In this, her latest attempt to help humans see and understand the "interlocking business of species," Ackerman introduces us to some of the world's most beleagured inhabitants. Meet the Hawaiian monk seal with its "bulbous head covered in silky fur, with black-buttonhook-shaped eyes, a snout on which springy nostrils open full like quotation marks, tiny tab shaped ears, a spray of cat's whiskers, and many doughy chins;" the golden tamarind monkey, with its "sunset-and-corn-silk coloring;" and the magical monarch butterfly, "gliding, flapping and hitching rides on thermals like any hawk or eagle."

Then there are the creatures of the Amazon river - armoured catfish, cashew piranhas, striated herons, sphinx moths, yellow-footed tortoises and bewhiskered dolphins. On the volcanic Japanese island of Torishima, we are introduced to the last of the short-tailed albatrosses and the young Japanese orinthologist who is trying to save them.

Whether she is bushwacking through rainforests, fighting seasickness or summoning the nerve to touch a shiny beetle, Ackerman is always fully and actively present for her reader. Reading one of her books is the next best thing to being in the field with her, and certainly a lot less strenuous. This book is a treat that shouldn't be missed.


Heartfelt and beautiful   July 17, 2000
This is one of my favorite books for many reasons: it's heartfelt, knowledgable, deeply respectful of the animals and landscapes she knows personally, enviromentally conscientious, and written in unforgettable language. I don't know which I admire more-- her integrity, her passion, or the poetry of her language. I've read and reread it and will read it again.


New Age Non-Sense   January 10, 2000
 4 out of 40 found this review helpful

I suggest Ackerman peruse air photography documentation of the industrial clear cutting of old growth forests to see how well nature can "take care of itself" which Donna Seaman of Booklist approvingly quotes, otherwise this book is only Ackerman's embarrassing self-gratification.


Poetic, delightful, enlightening!   July 4, 1998
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Ms. Ackerman creates a lush visual smorgasbord of imagery in everything she writes and I feel this is her finest work to date. If your tastes run toward the exotic and adventerous and if you have a passion for ecology/nature, don't miss this elegant and provocative book!