TO THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION

by Edward R. Ricduti ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1974

Ricciuti, former curator of publications for the New York Zoological Society, is apparently one of the lucky few to have seen the rare Puerto Rican parrot (""status: on the brink of extinction""), Pere David deer (""rare but rescued""), the European bison (""not common but saved""), the bog turtle (""rare, will vanish if the wetlands are destroyed""), the Pine Barrens tree frog and the gray whale. He relates his feelings of awe at ducks dabbling in the water and mud making squish noises underfoot in between describing characteristics of the rarer species, factors leading to their near demise, and efforts being made to rescue them from extinction. But as is the case in the wild, the manmade environment here serves to extinguish the subject. Ricciuti's muddy writing obscures the real point of bis book, that if man today does not act to preserve his natural environment, he himself may not survive.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1974

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1974

Categories: NONFICTION