{"product_id":"9781439124963","title":"The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions","description":"David Quammen's book, \u003ci\u003eThe Song of the Dodo\u003c\/i\u003e, is a\u003cbr\u003e brilliant, stirring work, breathtaking in its scope,\u003cbr\u003e far-reaching in its message -- a crucial book in\u003cbr\u003e precarious times, which radically alters the way in\u003cbr\u003e which we understand the natural world and our place\u003cbr\u003e in that world. It's also a book full of entertainment\u003cbr\u003e and wonders.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003eThe Song of the Dodo\u003c\/i\u003e, we follow Quammen's keen\u003cbr\u003e intellect through the ideas, theories, and experiments \u003cbr\u003e of prominent naturalists of the last two centuries. \u003cbr\u003e We trail after him as he travels the world,\u003cbr\u003e tracking the subject of island biogeography, which\u003cbr\u003e encompasses nothing less than the study of the origin \u003cbr\u003e and extinction of all species. Why is this island\u003cbr\u003e idea so important? Because islands are where\u003cbr\u003e species most commonly go extinct -- and because, as\u003cbr\u003e Quammen points out, we live in an age when all of\u003cbr\u003e Earth's landscapes are being chopped into island-like\u003cbr\u003e fragments by human activity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Through his eyes, we glimpse the nature of evolution \u003cbr\u003e and extinction, and in so doing come to understand \u003cbr\u003e the monumental diversity of our planet, and\u003cbr\u003e the importance of preserving its wild landscapes,\u003cbr\u003e animals, and plants. We also meet some fascinating\u003cbr\u003e human characters. By the book's end we are wiser,\u003cbr\u003e and more deeply concerned, but Quammen\u003cbr\u003e leaves us with a message of excitement and hope.","brand":"Scribner","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47124875510000,"sku":"9781439124963","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781439124963_p0.jpg?v=1763755385","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781439124963","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}