Lonesome George: The Life and Loves of a Conservation Icon
Henry Nicholls (Macmillan // $14.95)
For an 86-year-old, Lonesome George has a lot of work to do—the hopes of a species rest on his saddle-shaped carapace. Hailing from the northernmost island in the Galapagos, this 200-pound titan is the only Pinta tortoise left on the planet. The last of his kind disappeared in 1906; then, 65 years later, George was rediscovered all by his lonesome.
Without a mate, George’s road to romance has been rocky indeed. But he’s had help along the way—a beautiful Swiss graduate student who goes far beyond the call of duty, and a swarm of scientists who canvass the islands in search of a suitable mate. Conservation questions on the risks of crossbreeding and the benefits of human interference abound in this book and ultimately come to bear on the tortoise’s still-undecided fate: Will George make it back from the brink or remain lonesome for life?
—Jennifer Winger
Galapagos: The Islands That Changed The World
(BBC // $19.98)
From the producers of the groundbreaking television series Planet Earth comes a DVD offering a more intimate, but equally arresting, portrait of the Galapagos. The life-or-death struggles of its unique flora and fauna and even the islands themselves take center stage in the DVD’s three chapters: “Born of Fire,” “Islands that Changed the World” and “Forces of Change.”
High-definition cinematography shot from land, air and sea captures dramatic biological phenomena, such as the synchronized dive of blue-footed boobies into the islands’ shallow seas, as well as small wonders like the rhythmic eruptions of algae-eating sea iguanas expelling salt through their noses. The 150-minute documentary no doubt will inspire many to get up and go, but narrator Tilda Swinton harnesses this wanderlust with a single caveat: Tread lightly on these islands—they are isolated but not invincible.
—J.W.
Planet Ocean
(National Geographic // $40.00)
Forests, prairies, mountains and plains are not exactly uncharted territory—unless they’re under the sea. In Planet Ocean, biologists and master divers Laurent Ballesta and Pierre Descamp explore little-known seascapes that house a host of ecological mysteries. From sun-dependent plants that survive months of darkness to the fish that can change both its sex and silhouette, Planet Ocean illustrates the idiosyncrasies that make ocean conservation a must. With 400 photographs and 25 essays from leading scientists on topics ranging from ecotourism to aquaculture, this book is more than a coffee-table conversation starter or a bedside companion; it’s a portal to another world. Dive in.
—J.W.
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