THE CARELESS ANIMAL: Nine Ecological Detective Stories

by ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1975

The careless animal is of course man and here the Grahams sketch eight examples of how his lack of foresight has had unexpected repercussions in the animal kingdom. Because ""a small group of people plan great projects without wondering what their final effect on all of us might be,"" 300 people died of typhus in Bolivia as a result of DDT poisoning among cats, the Arab-Israeli six-day war has proved a boon to flamingos, and the frequent proximity of dumps and airports has caused mutually fatal seagull-jet collisions. The point has been frequently made and the Grahams seem a bit condescending in their eagerness to turn the lessons into stories. (A primitive view of ""human interest"" gets the better of the message in ""Hurricane Agnes,"" where the focus is on an enterprising 13-year-old Maine clam digger capitalizing on a Chesapeake-area disaster.) This is supplementary reading for those who need such a lure and won't be insulted by its obviousness.

Pub Date: March 1, 1975

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1975

Categories: NONFICTION