Book Review - Sacred Plants of the Americas - Princeton University Press

     The juxtaposition of science and indigenous knowledge has long been a subject of great interest to me, particularly as it concerns our relationship with nature in its many and varied guises. Not least among these is the supreme importance of plants  throughout The Americas and their connection to the spiritual lives of aboriginal people, whether influenced by a shaman or as an act of personal reverence. And this does not even touch on the intimate knowledge of the therapeutic and pharmacological qualities of sacred plants.

     Much of this knowledge, passed down from generation to generation,  has been under threat since the very first encounters between white explorers, conquistadors, capitalists and mercenaries; some indeed has been lost along with native land, languages and cultural identities. The authors are correct when they state, "Christianity and extraactivist economies have been operating together with devastating consequences for Indigenous peoples in the Americas for centuries."

     Fortunately, these attitudes are undergoing change, albeit slowly and piecemeal, but change nonetheless, with a recognition that Indigenous wisdom has much to offer, reviving and rehabilitating knowledge dismissed out-of-hand by colonial arrogance. My bookshelves contain works by Wade Davis (and through him a connection to perhaps the greatest ethnobotanist of all time, Richard Evans Schultes), Monica Gagliano, Stefano Mancuso, and the most eloquent of all, Robin Wall Kimmerer, whose Braiding Sweetgrass should be required reading for  everyone who cares about the planet. 

     This book is an incredibly valuable addition to the literature, with its dazzling images that leave me breathless. In addition to "simple" photographs of the plants, seemingly innocent of the powerhouse of stimulatory and medicinal compounds they contain, confocal microscopy is used to deliver images as psychedelic as the plants themselves!

     Briefly, confocal microscopy is an optical technique for increasing optical resolution and contrast of a micrograph by means of using a spatial pinhole to block out-of-focus light in image formation. Capturing multiple two-dimensional images at different depths in a sample enables the reconstruction of three-dimensional structures within an object. (Wikipedia).

     Surely the brightest stars in the galaxy could barely compete with the brilliant beauty of these images.

     I have turned the pages of this book many, many times, and still I am left in awe of this hitherto hidden beauty.

     This book would make a fine coffee table book, and should be displayed for all to see. But it is more than that. It contains a wealth of information on each of the more than fifty plants featured, in addition to cultural references, historical facts, the present state of the plant and its uses, and speculation as to what the future holds from ethnographic and curative perspectives. 

     I am indebted to Jill Pflugheber and Steven F. White for sharing their work with us, enabling us to benefit from their concern and compassion.

     You will not be displeased, I am sure, if I end this review on a personal note. My wife, Miriam, is an accomplished quilter with a great eye for symmetry, colour matching, design, creativity and all that goes into the completion of a work of art. Even though I am exposed to her formidable skills daily, I never cease to wonder how she does it. 

     When I showed her the confocal pictures in the book she immediately exclaimed, "Wouldn't that make wonderful fabric!" Indeed it would, and I can only imagine what she could do with it. But I can assure you that it would be great, inspired in no small part by a deep respect for Indigenous people everywhere; a heartfelt tribute to maligned humans for whom justice has been delayed far too long.

Sacred Plants of the Americas - Princeton University Press

Jill Pflugheber and Steven F. White

Hardcover - US$45.00 - ISBN: 9780691296074

264 pages - 10 x 11 inches (25 x 27.5 cm)

200+ colour illustrations - 48 maps

Publishing date: 11 August, 2026

Book Review - A is for Amoeba: The Story of Life in a Single Cell - Princeton University Press

 

     A is for Amoeba, but A is also for admiration, appreciation and applause. Who could imagine that a book about the allegedly lowly amoeba could be both educational and entertaining, fun to read yet packing a storehouse of knowledge.

     If there is such a person as an amoebaphile I have become one! And if I have coined a word, so much the better!

     Nicholas Money writes with his characteristic wry humour, while simultaneously conferring the benefit of his impressive credentials as a biologist of note. He even provides juicy bits about the array of deviant scientists who have contributed to amoeba research over the centuries. It is all done in a manner that makes the book a joy to read.

     I had not thought much about amoebas in many a year and I suspect that is true for you too. After all, who dwells on a microscopic blob, invisible without the aid of powerful optics, that doesn't even have a sex life and clones itself in perpetuity? 

     In fact amoebas influence our lives in more ways that we might imagine, having the largest genome of any organism. They have the potential for both great good and devastating harm in the treatment of human illnesses. Researchers are trying to replicate the beneficial actions of amoebas in the quest for cures to types of cancer that still resist all treatments so far devised. With AI and robotics in the ascendancy, artificial amoebas may hold the key to defeating intractable illnesses that cause great suffering to humans. 

     If the narrative of a microbe can grip the reader, this is the book to do it. I found it hugely satisfying.

A is for Amoeba: The Story of Life in a Single Cell - Princeton University Press

Nicholas P. Money

Hardcover - US$27.95 - ISBN: 9780691266985

240 pages - 5.5 x 8.5 inches (13.75 x 21.25cm)

10 black-and-white illustrations

Publication date: 11 August, 2026

Book Review - Darwin: A Biography - Princeton University Press

      When Janet Browne produced her seminal volumes Voyaging and The Power of Place no less a luminary than Stephen Jay Gould proclaimed them "....wonderful and marvellous, even magisterial." Other notable authors such as David Quammen have gone on to endorse this viewpoint.

     I suspect they might conclude that this amalgamation of the two books in a single volume is no less magisterial. Browne has produced a wonderful new work, benefitting greatly from the Correspondence of Charles Darwin (1985-2023), material unavailable when she wrote her first two books.  

     She has successfully condensed her two-volume opus into a major new work, offering hitherto unknown insights into Darwin the explorer, Darwin the sceptic, Darwin the scientist and Darwin the man. In the process she cements her position as the leading Darwin scholar of our time.

     I find myself almost mesmerized by the depth and complexity of her treatment, all the while captivated by a highly readable, charming account of the most important scientist of all time. We move from the diffident young naturalist voyaging on the Beagle, often laid low by recurring seasickness, revealing his inner feelings and doubts in letters to his sisters, to the investigative scientist on the cusp of a theory that would change the world forever, to a dignified, empathetic English gentleman living a quiet life in Kent. He was a village magistrate, a doting father, a loving husband, friend to his butler no less than to the rich and famous. He was often wracked by ill health, and insecurity, and was initially devastated when Alfred Russel Wallace threatened to lay prior claim to his theory of evolution by natural selection.

     His attention to detail was nothing short of remarkable, with years spent researching barnacles, flowers, worms and heritability in domestic animals. He doggedly pressed forward with investigation on many fronts, all the while building up to the moment when he would publish his treatise to change the world, The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. 

     He had always thought he would be buried in the local churchyard; indeed had expressed a wish to be so interred, yet when he died he was accorded that highest of all honours, that of being entombed in Westminster Abbey. No other final resting place would have been acceptable for this noble man who had become a household name in Britain even during his lifetime; although there was great irony in selecting this space to bury the person who had shattered the notion of a divine origin of life.

     The canon of literature in the English language is replete with soaring, stirring, magnificent, elegant, memorable and oft repeated phrases in prose and verse, but for me the most beautiful of all has always been, and remains to this day, the following words of Charles Darwin.

"It is interesting to contemplate an entangled bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, with birds singing on the bushes, with various insects flitting about, and with worms crawling through the damp earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent on each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us. There is a grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved."

     A portrait of the young Charles Darwin sits on my desk. He inspires me every day.

Darwin: A Biography - Princeton University Press

Janet Browne

Hardcover - US$35.00 - ISBN: 9780691232256

624 pages - 6.125 x 9.25 inches (15.31 x 23.125 cm)

79 black-and-white illustrations - 4 maps

Publication date: 02 June, 2026

 

Book Review - Wolf: The Illustrated Biography - Princeton University Press

      Surely no other animal, throughout history and across cultures, has been as maligned and as persecuted as the wolf.  Even fantastical beings born of irrationality and superstition such as werewolves, with humans transforming into a hybrid wolf-human monster, have zeroed in on the wolf as the malevolent, evil component of this satanic blend. 

     Children's fairy tales, Little Red Riding Hood being the most well known, are filled with tales of scheming wolves bent on victimization of humans. Expressions such as "the big bad wolf" and "a wolf in sheep's clothing" are common dialogue even today; "crying wolf" is less than honorable, "a wolf at the door" is something you don't want. Even "wolfing down your your food" is not something to be done in polite company.

     To dispel some of these myths seems nigh on impossible, so it is especially appropriate to have a book that presents a factual account of Canis lupus, devoid of the irrational and hyperbolic excess that frequently accompanies the mere mention of the name. The subtitle to the book is The Illustrated Biography - and wonderfully illustrated it is too.

     I found the work of Adam Hook exceptionally appealing.

     The book covers every aspect of the life of the wolf from its appearance in the early Pleistocene around two million years ago to the present day. Along the way we deal with subspecies, different forms in Asia and Europe, variations in diet, and population status. 

     We learn its history, its biology, its family life, its role as a top predator and its primary reliance on large ungulate prey. The role of an alpha female, key to pack success, is covered at length, as is the interaction and frequent animosity between rival packs should they meet. The life of a wolf is short, averaging around five years, filled with tension, conflict, feast and famine, yet all bound together by pack cohesion and intra group cooperation.

     The role of efficient predation in a healthy ecosystem is now well established and few would deny the value of it. The Yellowstone Park experience bears vivid testimony to the ability of wolves to transform an ecosystem to the benefit of all its component organisms.

     The wolf is neither villain nor friend, it is simply a member of the rich tapestry of life on Earth going about its business. For much of man's history wolves were hunted when they impinged on hominid success, but without sophisticated weapons there was little or no impact on wolf populations.

     Now mankind has a fearsome arsenal of weapons including high powered rifles that can kill at great distance, poisons, steel leg traps, snowmobiles to chase wolves to exhaustion, and airplanes and helicopters to shoot them from above. The contest is hardly equal!

     While there is occasional justification for killing a wolf, much persecution of the animal is fuelled by blood lust and irrationality. Politicians courting rural votes play into this hysteria.

     Often, there is pressure to get rid of wolves to protect the population of animals such as deer, antelope and elk, viewed by recreational hunters as "theirs." It is surely the height of hubris to declare that a wolf pack hunting a dangerous adversary like an adult elk or bison, as a matter of survival, has less right to food than a trophy desired by humans.

     This is a book for its time. We are eliminating other species at a staggering rate, a thousand times faster than the natural rate of extinction by some estimates. If we are to survive it has to stop. This factual account, free from bias and exaggeration, clearly points out that humans and wolves can both enjoy life on this precious planet - our only home. Surely, that's a admirable goal for all of us and, given the will, we can achieve it. 

Wolf: The Illustrated Biography - Princeton University Press

Douglas W. Smith

Hardcover - US$35.00 - ISBN: 0780691281674

224 pages - 6.5 x 9 inches (16.25 x 22.5 cm)

100 colour illustrations

Publication date: 23 June, 2026

Book Review - Wild Orcas: A Deep Dive into the World of Killer Whales - Princeton University Press

      Thankfully, in most areas of the world, it is realized that the imprisonment of Orcas - commonly known as Killer Whales - for human entertainment is both inappropriate and cruel, and the practice has been almost universally banned. Public outcry and popular films such as Free Willy played no small role in this outcome, and for this we should be grateful. 

     As this book shows, Killer Whales form complex, organized societies, showing great similarities between whales and humans. Family bonds are close, co-operation is key to survival, intense care for the young, sharing of food and other forms of altruistic and cooperative behaviour are pervasive. 

     Wild Killer Whales have a sophisticated language and communicate continuously, sometimes over great distances to maintain pod cohesion and facilitate hunting strategies. They manifest a touching curiosity about humans and have never been known to intentionally harm any of us, despite the fact that they could do so with ease; by combining forces they are able to overcome Great White Sharks and much larger whales.

     This book provides an enchanting look into the world of Killer Whales, measurably enhanced by the array of high tech devices to enable scientists to understand them with ever greater sophistication and precision. Given the disturbing history of humankind's relationship with marine mammals it is comforting to know that exploitation is no longer our principal goal in getting to know these magnificent creatures better.

     Killer Whales throughout the world's oceans form distinctive groups with unique cultural traits, differences in language with dialects identifying kin, and pod-specific dietary requirements. All are carnivores but some specialize in the consumption of marine mammals, others eat exclusively salmon, for example, and the two populations rarely interact with each other. There are morphological differences, too, raising the possibility that distinct species designation may be warranted.

     These magnificent mammals that returned to the ocean during the Eocene epoch around fifty million years ago are in trouble. The oceans which sustain every aspect of their lives are becoming a sewer. Every human-impacted corner of the globe is being degraded and all life is at risk. Blubber samples taken from whales reveal that it is a repository for fat-soluble forever chemicals. In a process known as bioaccumulation, and its companion evil biomagnification, nursing mothers pass on a toxic concentration of these deadly chemicals to their young, impairing their chances for survival. The concentration of poison is now so great that dead whales are declared hazardous waste. We know what we are doing, we have all the knowledge we need to stop doing it, yet we humans lack the will to act. Whales (and other marine organisms) continue to die around us, we wring our hands, express outrage - and do nothing.

     One of the best known Killer Whale populations in the world is the group in the Salish Sea off the west coast of North America known as the Southern Residents, and it is one of the most at risk. As researchers grimly state, this is "an extinction in plain sight." The Canadian Killer Whale biologist and environmental activist, Alexandra Morton has stated, "If we lose the Southern Residents, it will be the first extinction where every individual's name was known."

     It is a terrible indictment on all of us that we may permit this to happen.

      Read this book. Please read this book - and take it to heart. We have shamed amusement parks into freeing their captive Orcas. Now is the time to push politicians into global action for all species. 

     Ultimately, that means us too.

Wild Orcas: A Deep Dive into the World of Killer Whales - Princeton University Press

Hardcover - US$35.00 - ISBN: 9780691269849

256 pages - 7.5 x 9.75 inches (18.75 x 24.375 cm)

125 colour illustrations

Publication date: 19 May, 2026

Book Review - Bitter Honey: Big AG's Threat to Bees and the Fight to Save Them - Island Press Imprint, Princeton University Press

 

     One comes away from reading this book wondering whether we have learned anything from the days when Rachel Carson alerted us to the dangers posed by  chemical pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, sprayed indiscriminately on the land, ignoring the long term consequences of poisoning the soil, water and air. A new silent spring is cloaking the landscape; the buzz of bees is chillingly absent.

     Having already faced an arsenal of poison, these vital pollinators are under increasing threat as the current US administration relaxes or eliminates existing protective regulations, even to the extent of permitting forever chemicals to be used again. These chemical assaults are not targeted and native bees and other insects, and valuable pollinator plants, are destroyed.  

     Honey bees are no longer primarily raised to produce honey, but have become trans-continental pollinators, trucked from Maine to California, to sustain the almond harvest there. In a crazy patchwork of largely ineffective management practices, almond groves are sprayed with a head-spinning medley of chemical concoctions, often killing the very bee colonies that were imported to pollinate the trees.  Add to this jumbled mess the impact of the climate crisis, tracheal and varroa mites and other parasites, and bee keepers routinely lose most of their hives in a given year.

     Big Ag is implicated in all of this, in fact is the architect of it, but the pursuit of profit trumps every other consideration. Human greed does not miss a step on the way to making money, the environment be damned.

     There is a glimmer of hope, akin to a dim light in a very dark room, but some farmers and beekeepers, are restoring the land, and managing bees and the landscape that supports healthy populations in a sustainable manner. The scope of their operations, however, is insignificant when compared with the pollination industry that sees semi-trucks fan out all over the continent each February, to provide services that are unsatisfactory to beekeeper and fruit grower alike.

     One can only hope that the vanguard of responsible apiarists is the beginning of a movement. One prominent beekeeper stated, "If there's a low spot, it's turned into a field. If there's a high spot, it's leveled. If there's a wet spot, it's drained. There's no wasteland , no opportunity for anything natural to grow that would provide the diversity honey bees need in their diet." If bees are to survive this has to change.

     Jennie Durant has written a very significant book. I urge everyone to read it. I swore to myself that I would resist calling it the new Silent Spring, but it's impossible not to. It's just that important.

Bitter Honey: Big Ag's Threat to Bees and the Fight to Save Them - Island Press Imprint, Princeton University Press

Hardcover - US$30.00 - ISBN: 9781642834000

248 pages - 33 black-and-white illustrations 

6.125 x 9.25 inches (15.31 x 23.125 cm)

Publication date: 26 May, 2026

Book Review - The Shark Watcher's Manual: A Guide to Species and Where to Find Them - Princeton University Press

 

     Odd though it may seem to those of us who lead more pedestrian lives, primarily landbound, there are those for whom shark watching is a regular activity, and for some a passion verging on addiction. 

     This is a book about that tribe and the sharks they watch; how to do it well, how to do it safely and where to do it. It all seems quite remarkable to me.

     Austin Gallagher is eminently qualified to lead us on this quest. He is a distinguished shark biologist as well as being a keen diver, motivated by the pursuit of scientific truth while not denying the thrill of intimate association with ancient creatures, where lethal encounters are always a possibility. Unlikely and rare, yes, but the threat is always present - and on their terms.

     Vigilance and respect are the cardinal rules of diving with sharks. What starts out as a routine dive in a familiar location can rapidly become dangerous; it is vital to know when it's time to get out of the water.

     The safety of the shark is paramount, no less than the health and well-being of the diver. You wish to go home and have dinner, not become one!

     The first sections of the book provide you with a wealth of information about the origins of these top ocean predators, their lifestyles and locations, shark photography and the ways that you need to act to ensure a safe outcome for both shark and human. The pages are gloriously illustrated and reveal scenes that most of us will never observe first hand.

      The species accounts are masterfully done, with text on the left, and a picture, identification keys, a range map, notes on distribution and hot spots on the right.

       Imagine yourself planning a shark diving adventure and having this wealth of information available to you before leaving home. 

      Were I a diver, I would find the location directory immensely useful. It is a gazetteer of diving locations around the world, organized by continent.

     Sadly, as is the case with all organisms on Earth the future is uncertain. There are success stories in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), but recovery of these ancient creatures is slow. We must cling to hope, but optimism does not deny facts, and we are changing the oceans in ways that have far-reaching and long-lasting consequences. We continue to assault the seas with staggering amounts of garbage, they are heating up, becoming more acidic and currents that regulate the temperature of the Earth are in danger of being disrupted.

     I was on the Island of Eleuthera in The Bahamas in February, and the sharks there have tested positive for drugs, including cocaine and painkillers. How are other marine organisms affected? What does this signal for humans? We are not immune from the havoc being wreaked on the oceans. Sharks are consumed by humans around the world and bioaccumulation of toxins is a real threat.

      The book illustrates magnificently the glory of ocean life, and the joy to be derived from diving with top predators. Let's hope we can come to our senses - and soon - to make sure we do not lose it.

      Or is it already too late?

The Shark Watcher's Manual: A Guide to Species and Where to Find Them - Princeton University Press

Paperback - US$32.00 - ISBN: 9780691273204

288 pages - 6 x 9.25 inches (15 x 23.125 cm) - 90 illustrations

Publication date: 14 April, 2026

Book Review - Natural Connection: Six Roots of Environmental Wisdom & Action - Princeton University Press

 

     Joycelyn Longdon offers a unique approach to understanding and dealing with the climate crisis. She is both highly engaged and highly engaging and enables us to become active participants in a journey of connection, the key to all action. "Connection" may be a word that enters our lexicon with increasing frequency; after all, without connection we are but bystanders to a world collapsing around us. 

     Longdon explores the six roots of environmental wisdom and action, beginning with Rage - healthy, justifiable rage, that is - and progressing through Imagination, Innovation, Theory, Healing, and Care. She offers fine scholarship in an easily readable form. 

     Along the way she pays tribute to indigenous wisdom and its essential role in combatting environmental breakdown. Part of our collective wisdom is that we are finally listening to these voices which have long offered solutions.

     She examines the numerous and heinous injustices inflicted on people of colour, marginalized communities and the ongoing scourge of institutionalized racism in many governments throughout the world. A colonial mentality and unrestrained capitalism are as toxic now as they have ever been. 

     We may gnash our teeth over the overall state of the world as it hurtles towards self-annihilation, yet in our relationships with others, we must cling to joy, and yes, even hope. The world we know will change in drastic ways, but we must learn to adapt and not surrender to despair.

     Longdon is a unique voice in a sea of doom, offering hope for the future. Even the most pessimistic among us should listen.

     If I have one minor quibble with the book it is that it cries out for pictures. Their absence probably reflects budgetary constraints, but there are several places where a photograph would have measurably enhanced the text - the living root bridges, the tree in the centre of the road in Ghana, the church forests of Ethiopia.

     I enjoyed the book very much. It is compelling and offers a new perspective on THE issue of the century. It needs to be read by those in positions of power in countries throughout the world. 

     Sadly, I don't think that it will be. 

Natural Connection: Six Roots of Environmental Wisdom & Action - Princeton University Press

Joycelyn Longdon

US$22.95 - ISBN: 9780691284378

368 pages - 5.5 x 8.5 inches (13.75 x 21.25 cm)

Publication date: 12 May, 2026

Book Review - Forest of the Sea: The Remarkable Life and Imperiled Future of Kelp - Island Press, an Imprint of Princeton University Press

 

     David Helvarg takes us on an historical journey through this imperilled ecosystem, filling us with grief, anger and disbelief that we have exploited it beyond all reason, and have pushed an abundant, self-renewing resource almost into oblivion. Aside from the inherent functions of kelp forests as carbon sinks, more efficient even than terrestrial rainforests, they provide critical habitat for myriad species, from abalone to cod.

     You may ask yourself immediately, what is the commonality between abalone and cod? Answer - they have both been over-exploited almost to the point of extinction. Human short-sightedness and greed are at play, as they always are, in ignoring the integrity of a healthy, functioning ecosystem. The removal of a top predator, such as the Sea Otter, causes ecosystem collapse and rich kelp forests supporting all manner of life become urchin barrens. We can plainly see what overharvesting does, yet blindly we do it again.

     As is so often the case, having caused resource collapse, we spend millions of dollars attempting restoration. Tragically, with sickening predictability, we are always willing to sacrifice long term stability for short term financial gain. 

     Over harvesting, the traditional sin, has been joined by the more insidious issue of warming oceans, which are potentially life-threatening for all marine organisms. Can we reverse the trend? It is doubtful, and even were rapid remediation to occur, the long term damage will linger for decades, possibly centuries. In a senseless orgy of pernicious perversity the Trump administration is proactively reversing the  progress that has been made, eliminating years of enlightened legislation. More is needed, not less, yet we are now facing more acid rain, increased plastic pollution, seabed exploration and species extinction.

      Sylvia Earle, the doyenne of marine conservation, expresses it well, "We are altering the nature of nature, and we have to begin to restore life." We have known this for a long time but still lack the collective will to take meaningful action and time is running out.

      It is impossible to read this book and not come away with dismay and incredulity at human greed and stupidity, yet it is important that it has been written. Perhaps someone will heed the clarion call that action is needed NOW.

     We must cling to hope; hope and reality, however, are often poles apart. The stark reality of environmental damnation stares us daily in the face.

     One wishes that a triumphal march were being composed for the oceans; realistically it is more likely a requiem. 

     I earnestly hope that I will be proven wrong.

Forest of the Sea: The Remarkable Life and Imperiled Future of Kelp - Island Press, an Imprint of Princeton University Press

David Helvarg

Hardcover - US$30.00 - ISBN: 9781642833829

264 pages - 12 black-and-white illustrations 

6 x 9 inches (15 x 22.5 cm)

Publication date: 05 May, 2026

     

Book Review - The Descent of Man: An Annotated Edition of Darwin's Classic Work - Princeton University Press

      Your initial reaction when viewing this book might be amazement at the work that has gone into it. It truly is monumental!

      When Charles Darwin published The Descent of Man in 1871 it was noteworthy and sensational, postulating theories and opinions that were were considered scurrilous by many, and sacrilegious by even more. To even hint that humans evolved from lower life forms flew in the face of established dogma, verged on heresy and was received with horror by the religious establishment. Theories of sexual selection and the gradual modification of Homo sapiens engendered outrage and condemnation since man was deemed to have been made in the image of God, perfect in form and immutable in nature.

      This annotated version is a magnum opus compiled by two experts in different fields, thereby combining the scientific and cultural aspects of Darwin's keystone work.

     It is laid out in an easy-to-read format with a numerical cross reference to the original text and the explicatory notes. For those who have not previously read The Descent of Man you will be coming at it from the best possible perspective, with interpretation and historical background as you progress through the book. As someone familiar with the work, I learned on every page and had the benefit of an expanded examination of Darwin’s foundational treatise. The commentaries by the two authors are crisp, sharp, informative and welcomed. You will meet all the luminaries of the day involved in the rapidly evolving theories of the origin of man.

     A couple of sections with coloured plates provide  marvelous insights into the intellectual developments of the period, and are just plain visually appealing.

     It is touching to see where The Beagle lay at anchor in Tierra del Fuego. I have actually gazed out at this very spot, and I visited a cemetery where two captains of The Beagle are buried, having committed suicide.

     The ornamentation of male birds, driven by female sexual selection is gloriously presented.

     This is one of those reference books that you know will stand the test of time. It will be as relevant and illuminating fifty years from now as it is today. A remarkable work in every way. 

The Descent of Man: An Annotated Edition of Darwin's Classic Work - Princeton University Press

James T. Costa and Elizabeth E. Yale

Hardcover - US$54.95 - ISBN: 9780691194042

816 pages - 8 x 10 inches (20 x25 cm)

2 colour inserts - 77 black-and-white illustrations

Publication date: 21 April, 2026

Book Review - Outsider Animals - Princeton University Press

     It has long been a source of irritation to me that far too many people project human values onto animals and judge them accordingly. The irrationality of such a posture seems not to dawn on Homo sapiens, and it assumes that "our" standards are correct and that "theirs" are wrong. Given the impoverished and degraded state of the planet (not caused by cockroaches, cowbirds or gulls I might add), and the proclivity of humans to engage in constant warfare, it seems a little rich for humans to take the high ground.

     Marlene Zuk has written an entertaining and easily readable book defending the creatures we most like to hate. There are more of them than she includes in this book, but obviously there are limits to what can be covered in one volume. She combines her scientific expertise with her avowed respect for the creatures we have come to despise, without undue sentimentality, and urges us to examine the entire life style of the organism and not react only to certain behaviours we find detestable. There is much more to a Raccoon than being a pest at your garbage can.

     Permit me the indulgence of a personal digression if you will. If a Red-tailed Hawk swoops down on a snake it generally receives applause and approval from people who witness the event. If the same hawk captures a pretty little songbird, or even a chipmunk, it is condemned and cursed. The fact that the bird is simply capturing food seems to be lost on the observers, some of whom will see no contradiction in their reaction as they go home to eat their lamb chops!

     The ecosystems of the Earth are rich in beauty and diversity with symmetry and synergism aplenty and we need to stop categorizing animals as friend or villain. Take a moment to really get to know the creatures you profess to hate and you may garner a whole new level of respect.

     You might even get to like some of them!

Outsider Animals: How the Creatures at the Margins of Our Lives Have the Most to Teach Us - Princeton University Press

Marlene Zuk 

Hardcover - US$29.95 - ISBN: 9780691264240

312 pages - 5.5 x 8.5 inches (13.75 x 21.25 cm)

9 black-and-white illustrations

Publication date: 17 March, 2026