoring the out-of-control free-market lunacy that's taking place around the globe.

Alternative reads:

Against Doom: A Climate Insurgency Manual - by Jeremy Brecher
Endgame vol.1: The Problem of Civilisation - Derrick Jensen
A People's History of Civilization - John Zerzan
The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming - David Wallace-Wells

[Dervla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, purely because the author is Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens. However there were quite a few problems with this book. It was littered with boring personal anecdotes, tedious and unnecessary laudations of the author’s colleagues and notable scientists (has he heard about footnotes?) that took the place of meaningful commentary and were a hindrance to the flow of this popular science book. And in places, he comes across as boastful and bragging about the ‘fantastic, amazing’ things he has done ‘which brought national and international praise’ lol (is this book then aimed at current or potential donors?).

In addition, having read a number of popular science books aimed at the average non-scientific reader, this one brought nothing new. The facts he assembles are well known and familiar to anyone who regularly reads the Guardian. I was excited to get to the last section, about what we can do to solve the biodiversity crisis, loss of ecosystems and climate change, but again it was perfectly generic. If you have read nothing on this topic, about avoiding beef and long haul flights, buying second hand, you might find this book interesting. Otherwise, I would avoid it.

[Prince Mendax · Rating 4 out of 5]

tänkte först ge denna en femma pga viktigt ämne och att jag blivit en sån himla Antonelli-fangirl 😍 men, det får landa på en fyra. jag tänker att som med så många lite mer populärvetenskapliga böcker så blir det inte så djupgående som (nörd)jag vill ha det. och i och med att jag varit på föreläsning med Antonelli och går en kurs i biodiversitet så blir det liksom inte så mycket "nytt".
med det sagt: om en inte kan massa om biodiversitet och inte redan är förtjust i Antonelli så är det bara att dyka huvud först ner i den här boken och lära sig saker och sen bli imponerad över Alexandre Antonellis yrkesliv. SÅ SPÄNNANDE MED EKOSYSTEM JU! + att Antonelli ger hopp och tips om vad en kan göra för att bidra till bevarandet av biodiversiteten <3

[Mehtap exotiquetv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biodiversität wird in diesem Buch groß geschrieben.

[Honey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty decent introductory book to biodiversity with chapters that progress well and are easy to follow. The author gives credit to recent scientific work (a lot of name dropping which in this case isn’t bad) without making the book too dense - which is ideal to make the subject accessible. There are a number of tips on sustainable living which takes a lot of effort to work (especially for omnivores) but it hammers on how lifestyle choices really aid biodiversity.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really nice book! The author is a renowned biologist whom I admire. He lays out the definitions of biodiversity, threats to biodiversity, and solutions / actions we can take. I especially enjoyed the section on different ways of defining biodiversity; for example, should we conserve the bundle of genes that comprise a tiger? Or any creature that can fill the tiger niche? Etc.

Also, the art and “feel” of the book was lovely- beautiful drawings and nice cover / page weight.

I wouldn’t have minded a stronger condemnation of the capitalist ethos of development, in addition to what he wrote about how each of us can change our habits. It sort of reminded me of how the oil and gas companies invented the idea of a carbon footprint, in part to distract from large systemic problems.

I loved his examples and asides. Anyway, I recommend it!

[Sue Chant · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book, uplifting, disturbing, and finally ambitious in its desriptions of the intricate and beautiful biodiversity of life and ecosystems on this planet, the horrors currently being inflicted by rampant human greed and exploitation, and the global and local steps that can be taken to mitigate and remediate the damage to give us all a hopeful future. With a detailed glossary and links to many scientific papers it gives a good overview of the problems and potential solutions to the current climate crisis. Highly recommended.

[Zac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good overview on biodiversity, albeit a bit basic if you already have prior knowledge on the subject.

[Hilena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intressant men, i mitt tycke, för kort bok.

[Rachel Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

incredible!

[John Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic introduction to what biodiversity is, how our actions affect it, why we should care about it and what we can do to protect it.

I highly recommend this book for anyone that lives on earth!

[Julia Hogstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[J Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hidden Universe by Alexandre Antonelli is an accessible and well-organized look at biodiversity and its importance to the planet, and by extension our own survival.

This book blends Antonelli's life and career with the basics of biodiversity, and of earth science more broadly. In doing so, the reader learns a lot about how and why these things are important, as well as pick up some of his enthusiasm for the subject.

There is a nice prescriptive section at the end that is fairly extensive but also quite gentle. By gentle, I mean that although he emphasizes the dire importance and certainly mentions ideas that include the more difficult ones, he doesn't so much try to shame us. Rather he assumes that, now that we have the information, we will want to know, and act upon, the best ideas for correcting our destructive path.

There is an excellent list at the back of the book for further reading, broken down by topics that were discussed in each chapter. So if you are reading chapter four and the topic of functional diversity sounds particularly interesting, there will be reading suggestions for you.

Highly recommended for those who want to better understand both what is happening and what we can do about it.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Ana W · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best science communicators can communicate a lot of science in way that is both interesting and easy to understand. That’s exactly what Alexandre Antonelli has done in this wonderful book. He explores the vast variety of living things, why that diversity is important, and how humans are diminishing biodiversity. In the second half of the book he delves into what we can do to protect biodiversity both as a society and as individuals. I feel like this is in immensely important book because it so clearly lays out importance, problems, and solutions related to biodiversity. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest opinion.

[Ginni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a glowing review of this, and requested it from the public library. It is the author’s first ‘popular science’ book; he is the Director of Science of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, and a botanist.
The book is divided into four parts; I found the first part, entitled ‘Biodiversity: more than meets the eye’ most informative. As a non-scientist myself, it was useful and interesting to have chapters entitled Species, Genes, Evolution, Functions, Ecosystems, with clear examples and explanations of biological terms such as ‘convergent evolution’ and ‘latitudinal diversity gradient.’ These terms are in bold type and are also explained in a glossary at the back of the book. The ‘further reading’ section for each chapter is also comprehensive, and there is a good index, as one should expect.
The second part, ‘The values of biodiversity’ is the shortest, but provides good arguments for those conversations with people who say ‘What does it matter if some plant in the jungle goes extinct’ or ‘What’s the point of slugs/wasps/moulds’.....
Part Three, ‘The threats to biodiversity’ is necessary reading but depressing and frightening, as it should be; Part Four, ‘Saving Biodiversity’ has two chapters, ‘Large Scale Solutions’ and ‘What Can We Do?’ The First demonstrates why we should all be aware of the problems, their possible solutions, and why we should be putting pressure on politicians, government, and organisations to put solutions into practice. The second contains practical steps that individuals can take, for example changing transport and dietary habits. These were familiar to me from membership of environmental groups, but still timely, as I can’t say I have adopted them all as whole-heartedly as I should.
All in all a worthwhile read, recommended to those concerned about the despoliation of our beautiful planet and its species. The author does not pull punches, and is often asked if he has optimism and hope. His reply ‘The truth is, things are looking really bad, and the prospects are dire....optimism and hope are quite irrelevant here. What really matters is action.’
As a footnote here, I should say that my public library copy is classified by the Dewey System at 333.95. Most people would not think of looking in the 300s (Social Sciences) or 330 (I think ‘Economics’ if I remember rightly), but would look in the 500s (Natural Sciences’. Oh Dewey, Dewey....you should not be a barrier to the search for information.

[Wendelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief but compelling and educational plea for biodiversity protection, from the Brazilian director of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew.
What are the types of biodiversity? In other words, if we were to build a Noah's ark of ecological preservation or a global seed bank, what criteria should we consider? The book tells us of the following.
The first criterion is species richness or the total amount of species present in a region being deliberated for protection.
The second criterion is the imperative to protect genetic diversity, or ensuring that we preserve enough strains or variations of the same species to make that species more robust and likely to survive in greater climactic variation or tolerable temperatures.
The third consideration is evolutionary or phylogenetic biodiversity. This refers to the distance between two species' length of branches in the evolutionary tree. This means that when weighing the import of two species, we should consider whether either one represents the sole survivor of a long and lonely lineage in the evolutionary tree.
The fourth consideration is functional diversity, or the total varieties of ecological functions that the species performs for its ecosystem. This means that keystone species that impact and determine the whole food web in their area should be designated priority for preservation.
The last consideration is ecosystem biodiversity.

The author also discusses the main threats for biodiversity deterioration. These include: habitat loss; species exploitation in the illegal trade of exotic animals for bushmeat, or miracle cures, or superstitious amulets, or pets; climate change; and pollution in the form of plastics or light pollution or noise pollution that disrupt their circadian rhythms or ways of life.

The author also offers some tangible ways we can protect biodiversity, such as: tackling climate change through international and large-scale agreements, building less roads that raze forests and fragment habitats and encourage human encroachment and roadkill, observing practical advice that involve local communities in reforestation, laws and agreements that ban the wildlife trade, and less meat consumption.

[AcademicEditor · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "The Hidden Universe: Adventures in Biodiversity," Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science at one of the world's largest botanical research institutions, offers an eye-opening journey through the often-overlooked wonders of the natural world.

The book begins with a vivid recounting of Antonelli's childhood in Brazil, where the rainforests sparked his fascination with nature. This personal touch sets the tone for a book that is as much about the author's connection to the environment as it is about the scientific facts of biodiversity. Through Antonelli's eyes, we see a world rich in variety, from the genetic level to the vast ecosystems that sustain life on Earth. His ability to make complex scientific concepts accessible is one of the book's greatest strengths.

One of the key messages in "The Hidden Universe" is the urgent need to protect biodiversity in the face of climate change, habitat loss, and other human-made threats. Antonelli doesn't shy away from the dire state of our planet, but he also offers hope. He argues that by understanding the interconnectedness of all life forms, we can better appreciate the importance of biodiversity and be motivated to take action.

The book is a call to arms, but it's also practical. Antonelli provides a list of actionable steps that individuals can take to contribute to the preservation of biodiversity. These range from making informed choices about the pets we keep to advocating for large-scale political change. The author's emphasis on both individual responsibility and collective action is a refreshing approach that makes the reader feel empowered rather than overwhelmed.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Puddles · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Hidden Universe: Adventures in Biodiversity, Alexandre Antonelli encourages us to look, not to the skies, but to the Earth and to marvel in the wonders of nature. As you might expect, this book covers the effect of global warming on biodiversity but also it looks at other factors such as habitat and use of certain chemicals. The end offers a concrete list of practical things an individual could do given their situation, of which some are quite nuanced. For example, he encourages people to really think about getting a pet, from their environmental impact as meat eaters as well as those pets, such as outdoor cats, that kill and harm other wildlife - something I personally would not have considered.

On the whole, this book is pretty informative, if a little short for my liking (!), but would be perfect for someone beginning their journey into the topic.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book was informative and if you’ve not read much science/nature/biology then it probably would be very insightful. Though I knew most of the information I was still enjoying the book. The last part got very preachy for me, it listed ways to cut your carbon footprint which is great but it didn’t offer much originality in doing so. I also found some of the suggestions to be fairly classist and possible only if you have a plethora of resources at your disposal. Not everyone has the option to eat a balanced vegan diet from only local sources. I also was incredibly put off by his suggestion that human should give up having pets. Sorry but this dog lover isn’t doing that anytime ever.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good except for the reccomendation in the last section that we all be vegan, and a few of the other suggestions made. I do not believe veganism is the solution to damage done by animal farming, I am more in support of changing what we animals we eat based on the availability of those, the impact and what their more natural populations can sustain. Eg I eat kangaroo as an Australian due to the regular culling of excess roos, as they were going to die either way and this way they do not go to waste.
Would still reccomend the book as I learnt a lot about biodiversity and why that is what we really need on the planet. Lots of trees yes but as many species of trees as possible.

[Charlotte Fay · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely splendid book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. As someone who in September will be starting a Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Degree it was a very useful resource and I believe should be provided to all secondary school children to read and perhaps study. If we are to make a difference then we need to be teaching these things from a young age. A beautiful book that I will indeed purchase in paperback when it comes out.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

As climate change and habitat destruction grow ever more dire, it’s important to identify the best ways to preserve biodiversity. This short but powerful book stresses an ecosystem approach over a species approach, given the interconnectedness of the natural world. It’s entertaining and easy to read—and offers strong warnings about the consequences of inaction.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Andreea · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a truly enjoyable and lightweight introduction into the subject of biodiversity and preservation. Even though I would have liked more in depth details on some of the affirmations made, I recognise the intent of the author to charm the reader into wanting to dig deeper by itself. The book was captivating and highly readable. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to feel a little more connected to our planet.

[Gabriel Eggers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really pretty basic and it diverges from the title pretty badly for the last third of the book which just talks about the environmental disaster we are, like a basic primer on the subject. I was expecting some really in depth and cool stories about biodiversity, which was pretty much absent from the book. I did learn some new terminology and some things about classification and other related topics

[Linn Lönn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gillar mycket sista delen där han skriver om hur man som privatperson kan gå till väga för att gynna den biologiska mångfalden.

Annars inte mycket nytt, men boken ger en riktigt bra bakgrund innan man djupdyker lite mer inom ämnet! Historia blandat med nutid.

Main takeaways:
Det är kris och nåt måste ske NU. Både företag och inom politik, men också en SJUK ändring i livsstil som behöver sprida ut sig. Särskilt ang mat.

[Johannes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jag strävar efter att bara ge 5* till "genuina mästerverk", eller böcker som verkligen sticker ut.

Denna bok är nästan där, trots att den inte alls är banbrytande. Det den däremot är, är oerhört viktig. Och välskriven. Och empatiskapande. De flesta ämnen täcks; från gener till stora ekosystem. Antonelli - som är Brasiliansk-svensk - är ganska tydlig i hur jävlig situationen är gällande den biologiska mångfalden. Läs, lär och agera. Framförallt köp den fysiska boken -

[Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a true gem. It gives an accessible introduction to biodiversity, combining clarity with practical insights that make the subject approachable and relevant. The writing is clear and refreshingly simple, yet never loses depth, and includes abundant vivid examples. The practical advice is tangible and manageable, making it easy to turn knowledge into action on how each of us can make a difference. It’s inspiring, informative, and empowering all at once.

[Elze · Rating 3 out of 5]

The topic is fantastic and author provides a good overview of the field: definition of bidiversity, its significance and most importantly - treats to biodiversity. It felt rather shallow in places, lacking a deeper description of the provided examples, as if just touching the surface of water - but perhaps it is too broad of a field to be discussed in such a small space?