The Rarest of the Rare: Vanishing Animals, Timeless Worlds

Diane Ackerman writes with such eloquence. This book was such an enjoyable read, it is easy to forget that it deals with tough environmental issues. The author has collected short stories from many of her travels to various places to witness endangered species first-hand. From the rain forest to a remote island in Japan, she blends the story of her trip with information about the endangered species/habitat and the interesting people she meets along the way. She manages to get us to think about our impact on nature without being preachy, and in an entertaining manner. A must for any adventurer, actual or armchair.

I want Diane Ackerman's life. She gets to visit weird, remote, exotic locations, observe unusual flora and fauna, write about them - and earns enough money to go out and do it again. In The Rarest of the Rare, she gathers together 6 essays previously published elsewhere; all deal with endangered species such as the golden lion tamarind, the monarchs, monk seals, and others. But she's not just a do-gooder naturalist: she's also a poet, a philosopher, and a heck of a good writer. Some of her musings, the questions she asks of herself, the parallels she makes, remind me of Annie Dillard's nature writing - her books such as Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.It's a joy to share these things that I will never experience through the eyes of such a consummate scientist and writer and human being.Also, for an entirely different approach to observing endangered species, see Daniel Glick's Monkey Dancing.

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!