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Portraits of the Rainforest
 
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Portraits of the Rainforest [Paperback]

Adrian Forsyth (Author), E. O. Wilson (Foreword), Michael Fogden (Photographer), Patricia Fogden (Photographer)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Book Description

A tiny rufous-tailed hummingbird hovers before the bright inflorescence of a heliconia. Undetected by the foraging bird a golden eyelash viper is curled motionless around the plant. An instant later, this subtle configuration of flora and fauna is shattered by the snake's sudden strike.

Portraits of the Rainforest explores the precarious contingencies that determine the nature of tropical life, and award-winning Adrian Forsyth approaches his subject with a "mixture of hope and trepidation." A biologist who has spent 20 years working in the rainforest, Forsyth has observed firsthand the ravaging effects of agricultural, economic and environmental policies on an ecosystem under siege.

Yet in this collection of essays, he has chosen to celebrate the rainforest rather than to lament its loss. The rainforest plays a variety of roles -- as a genetic reservoir, a pharmacy of natural products and a carbon dioxide exchange system -- but for Forsyth, its true value rests with something less functional. The rainforest, he argues, represents the pinnacle of biological diversity and evolutionary sophistication on this planet.

Forsyth draws on his own extensive experience in the rainforest to make this fascinating habitat tangible for his readers. The result is a creative, anecdotal text that in each chapter follows a thread of adaptive Darwinian logic through some part of the rainforest. The exquisite photography of Michael and Patricia Fogden helps to make Portraits of the Rainforest an unforgettable journey.

About the Author

An award-winning natural-science writer, Adrian Forsyth is a senior biodiversity scientist based at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. He is also the author of The Nature of Birds, A Natural History of Sex, Mammals of North America: Temperate and Arctic Regions and How Monkeys Make Chocolate.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Monteverde residents bring rain forest to life, July 4 2000
By 
Carolyn G. Bobo (Fort Worth, TX USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Portraits of the Rainforest (Paperback)
The author and photographers are part time residents of the Monteverde area of Costa Rica. Many of the photos in this book also are displayed at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, near Santa Elena, in Central Costa Rica. Anyone who has been to a Central or South American rain forest or cloud forest will enjoy the ecological explanations -- similar to briefer explanations by guia naturalistas (guides) in the reserves -- and will especially enjoy the dramatic photos. Those who haven't visited the forest in person may be motivated to do so.
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Amazon.com: 5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Monteverde residents bring rain forest to life, July 4 2000
By Carolyn G. Bobo - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Portraits of the Rainforest (Paperback)
The author and photographers are part time residents of the Monteverde area of Costa Rica. Many of the photos in this book also are displayed at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, near Santa Elena, in Central Costa Rica. Anyone who has been to a Central or South American rain forest or cloud forest will enjoy the ecological explanations -- similar to briefer explanations by guia naturalistas (guides) in the reserves -- and will especially enjoy the dramatic photos. Those who haven't visited the forest in person may be motivated to do so.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book, great for kids, perfect for schools!, July 26 2006
By Sandy Sullivan "Axollot" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Portraits of the Rainforest (Paperback)
This is an awesome pictorial with great editorial book that is awesome to read or simply thumb through to view some of the most beautiful rainforest's the world has to offer. Perfect for schools, to show kids who may have never been to or seen a rainforest what they are & why we need to protect them.

Very young children will understand when explained the importance all rainforest's have for human survival, not to mention the survival of unique flora & fauna.

This book would be helpful to science classes of all ages and teachers should have no problem creating study guides and exercises from it.

Do not get me wrong, this book is perfect for adults too, makes a fantastic coffee table book for your guests to flip through. And would look striking on the coffee table of any home!

I do not think anyone who purchases this would be disappointed. It is such a lovely book and simply gorgeous to view!

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Informative, Sep 20 2008
By J.Smith - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Portraits of the Rainforest (Paperback)
I was very fortunate to find a used copy from the library. The pictures are not only remarkable but the information included make it very valuable. The truth hurts and there is plenty of facts in here about how we as a people are destroying our Earth. If this book moves one person to care about the effects of their actions.. then maybe it's served its purpose.
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