An important book for conservationists, land-use planners, and environmental activists.
A keystone ecosystem provides lessons in how we can save the world from ourselves.
Sinclair, a professor emeritus of zoology at the University of British Columbia, has made a lifetime study of the Serengeti, the vast East African ecosystem that contains an unrestrained river, expansive grasslands, and low-growing forests. Inside of this ecosystem, one of the few in the world that is nearly unchanged from Pleistocene times, there is an astonishing diversity of plant and animal life as well as massive migrations of herbivore species such as wildebeest, to say nothing of elephants, buffalos, zebras, and other creatures. As Sinclair notes, the Serengeti has more large-mammal species than any other place on the planet and nearly as many bird species as can be found in all of Europe. From his studies of the interaction of species and their environment, the author discerns seven principles of regulation that help explain how the place works: “the rules that produced the unique features of the great Serengeti ecosystem and allowed it to persist.” One of the most vexing of these principles to figure out was how animal populations grew to optimal size and, for the most part, remained at that size over generations, disproving Malthusian demographics. The mechanisms that regulate population size are bottom-up, dependent on food supply, and top-down, dependent on predators; in healthy operation, they work out so that each birth is accompanied by a death, assuring stability. Ironically, writes Sinclair, just as this nearly untrammeled ecosystem has lasted for so long without significant damage, the government of Kenya, for one, has big plans, including damming the major river and building roads on the Serengeti plains. Both are guaranteed, by Sinclair’s lights, to introduce untoward levels of disturbance and disrupt this natural regulation. The principles he outlines, including the maintenance of large areas of natural habitat and a diverse population, are essential to “rewilding” natural ecosystems throughout the world.
An important book for conservationists, land-use planners, and environmental activists.Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-691-22233-2
Page Count: 232
Publisher: Princeton Univ.
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.
The third volume in the Elephant Whisperer series.
In this follow-up to An Elephant in My Kitchen, Malby-Anthony continues her loving portrait of the Thula Thula wildlife reserve, which she co-founded in 1998 with her late husband, South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony, who published the first book in the series, The Elephant Whisperer, in 2009. Following his death in 2012, Malby-Anthony sought to honor his legacy by continuing his vision “to create a massive conservancy in Zululand, incorporating our land and other small farms and community land into one great big game park.” At the same time, the elephants gave her “a sense of purpose and direction.” In the Zulu language, thula means quiet, and though the author consistently seeks to provide that calm to her charges, peace and tranquility are not always easy to come by at Thula Thula. In this installment, Malby-Anthony discusses many of the challenges faced by her and her staff, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. These included an aggressive, 2-ton rhino named Thabo; the profound loss felt by all upon the death of their elephant matriarch, Frankie; difficulty obtaining permits and the related risk of having to relocate or cull some of their animals; the fear of looting and fire due to civil unrest in the region; and the ongoing and potentially deadly struggles with poachers. Throughout, the author also shares many warm, lighthearted moments, demonstrating the deep bond felt among the humans and animals at the reserve and the powerful effects of the kindness of strangers. “We are all working in unity for the greater good, for the betterment of Thula Thula and all our wildlife….We are humbled by the generosity and love, both from our guests and friends, and from strangers all around the world,” writes the author. “People’s open-hearted support kept us alive in the darkest times.”
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781250284259
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Alternately admiring and critical, unvarnished, and a closely detailed account of a troubled innovator.
A warts-and-all portrait of the famed techno-entrepreneur—and the warts are nearly beyond counting.
To call Elon Musk (b. 1971) “mercurial” is to undervalue the term; to call him a genius is incorrect. Instead, Musk has a gift for leveraging the genius of others in order to make things work. When they don’t, writes eminent biographer Isaacson, it’s because the notoriously headstrong Musk is so sure of himself that he charges ahead against the advice of others: “He does not like to share power.” In this sharp-edged biography, the author likens Musk to an earlier biographical subject, Steve Jobs. Given Musk’s recent political turn, born of the me-first libertarianism of the very rich, however, Henry Ford also comes to mind. What emerges clearly is that Musk, who may or may not have Asperger’s syndrome (“Empathy did not come naturally”), has nurtured several obsessions for years, apart from a passion for the letter X as both a brand and personal name. He firmly believes that “all requirements should be treated as recommendations”; that it is his destiny to make humankind a multi-planetary civilization through innovations in space travel; that government is generally an impediment and that “the thought police are gaining power”; and that “a maniacal sense of urgency” should guide his businesses. That need for speed has led to undeniable successes in beating schedules and competitors, but it has also wrought disaster: One of the most telling anecdotes in the book concerns Musk’s “demon mode” order to relocate thousands of Twitter servers from Sacramento to Portland at breakneck speed, which trashed big parts of the system for months. To judge by Isaacson’s account, that may have been by design, for Musk’s idea of creative destruction seems to mean mostly chaos.
Alternately admiring and critical, unvarnished, and a closely detailed account of a troubled innovator.Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9781982181284
Page Count: 688
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
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