Book of the Week (April 22, 2013) The Kingdom of Rarities by Eric Dinerstein

The Kingdom of Rarities
By Eric Dinerstein
 
Call Number:  QL 82 .D56 2013

Review from Science News

Publisher's Description:  When you look out your window, why are you so much more likely to see a robin or a sparrow than a Kirtland’s warbler or a California condor? In other words, why are some plants and animals rare and others common? Dinerstein, Lead Scientist and Vice President of Conservation Science at World Wildlife Fund-US, has spent three decades studying and working to protect rare species around the globe, particularly tigers, rhinoceroses, and elephants. In this book, he offers an ode to some of the rarest species on the planet. As he shares the stories of various species and his treks to the ends of the earth to catch a glimpse of them, he gives readers a deep appreciation for these animals, their ecological importance, and the urgent need for their conservation.

While it’s easy to be carried away by Dinerstein’s adventures and his beautiful prose, The Kingdom of Rarities has a deeper message. He argues that a better scientific understanding of why some species are rare can guide us to more effective ways of protecting all types of life—rare and common alike. Relying on the latest scientific techniques and guided by experts in the field, he considers factors like animals’ physical isolation, disparate populations, and pickiness when choosing a home or a food supply as well as habitat loss, invasive species, and human wars. Although each rarity faces a unique set of circumstances, study of the species he searches out, including jaguars, maned wolves, and the Andean cock-of-the-rock, offer insight into their already rare cousins and those common species that soon may find themselves becoming rare.

As more and more species teeter on the brink, The Kingdom of Rarities offers a unique combination of travel adventures, science, and fascination with the beauty of the natural world. Dinerstein’s stories are food for thought as he ponders the cause of rarity and calls for a deeper appreciation of all the species that shape our planet. Most important, he offers hope that we can keep many of them from leaving it forever.