Richard Ellis is the author of more than ten books, including The Book of Whales (Knopf, 1980), Monsters of the Sea (Knopf, 1994), Imagining Atlantis (Knopf, 1998), The Search for the Giant Squid (Lyons, 1998), and, most recently, Aquagenesis (Viking, 2001). A research associate at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, he is also a celebrated artist whose works of marine life have been exhibited in museums around the world.
"[A] splendid example of history illuminating ecology, with well-chosen facts that enable us to picture a largely invisible catastrophe." -- "The New York Times Book Review"
In his latest book, marine artist and writer Ellis (Aquagenesis) expresses his deeply felt appreciation for the uniqueness of all forms of marine life and his sorrow at their dwindling numbers or extinction through elegant prose and finely detailed line drawings. He clearly explains the economic, political, historical, and biological reasons for declining fisheries, the plight of sea turtles, disappearance of marine birds, slaughter of marine mammals, and destruction of coral reefs. He notes how through carelessness and ignorance non-native species have been introduced into new habitats where they attack indigenous species or destroy their food supply. However, "the most harmful invader is humankind," writes Ellis. Humans have also discharged "our poisonous or radioactive effluents into the water, contaminating everything from lakes and streams to bodies the size of the Caspian Sea." This volume belongs in all public and academic libraries because of the importance and urgency of its message.-Judith B. Barnett, Univ. of Rhode Island Lib., Kingston Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
"[A] splendid example of history illuminating ecology, with well-chosen facts that enable us to picture a largely invisible catastrophe."
-- "The New York Times Book Review" |
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