The Encyclopedia of World Wildlife
Mark and Peggy Briggs
Parragon Publishing
Nonfiction, Animals/Nature
Themes: Encyclopedias
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Description
Ours is a world of living wonders, of marvelous animals in remarkable habitats. Even as we push many of our fellow inhabitants of this planet over the brink of oblivion, we remain awed by their diversity. This book describes many animals from many places, from the well-known to the obscure and the thriving to the nearly extinct.
Review
It's sad when reading a wildlife book can depress you, but such is the price of belonging to a destructive species... This book has some nice photographs and covers many animals which I've never heard of (or if I have, only in passing), but the brief articles are often uninformative. I also was unsure of why certain animals were treated to two- to three-page spreads while other highly diverse and fascinating groups were glossed over in one quick paragraph, if not omitted altogether. Throughout, warnings of dwindling populations, habitat destruction, poaching, and senseless superstition-based slaughter serve as a grim reminder of humanity's disproportionately great and terrible impact on the world which we, capable of foresight and planning beyond any other species, should be far more interested in protecting than destroying.