Chasing Kangaroos: A Continent, a Scientist, and a Search for the World's Most Extraordinary Creature

by Tim Flannery

In his most personal book yet, Tim Flannery, the internationally acclaimed author of The Weather Makers, draws on three decades of travel, research, and field work to craft a love letter to his native land and one of its most unique and beloved the kangaroo. Crisscrossing the continent, Flannery shows us how the destiny of this extraordinary creature is inseparable from the environment that created it. Along the way he uses encounters with ancient aboriginal cultures and eccentric fossil hunters, farmers and scientists, kangaroo advocates and kangaroo hunters, to explore how Australia’s deserts and rainforests have shaped human responses to the continent -- and how kangaroos have evolved to handle the resulting challenges. Ultimately, Chasing Kangaroos is a smart yet utterly readable synthesis of memoir, travel, natural history, and evolutionary science -- and further proof of Flannery’s “offhand interdisciplinary brilliance” (Entertainment Weekly).

Genres: Nonfiction, Australia, Animals, Science, Travel, Nature, History

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Tim Flannery is one of Australia's leading thinkers and writers.

An internationally acclaimed scientist, explorer and conservationist, he has published more than 130 peer-reviewed scientific papers and many books. His books include the landmark works The Future Eaters and The Weather Makers, which has been translated into more than 20 languages and in 2006 won the NSW Premiers Literary Prizes for Best Critical Writing and Book of the Year.

He received a Centenary of Federation Medal for his services to Australian science and in 2002 delivered the Australia Day address. In 2005 he was named Australian Humanist of the Year, and in 2007 honoured as Australian of the Year.

He spent a year teaching at Harvard, and is a founding member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, a director of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, and the National Geographic Society's representative in Australasia. He serves on the board of WWF International (London and Gland) and on the sustainability advisory councils of Siemens (Munich) and Tata Power (Mumbai).

In 2007 he co-founded and was appointed Chair of the Copenhagen Climate Council, a coalition of community, business, and political leaders who came together to confront climate change.

Tim Flannery is currently Professor of Science at Maquarie University, Sydney.

Reviews

[Jena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part Australian travelogue, part archaeological expedition, this is more of a tale about ancient kangaroos, rather than modern-day ones. I enjoyed reading about the outback, and the colorful characters who inhabit it, both human and animal. But this book jumped around in time and topic so often, that it was more confounding for me than enlightening. When I chose the book, I thought I was going to learn about kangaroos as they live in the wild today, and that wasn't the case. I'm glad I read it overall; it just wasn't what I expected.

[D.R. Oestreicher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chasing Kangaroos by Tim Flannery traces the history of Australia and the kangaroos from the beginning through the author's career as an archeologist, evolutionary biologist, and ecologist. This task is hindered by massive holes in the Australian archaeological record.

In the last 100 million year, approximately half the fossil record is missing. This prevents a complete story from being told, but there is lots of interesting information in the remaining 50 millions years.

Prior to the arrivals of Europeans the Aborigines and the kangaroos were both ideally adapted to the arid climate and both thrived. With the introduction of European technology and agricultural practices, both seem to be on the inexorable road to extinction.

While the topic of how different species adapt to the arid Australian environment is fascinating, the book seems more like a collection of articles than a consistent narrative, and at many points the technical vocabulary was overwhelming (as with age of diprotodontids above).

For more see: http://1book42day.blogspot.com/2015/0...

[Vivek KuRa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive summary of evolution of marupials in the antipods. Book is packed with information unknown to me about extant Kangaroos (their anatomy, gestation cycles, food habits etc) and extinct varieties as well.Also it talks about the early human migration to Australia as well ,which is a dear subject of mine. I always feel there is a connection between the native people of Australia and South India. To me, we look the same and their language and music touches my soul.

It is hard to place this book in one genre. It can be a travelogue, paleontology , Anthropology or can be a micro-history book. My only complaint is the way the book is written. The story telling is not coherent. The author goes in different tangents from the main path , but never comes back Also at times the information given about fossiles , places in Australia, the different species of kangaroos and marsupilas is way too much for a non scientist.

Nevertheless, an important book if you have interest in the faunas or early peoples of the Terra Australis.

[Brian Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mix of zoological science with personal adventure makes for wide appeal and an important message. Flannery's adventures, from teenage motorcycle tours to scientific digs in most corners of Australia, give a feel for the land and the man. Then his research expands the view, taking these landscapes back through time, to the inland seashores where early mammal fossils are commonly encrusted in whitish layers of crocodile dung. There's probably more information here than you can use on the anatomical details of kangaroo reproduction, digestion, and those fantastic feet, but then the human wonder kicks in, with quirky outback communities, marvelous landscapes, and Flannery's personal passion to protect his country's animal treasures for the future.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very enlightening look at interesting and little-known animals, a little-known continent, and the work of paleontologists studying mammals, the book is entertaining and presents some important hypotheses about the development of marsupial and placental mammals and the roles of climate change, humans, and continental drift in the creation of the Australian ecosystem. As in his book on climate change, "The Weather Makers," Dr. Flannery could have used the assistance of better editors, in this case to provide consistency in dates given.

[Christyne]

Did you know that female kangaroos can get pregnant and then hold off the pregnancy growth until a better time? All sorts of interesting facts about Kangaroos!

[Jacquelin Siegel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and informative book. Great fodder for increasing my knowledge of all things Down Under in preparation for an upcoming trip to Australia and New Zealand.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to categorize this book. It combines an extensive natural history of Australia's kangaroos (and other marsupials) with a memoir of the author's work in trying to piece together a picture of their evolution, and ends with a synopsis of the ecological changes that have occurred since the arrival of the European settlers and the devastating impact it has had on the biodiversity of this unique ecosystem. The end result is a bit of a hodgepodge, with interesting (and sometimes amusing) stories about the author's adventures as he explored his native country trying to find clues as to its evolutionary history mixed together with a summary of the resulting scientific understandings. While it does all somehow come together as a coherent work, it is likely to confuse readers that come to it with certain expectations. If you are looking for a travel memoir of Australia, you are likely to be somewhat disappointed with all the natural history details, while those looking to understand Australia's fauna are going to find the memoir bits distracting. Both parts are well done, and together they provide an interesting glimpse behind the curtains of the scientific community and we can see how the natural sciences go about doing their research and how we come to understand what we do about the history of our world and the life on it. The author is quite candid about the limitations of our knowledge and points out how little we really understand, pointing to areas where we simply don't have enough information to reach sound conclusions. An excellent book for anyone who finds Australia's unique fauna intersting or who wants an insight into how natural scientists do what they do.

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the kind of non-fiction that makes me feel smart because it isn't as easily read as your standard narrative nonfiction but still pretty accessible for the average layman reader. It did feel like at times Flannery was trying to write something to read like a standard narrative nonfiction however (as he even admits in the introduction) "the story I am about to tell makes some leaps" and though it chronologically followed his career from adventure-seeking teen to doctoral student and professor of biology the overarching narrative is not particularly strong and jumps around a bit. However, even without a strong narrative to propel me through I still read this quickly and enjoyed learning lots of really interesting things about kangaroos and all of their many kin within the animal kingdom. I had the opportunity to pet and feed some kangaroos and wallabies in a zoo when I visited the wonderful country of Australia back in '06. I wish I could remember now what species I saw, which I pet (aside from the very general "I got to pet a kangaroo and a koala", or perhaps had read this book before I went! Next time I visit, I will hopefully be more observant or at least better equipped in my photo taking abilities. Well, at least now I have a fresh stock of random marsupial trivia to unload on unsuspecting strangers at parties! Verdict: best for those with an interest in biology, or with a very particular interest in Australia and its wildlife.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part memoir, part travel book, part evolutionary biology discussion, and part disturbing tale of environmental destruction. Engagingly written. I learned a lot about Flannery's personal journey to become a scientist of some renown (this after a less than stellar performance in secondary school seemed to shut the door on a career in science). I also learned a lot about kangaroos. My favorite new fact about kangaroos is that many species rely on vermiculture. Many have round worms(each about the size of a hair pin)in their gut to digest food. They feed the worms vegetation, the worms digest the food and the 'roos live off the wastes of the worms. My second favorite tidbit about kangaroos is that Flannery believes, based on fossilized teeth, that Australia was once home to a large carnivorous kangaroo.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fabulous book. I listened to the audiobook version in my car traveling to and from work. Often I would have to sit in the car to listen to just a bit more when I had got to my destination. A fascinating balance of memoir and treatise on kangaroo evolutionary biology. Is that possible? You wouldn't think so. But Tim Flannery delivers it and more. He makes this a funny book, with his gentle sardonic wit. I loved Tim's tale and it's great to realise that our recent Australian of the Year took a circuitous path through uni. I learnt a lot about Australia and kangaroos on the way through, and Tim's environmental concerns shine through. My blog post:

http://astrongbeliefinwicker.blogspot...

[Sydney Bender · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chasing Kangaroos is a marvelous read for anyone curious about kangaroos. The book exposes readers to all the unique qualities of kangaroos and their relatives. Though I likely know now more than I will ever really need to regarding the Australian mascot, most details were fascinating and worthwhile. However, a few sections do delve to far for the average reader, and I got the impression I may get more out of the book after taking biology again. The book is not without some humor and my edition include pictures of different kangaroo species, as well as the author at paleontological digs. A great blend of history, kangaroos, evolution and life as a paleontologist, this book should be read by anyone interested in the weird, the astonishing, and the exquisite.

[Cadillacrazy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The guy who wrote this book really loves kangaroos. So much so that his life work involves digging up ancient kangaroo bones to prove that different ones existed. It's not just a book about digging up bones and sticking them in museums though... there are a lot of geological, historical and personal stories that are interspersed which make the book interesting. except for the part where he talks about all the species of extint 'roos, that part gets a bit slow, but beofre you know it you're right back on track. The book also has some Australian terms that I didn't know, so you might want to be near a Australian slang site to be able to translate as needed.

[Donna Jo Atwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tim Flannery is an Australian scientist who has written widely on ecology and on global warming. Now he has written about his life-long interest in the kangaroo.
From "The First Kangaroo" to modern Quokkas, wallabys, kangaroos and euros, Flannery examines how they live, where they live, how they die off, and the relationship they have with the native Australian and with the country itself.
The message of Too Late, Too Late hangs over this book. The surprising thing is that many of the disappearing species were around well into the 20th century.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who knew kangaroos were so cool and strange? Really quite a fascinating book. Unless you've got a mind for scientific names and Australian words sometimes you just need to go with the flow because there are a lot of both. And he jumps around (ha!) quite a bit but the stories and info are entertaining. You get a lot of Australian history as well. Want new factoids to impress people with? This is the book for you.

[Carol Wakefield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed bag. I enjoyed pictures of life in Australia, some biology of kangaroos, travels to remote locations. Found time lines confusing--author jumps around in time from youthful fossil hunts to later discoveries regarding said fossils. Jumps in location as well but the map is helpful. Some australianese confusing as well. Had to persevere To finish the the book. Mostly worthwhile endeavor.

[Damien Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learn a whole lot about kangaroos through the ages with some talk of effect that humans have had on the country and some occasionally funny stories thrown in as well. There was probably too much detail for my liking on the lineage of the kangaroo going back millions of years and the comings and goings (extinctions) of animals but I still enjoyed it and left with just a small sniff of hope. Not a feeling I'm that accustomed to when thinking about the environment these days.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting overview of the natural history and evolution of kangaroos. Some parts tell a very cohesive story, other sections drift a bit, probably as a result of the author's eclectic knowledge of Australia. One of the most enjoyable things about this book is getting a taste of Australia...really made me want to go there!

[Bookmarks Magazine]

Tim Flannery tackled climate change in The Weather Makers (***1/2 July/Aug 2006); here, he seeks to understand the complex kangaroo family. Engaging, exuberant, and witty, Chasing Kangaroos discusses geology, evolution, anthropology, and biology while remaining a work of popular science. In illustrating the kanga's complexity, Flannery examines different species

[J.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent look at one scientist's quest for the prehistoric ancestor to the modern kangaroo. Chock full of fascinating detail about this most extraordinary creature, this book takes you on a journey across Australia, both physically and chronologically, in search of the first marsupials. I found it a wonderful read and recommend it to anyone interested in biology, ecology, or Australia itself.

[Frederik Van de Perre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still not sure what the main story line was. He changes boring, pointless anecdotes on unsuccessful fossil hunts with wondrous stories about kangaroos and the natural history of Australia. Bear through the first half of the book and get astonished by Australia's wildlife!

[Ohyassi · Rating 2 out of 5]

So disappointing- too much about the author and his stupid motorcycle, not enough kangaroos!

[Timons Esaias · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had previously read three of Flannery's books, and greatly enjoyed them all: The Future Eaters (1994), Throwim Way Leg (1999), and The Eternal Frontier (2001). I came to him late, because I read the last one first, and I greatly enjoyed all three.

I then had no titles on my unread shelf from him, and then one of his books was heavily reviewed, and torched, in the science journals I see, and it convinced me not to buy any more.

Then I forgot why I hadn't read any Flannery for a while, and I picked up this one and Europe: The First 100 Million Years. This one was written before the questionable Gaia-endorsing volume, but Europe was written after. We'll see. His continental histories have been interesting.

I'm glad I read this, the pages turned easily, and I learned many interesting things. Still, this is a full step weaker than the three I'd read before, and this has to do with the subject matter: the kangaroos and related species of Australasia. This is a major field of research for Flannery, so he knows what there is to know; but he also knows that very little research has been done. One significant problem is that fossil deposits have not been found for great stretches of Australian history, and there has been very little digging in Tasmania and Indonesia and New Guinea. So there are huge gaps in the evidence. There are many mysteries remaining in the biology and history of the kangaroo's evolution, and the book keeps running into these dead ends. The result for the reader is a loss of narrative cohesion.

The book is structured largely as an "I took this trip or went on this dig and this is what I learned" book, but the trips are not given in temporal sequence. Instead, they're meant to flesh out the presentation of information on kangaroos. The bouncing around in time undermined cohesion, too. And finally, we have the mention of many, many species but we don't have a scorecard or photo reference to keep track of them. There is an evolutionary tree in the back, but it's not detailed enough to be a big help.

I do recommend the book. I'm docking it a star to indicate it isn't his very best, but this was engaging enough that it distracted me from the book I was supposed to be reading, so be warned.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting is Australia and Tim Flannery is the paleontologist who takes one all over the continent on various expeditions looking for all the members, past and present, of the kangaroo family that he can discover. I had no idea there were so many kangaroos(I thought there were two: kangaroo and wallaby). I probably learned more than I thought was possible about kangaroos, including how one millions-year-old molar can open a world of information. And did you know some kangaroos live in trees? That another has short hind legs and bunny hops? And their breeding cycle is a marvel of efficiency, if not the weirdest one in the universe. I liked the author's sense of humor, and I liked his enthusiasm for his subject. I learned a lot about Australia as well about kangaroos.

[Dillon Gorton · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining and informative book, I didn't realise it was going to be so specifically focused on the evolutionary history of the kangaroo but Flannery keeps the whole thing interesting and engaging with his outback anecdotes and I ended up learning plenty. One critique, which may seem childish, but I wish there were more images / illustrations - Flannery's descriptions were evocative but I would have loved some accompanying pictures (sketches, photos, archival images).

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the stories of circumnavigating Australia in the 70's most of all. The included map could use more detail.
Aboriginal people historically treated horribly, not unlike most dark skinned folk exploited by Europeans.
Pretty sure I know more than I'll ever need to about marsupial molars and scrotums.

[Cameron Mcconnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting exploration of all things kangaroo. The Australian dialect added a slight challenge, but I loved the combination of archaeology, natural history, history of the interaction of people and kangaroos along with lots of great biology.

[Michael Heath-Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, read-able study on Kangaroos in Australia and other places that they appear.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to keep our awesome Australia trip going, but this one didn't do it for me. Too much scientific jargon for my taste.

[Jodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book just a bit to technical at times