The Eighth Continent: Life, Death and Discovery in the Lost World of Madagascar

Madagascar, the world's fourth-largest island, is a land where lizards scream and monkey-like lemurs sing songs of inexpressible beauty. Where animals and plants that went extinct elsewhere millions of years ago -- tenrecs, fossa, upside-down trees -- thrive in a true Lost World. Where the ancestors of the Malagasy, as the island's eighteen tribes are collectively known, come alive in rollicking ceremonies known as "turning the bones." Here, join Peter Tyson on a diverting odyssey with four scientists out to plumb the natural and cultural mysteries of this extraordinary land.

About the Author :
Peter Tyson is on-line producer of NOVA, the PBS science series. A science writer for seventeen years, he has written for the Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times, and other magazines and newspapers. He lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, with his wife and three children.

Review :
"Peter Tyson has delivered a travelogue of the first rank. It is about the true Lost World of this planet. Walk and ride with him through Madagascar, and you will be riveted on every page by a rich mix of natural and human history enlivened by personal anecdote. Madagascar matters!"-- Edward O. Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Ants and "Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge"Madagascar always seems somehow separate'so oddly beautiful, so completely strange. But Peter Tyson, in this remarkable book, bridges that distance. He eloquently makes real and familiar both the island and the island-dwellers, and he makes us realize how much we would all lose if they were not part of our far-flung extended family."-- Deborah Blum, Pulitzer-prize winning author of "The Monkey Wars and "Sex on the Brain"Whether meeting a leaf-tailed gecko eye to eye, searching for the extinct giant lemur, discussing the biogeography of animals, or describing conservation issues and local customs, Peter Tyson's narrative is a delight, the most informative, fascinating, and enjoyable book on the natural and cultural history of Madagascar I have read."-- George B. Schaller, Director for Science, Wildlife Conservation Society"This is indeed a lovely book. It is simultaneously authoritative and quirky. It teases the reader with surprises to discover and ideas to savor'whether the leaf-tailed gecko plastered to a tree trunk or the oratory of Malagasy poetry. In a country counted among the world's poorest, Tyson unveils riches."-- Alison Jolly, author of "Lucy's Legacy: Sex and Intelligence in Human Evolution"An anecdotally rich portrait of the biological wonderland known as Madagascar. . . . Tyson's sciencewriting shines; it is a testament to his fluency that he can impart an understanding of variance and dispersal, and even the isotasy responsible for continental drift, without missing a beat. . . . A fine portrait of Madagascar's singular culture and biodiversity, its great beauty and dire straits."-- "Kirkus Reviews"Suprisingly, there's not all that much in the current general literature about this incredible place. . . . Tyson goes a long way toward filling the gap. . . . [he is] roughing it in a very rough place, and weaving into the story [Madagascar's] curious natural history. . . . A thorough researcher, Tyson packes this book with solid information. . . . And he covers an amazing amount of terrain with a scholar's love of detail."--"The Chicago Tribune"This is an absolutely absorbing book. Peter Tyson takes us with him on a journey of discovery, describing Madagascar with a rare depth of understanding and a fine eye for detail. He offers adventure, natural history, geology, evolution, anthropology -- all with a sense of wonder that is most refreshing. There is humor, sadness, puzzlement, hope for the future. When you put the book down, you truly feel as if you have been there. But you will want to actually go, even if it is only to see for yourself a giraffe-necked weevil!" -- Jane Goodall"This often droll travel book has an old-fashioned appeal."--"Outside"Part field report, part travelogue, part ecological history, Tyson's book is an engrossing testament to one of the planet's most astonishing places."--"Discover"A sharp picture of an intriguing place."--"Scientific American"For readers who have not experienced Madagascar, THE EIGHTH CONTINENT will provide a quantum leap intheir understanding of Malagasy culture and the island's diverse landscape and wildlife."--"Wildlife Conservation"In this impressive volume, [Tyson] writes about what he learned on [his] visits, successfully conveying both the flavor of field research and the biological mysteries of the island nation."--"Publishers Weekly"This compendium of ecological information and personal anecdote illuminates a land that, even in the jet age, stands aside from the modern world."--"Booklist"A thorough researcher, Tyson packs this book with solid information....And he covers an amazing amount of terrain with a scholar's love of detail."--"Boston Globe