Stuffed, perhaps overstuffed, with examples of evolutionary changes caused by people.
How do humans impact the evolution of other species?
Summing up the complexity of evolution (spoiler: It doesn’t work in a straight line) in just 124 pages is quite a challenge. Taking on this vast, complicated topic, Ridge looks at how humans have co-existed with nature through history, altering its course in myriad ways, such as through hunting and farming. She writes, “We’re the only ones who have altered our natural environment—on purpose—so it’s better suited to us, rather than adapting to make us better suited to it.” Rhinos are poached for their horns, so now hornless rhinos have a better shot at survival and are likely to become more common. And because of urbanization, crested anole lizards, which have tiny hairs on their toe pads to help them climb, have evolved even more hairs to allow them to scale smooth, metallic surfaces. The book offers a wealth of information and a lot of nuance, though at times it sacrifices visual appeal. Interspersed throughout are “Did You Know?” and “Making a Difference” sidebars focused on, respectively, fun facts and relevant student projects and sustainability organizations. For the most part, however, the story is relayed in bulleted lists accompanied by muted illustrations of flora and fauna. The amount of material at times feels unfocused even as the book tries to offer solutions to counter humanity’s negative impacts on the environment.
Stuffed, perhaps overstuffed, with examples of evolutionary changes caused by people. (resources, websites, organizations that are making a difference, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: May 30, 2023
ISBN: 9781773217512
Page Count: 124
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hot on the heels of the well-received Leonardo da Vinci (2005) comes another agreeably chatty entry in the Giants of Science series. Here the pioneering physicist is revealed as undeniably brilliant, but also cantankerous, mean-spirited, paranoid and possibly depressive. Newton’s youth and annus mirabilis receive respectful treatment, the solitude enforced by family estrangement and then the plague seen as critical to the development of his thoughtful, methodical approach. His subsequent squabbles with the rest of the scientific community—he refrained from publishing one treatise until his rival was dead—further support the image of Newton as a scientific lone wolf. Krull’s colloquial treatment sketches Newton’s advances in clearly understandable terms without bogging the text down with detailed explanations. A final chapter on “His Impact” places him squarely in the pantheon of great thinkers, arguing that both his insistence on the scientific method and his theories of physics have informed all subsequent scientific thought. A bibliography, web site and index round out the volume; the lack of detail on the use of sources is regrettable in an otherwise solid offering for middle-grade students. (Biography. 10-14)
Pub Date: April 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-670-05921-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2006
This glossy, colorful title in the “I Want To Be” series has visual appeal but poor organization and a fuzzy focus, which limits its usefulness. Each double-paged layout introduces a new topic with six to eight full-color photographs and a single column of text. Topics include types of environmentalists, eco-issues, waste renewal, education, High School of Environmental Studies, environmental vocabulary, history of environmentalism, famous environmentalists, and the return of the eagle. Often the photographs have little to do with the text or are marginal to the topic. For example, a typical layout called “Some Alternative Solutions” has five snapshots superimposed on a double-page photograph of a California wind farm. The text discusses ways to develop alternative forms of energy and “encourage environmentally friendly lifestyles.” Photos include “a healer who treats a patient with alternative therapy using sound and massage,” and “the Castle,” a house built of “used tires and aluminum cans.” Elsewhere, “Did You Know . . . ” shows a dramatic photo of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, but the text provides odd facts such as “ . . . that in Saudi Arabia there are solar-powered pay phones in the desert?” Some sections seem stuck in, a two-page piece on the effects of “El Niño” or 50 postage-stamp–sized photos of endangered species. The author concludes with places to write for more information and a list of photo credits. Pretty, but little here to warrant purchase. (Nonfiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-15-201862-X
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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