About the Book
A spectacular celebration of one the world's most important domains.
Travel agents everywhere are preparing for "the Darwin Effect," a boom in travel to Ecuador in 2009 for the 50th anniversary of the creation of Galapagos National Park and the International Charles Darwin Foundation. This lavishly illustrated book is the official publication for these historic events.
This year also marks two other important milestones: the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species and the 200th anniversary of his birth.
In 2007, growing pressure on the natural habitat prompted UNESCO to put Galapagos on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Galapagos includes insightful essays and fascinating stories by 30 of the world's leading Galapagos researchers, who describe the challenges and successes of conservation efforts, past and present. Tui de Roy's images vividly show the seemingly alien beauty of the Galapagos landscape and wildlife.
This handsome book is an important resource for naturalists, botanists, photographers, researchers, students and all who want a permanent record of Darwin's spectacular discovery.
The 28 chapters include:
Islands on the Move: Significance of Hotspot Volcanoes
Paleoclimate and the Future: A Knife-edge Balance
Biodiversity Analysis: How Close to the Brink?
Sunflower Trees and Giant Cacti: Vegetation Changes Over Time
Inshore Fishes: The Case of the Missing Damsel
Shark Migrations: Discovering the Golden Triangle
Marine Iguanas: Their Boom and Bust Adaptations
Darwin's Finches: Investigating Evolution in Action
The Waved Albatross: The Family Affairs of a Critically Endangered Species
Penguins on the Equator: Hanging on by a Thread
Sea Lions and Fur Seals: Cold Water Species on the Equator
Reign on the Giant Tortoises: Repopulating Ancestral Islands
Saving "Lost" Plants: Finding and Nurturing the Survivors
Reflections on Dangers and Solutions: "Noe Reall Islands," But Paradise
About the Author :
Tui de Roy is a naturalist, an expert on Galapagos and the world's preeminent Galapagos photographer. She is the author and photographer of New Zealand, The Andes and Albatross. She lives in New Zealand.
Sarah Darwin is a botanist and descendant of Charles Darwin. She lives in the United Kingdom.
Contributing writers include: Dennis Geist, volcanologist, University of Idaho; Julian Sachs, paleoclimatologist, University of Washington; Conley K. McMullen, botanist, James Madison University, Virginia; Jack S. Grove, naturalist and research associate, Section of Ichthyology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County; Alex Hearn, adjunct marine biologist, University of California- Davis; Martin Wikelski and Michael Romero, physiological ecologists, Max Planck Institute, Germany, and Tufts University, Massachusetts; Peter and Rosemary Grant, evolutionary biologists, Princeton University, New Jersey; Patricia Parker, disease ecologist, WildCare institute, Saint Louis Zoo, Missouri; David Anderson, evolutionary biologist, Wake Forest University, North Carolina; Kathryn Huyvaert, ecologist, Colorado State University; Karl Campbell, Island Conservation, California; Godfrey Merlen, naturalist and independent researcher, WildAid, Galapagos, Ecuador.
Review :
From the first page, I knew that this was going to be a fascinating visual and intellectual experience. Tui De Roy has compiled one of the most interesting and thorough accounts of the Galapagos Islands. The book brings together world-renowned scientific experts to discuss a vast spectrum of subjects relating to the "Enchanted Isles."... De Roy and [her] colleagues accessed some of the most distant and sensitive areas of the Galapagos archipelago, made up of over 100 islands and islets. With an artist's eye, they lavishly documented the land, sea and air with a view that contrasts the islands' beauty against the backdrop of an incredible harsh environment. The photos tastefully accent the research narratives and bring the words to life in vivid color.... This book fits comfortably as both a work of science and a compilation of artistic conservation photography. As such, it is a must read for anyone contemplating visiting the islands.-- (10/04/2009)
"Charles Darwin's observations 170 years ago indicated evidence of evolutionary processes in a nearly intact microcosm untouched by outside influences. In the intervening years, researchers have brought funding, and tourists have introduced elements of damage to the Galápagos Islands' fragile ecosystem. Published to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Galápagos National Park and to promote the future preservation of this archipelago, this is an anthology of authoritative essays by international scientists of note and local naturalists-experts in the islands' volcanoes, plants, and exotic species. Accompanying the pieces are the stunning 600 color photographs by editor de Roy, who was raised and lived here for 40 years and is considered to be the world's most respected photographer of these islands. VERDICT These readable essays and stunning photographs are highly recommended for amateur and professional naturalists and will grace many coffee tables.-- (11/15/2009)
[review of U.K. edition] This book has much to offer. Tui de Roy has lived in the Galapagos and knows them well. She is also a highly competent photographer. The book's largish format allows for many high-quality photographs, most taken by De Roy, and looking through them is a pleasure in itself. De Roy has gathered together some 35 people, most associated with the Charles Darwin Research Station, who are experts on various aspects of the Galapagos flora and fauna and have written 28 accounts of research and conservation in the archipelago. These average seven pages and present authoritative and up-to-date descriptions of the many activities being conducted ....There are good introductory chapters and an index. A more extensive bibliography would have been useful, but that apart, the book is a welcome addition to the shelves.-- (05/01/2010)
De Roy's striking photographs might tempt librarians to regard this work as merely a coffee-table book, but it is far more. Researchers who conducted fieldwork in the islands wrote the chapters. The essays are concise and convivial, the writers tell the stories of the islands and their remarkable diversity of the men and women who continue to document and preserve that diversity. Fine examples of science [written] for nonscientists.-- (05/01/2010)
Galapagos: Preserving Darwin's Legacy is an impassioned plea for expanded research and international cooperation to maintain the ecological health of the renowned archipelago... At once beautiful and thought-provoking, De Roi's survey should marshal public support for continuing efforts to conserve the islands' irreplaceable ecosystem.-- (09/23/2010)
If you like your travel combined with science and nature, then Firefly's Galapagos: Preserving Darwin's Legacy is an excellent choice. Tui De Roy has spent most of his life on the Galapagos and is a world-renowned photographer. The more than 600 pictures are all engaging, although the ones of the giant tortoises, land iguanas and sea lions are particularly exciting. The book includes interesting essays on various aspects of the islands and their ecosystems. The writers are scientists who have made their research accessible to anyone who wants to learn about this strange and amazing place.-- (11/29/2009)
The book offers a comprehensive look at the challenges and successes of conservation efforts in the Galapagos. With candid first-person essays and 600 photos, this is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the islands.-- (12/01/2009)
The spectacular photographs in Tui De Roy's Galápagos: Preserving Darwin's Legacy capture the islands at their best. This large-format book is utterly beautiful and also quite substantive. De Roy, a photographer, writer and conservationist who grew up in the Galápagos, has assembled a series of essays about scientific fieldwork in the Galápagos written by geologists, hydrologists, oceanographers, and of course researchers from nearly every subfield of biology, from botany to animal behavior. . Many are highly respected experts... All of the articles are lavishly illustrated and written in an easily accessible, jargon-free style... I caught myself smiling as I paged through the book and revisited memories of snorkeling with curious Galápagos penguins... The book's text and photographs communicate well the stark beauty of the landscape and the amazing species that inhabit it. They are truly endless forms most beautiful.-- (07/01/2010)
The text flows from an intimate knowledge of, and deep love for, the Galapagos, and the quality of imagery reflects the author's recently awarded place as one of the world's top twenty wildlife photographers. As the 21st century looms, the Galapagos Islands are reaching a critical crossroad from which they will emerge with difficulty. This book celebrates their vibrant essence through stunning color photographs and prose.-- (01/01/2009)
This anthology aimed at general readers brings together 28 natural science essays written by scientists, researchers, and conservation experts from Ecuador, the U.S., Europe, and Panama, who discuss their achievements and discoveries about the Galapagos Islands... Essays are punctuated by many color photos by Roy, a wildlife photographer, conservationist, naturalist, and writer who has spent most of her life in the Galapagos Islands.-- (12/01/2009)
Tui De Roy has assembled a magnificent 240-page coffee table-style book on the incredible group of islands that first sparked the theory of evolution... These first-person essays by 30 of the world's top Galapagos researchers reveal their amazing discoveries and achievements in exhaustively mapping patterns of extinction, the discovery of new species, and the wonderment of continual survival adaptations. Through their stories and experiences we come to learn more about the challenges and success of conservation efforts through the years... In 2007, human intervention in this natural habitat prompted UNESCO to put Galapagos on the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger. Galapagos: Preserving Darwin's Legacy reaffirms the importance of preserving this unique habitat, and presents its message in a way you can proudly share with your family and visitors to your home.-- (10/01/2009)
Whether you're a Darwin fan, a traveller, a photographer or a naturalist, this book will appeal with its stunning photos and accessible commentary by leading Galapagos researchers. The colour photos range from panoramas of lava flows to life-size pictures of tiny shells, and a great variety of plants and animals native to this unique area. On the 200th birthday of Darwin's birth, this book focuses on conservation efforts, as the natural habitat is sadly in danger from human activity.-- (12/05/2009)
Tui De Roy documents life on the islands that helped inspire Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.--Kate Wong"Scientific American" (12/01/2009)
