August 1, 2021
In 1983, ecologist Michael Soul� created a list of 18 conditions that predict a species is headed for extinction. Ever heard of him? Most people haven't, except for self-professed nature nerds like the author of this collection of rambling, intriguing essays. Knapp, an academic conservation biologist, devotes 18 chapters to specific endangered (or already lost) animals, highlighting one of Soul�'s factors in each one. He brings in personal experiences, background context, science and evolving research, numerous side anecdotes, and heartfelt entreaties, usually couched within incidents of humorous, self-deprecating incompetence. Knapp is a great storyteller, sharing detailed descriptions of adventures set in exotic locations (Tanzania, Kenya, Mongolia) populated with equally exotic characters (honey badgers, Russian boars, pika) addressing factors like inbreeding, hybridization, disease, competition, and habitat destruction. Just as Soul�'s 18 indicators influence each other and often overlap, so too do Knapp's chapters, bouncing back and forth and reinforcing and further developing concepts. The result is a very satisfying, very engaging, and ultimately very moving entreaty to stop the seemingly indifferent slide into a sixth extinction.
COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.