Product Details
State of the Wild: A Global Portrait of Wildlife, Wildlands, and Oceans

State of the Wild: A Global Portrait of Wildlife, Wildlands, and Oceans
From Island Press

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Product Description

How do we gauge the state of earth's wildlife, wildlands, and oceans? State of the Wild is a new annual series that brings together some of the world's most renowned conservationists and writers-George Schaller, Alan Rabinowitz, Sylvia Earle, Rick Bass, Bill McKibben, Tom Lovejoy, and many others-to assess wildlife and wilderness, and to provide insights into how humans can become better stewards of the wild.

This new annual publication will combine evocative writings with a fascinating tour of news highlights and vital statistics from around the world. One-third of each volume will focus on a topic of particular concern to conservationists working to protect wildlife and our last wild places. This 2006 edition explores the impacts of hunting and the wildlife trade through a range of essays: Ted Kerasote traces the history of hunting in North America; Carl Safina, Eric Gilman, and Wallace J. Nichols quantify the toll taken by commercial fishing on seabirds, turtles, and other marine species; James Compton and Samuel K. H. Lee explore the global reach of the wildlife trade for traditional Asian medicine.

Contributors also examine other pivotal conservation issues, from the reasons why one in eight of the world's birds are endangered, to the impacts of global climate change, to the complexity of conserving seals, flamingos, zebras, and other wide-ranging species. The book's closing essay, "The Relative Wild," considers what exactly it means for a place to be "wild," where even the most remote corners of the planet have been altered by human activities.

Uniquely structured with magazine-like features up front, conservation news in the middle, and essay contributions from eminent authors and biologists throughout, this landmark series is an essential addition to any environmental bookshelf.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #2450143 in Books
  • Published on: 2005-11-11
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Hardcover
  • 344 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review

"No one can remain complacent after reading this book; the problems are real and they threaten our very existence, but the stories of successful conservation efforts give hope that we can still preserve what remains. Future editions in this series are sure to be eagerly anticipated."
(Southeastern Naturalist 20051201)

"No one can remain complacent after reading this book; the problems are real and they threaten our very existence, but the stories of successful conservation efforts give hope that we can still preserve what remains. Future editions in this series are sure to be eagerly anticipated."
(Southeastern Naturalist 20060601)

"The wild helps to define us as human, and our efforts to conserve the wild help to demonstrate how civilized we are. State of the Wild 2006 contains some alarming figures about the loss of the wild but balances these with aspiring stories of efforts to maintain the wilderness areas that inspire so many of us to conserve the diversity of our planet."—Jeffrey A. McNeely, chief scientist, IUCN-The World Conservation Union-Gland, Switzerland

(Jeffrey A. McNeely )

"A new annual publication from the Wildlife Conservation Society, this work has four goals: (1) analyzing global conservation issues, (2) highlighting global news on conservation and the wild, (3) promoting science-based solutions to conservation problems, and (4) influencing global public policy. To accomplish these goals, it incorporates essays and scientific works from over 40 contributors, ranging from policy specialists to wildlife biologists to science writers. Reports cover all continents and oceans. Issues range from the wildlife trade in bushmeat to the effects of war on protected areas in the Congo. The book includes black-and-white illustrations, color prints, maps, charts, an excellent index with cross-references, see also references, and scientific and common names of organisms. Offering thorough documentation of the impact of the human species on the globe, the contributors are hopeful but also realistic in their perspective. State of the Wild 2006 belongs in every public, school, academic, and government library. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels."

(W.E. Drew Jr. CHOICE )

"The value of this overstuffed volume (the premier edition of a series) is twofold: One, it provides a no-bullshit roundup and analysis of the year''s major environmental stories -- a regular physical for the planet. And two, it gives experts like Carl Safina and essayists like Rick Bass and Ted Kerasote ample room to explain why it all so desperately matters."

(Sharon Guynup Men's Journal )

"The value of this overstuffed volume (the premier edition of a series) is twofold: One, it provides a no-bullshit roundup and analysis of the year''s major environmental stories -- a regular physical for the planet. And two, it gives experts like Carl Safina and essayists like Rick Bass and Ted Kerasote ample room to explain why it all so desperately matters."

(Sharon Guynup Men's Journal 20060601)

Review
"No one can remain complacent after reading this book; the problems are real and they threaten our very existence, but the stories of successful conservation efforts give hope that we can still preserve what remains. Future editions in this series are sure to be eagerly anticipated." (Southeastern Naturalist )

About the Author
THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY saves wildlife and wildlands through field research, education, and management of the world's largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. WCS publishes an award-winning magazine, Wildlife Conservation, and partners with media outlets to cover pressing conservation issues.

SHARON GUYNUP has worked as a science and environmental writer for National Geographic News Service (in collaboration with The New York Times Syndicate), Audubon, Popular Science, and other publications, and has edited for Scientific American. She worked as a professional photographer for 20 years and has traveled widely on assignment.