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novanother's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book for a paper on the wolf returning to Germany, and while I found what I was there for I also found a lot more. The last three chapters give interesting but insanely sad insight into the way humans have altered Europe
sebastianreading's review against another edition
3.75
All the information of a textbook but in an engaging and interesting format. I couldn't tell you the specific names of things after reading this, but I definitely have a better overarching picture of the topic.
clarareads1000books's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, this is an interesting and entertaining book which teaches a lot about Europe's history from being a tropical archipelago crowded by dwarf dinosaurs until becoming a densely inhabited and strongly urbanized continent. Flannery introduces the reader to countless strange creatures and beautiful, outer-wordly landscapes of past time using his fun time machine. He also talks about hte scientists who contributed to our current understanding of Europe's natural history. Additionally, he is very good at clearly explaining all kinds of difficult concepts and intricate feedback loops between the weather, the sea-level, the continental drift and the composition of Europe's fauna and flora in different geological periods.
Yet I can't help but agree with many other readers that many stretches of this book feel like endless lists of extinct creatures which names you almost immediately forget. This I have to say made the book a little bit tedious and monotonous at times. Secondly, I didn't appreciate Flannery's tendency to portray every scientist in the field as mad, eccentric or suicidal with this gossipy/mocking tone which I found completely out of place.
Despite these points of criticism I believe it's worth giving this book a read, since you do really learn a lot. And I have to say some of the descriptions of past European landscapes are quite beautiful.
Yet I can't help but agree with many other readers that many stretches of this book feel like endless lists of extinct creatures which names you almost immediately forget. This I have to say made the book a little bit tedious and monotonous at times. Secondly, I didn't appreciate Flannery's tendency to portray every scientist in the field as mad, eccentric or suicidal with this gossipy/mocking tone which I found completely out of place.
Despite these points of criticism I believe it's worth giving this book a read, since you do really learn a lot. And I have to say some of the descriptions of past European landscapes are quite beautiful.
worky's review against another edition
5.0
A vast story engagingly told. Worthwhile just to read about how the Med dried up taking 1000 years to empty and 100 years to refill.
fictionfan's review against another edition
5.0
From fossils to the future...
Starting roughly 100 million years ago, Flannery sets out to tell the story of Europe – how it formed, the species that have lived, survived or become extinct in it, the rise of humanity, and the possible future impacts of our current galloping climate change. Along the way, he tells us of the many men and women who have contributed to uncovering this history or who have in some way affected it.
There’s so much in this fascinating book that it’s hard to know how to summarise it in a few hundred words. It gives a panoramic view, bringing together and linking all the bits of natural history that are often covered separately, such as the formation of the continent, or current rewilding projects, or the origins of humanity. It’s surprisingly compact, considering its huge scope, and yet never feels superficial or rushed. And Flannery is a master of the art of converting scientific information into language easily understandable by the non-scientist.
Flannery starts by explaining how the landmass formed and changed over time and how this impacted on the development and spread of species, or conversely on their isolation to single geographic areas. He explains the various climate changes over the aeons – why they happened and how they affected both environment and fauna. He describes the various land corridors that have existed at points between what are now separate continents, and the flow of species along these. I was reading a review copy without maps, but it indicated that maps will be available in the final version – I didn’t find the lack of them seriously affected my understanding of what he was describing, but they would undoubtedly be an enhancement.
Personally I’m very human-centric, so I found the sections where he discussed the early hominids, the Neanderthals and the early humans particularly interesting. Flannery seems to have a good deal of admiration for the Neanderthals, seeing them not in any way as a lower form of species to humanity. In fact, he often gives the impression that in some ways he thinks they were superior in terms of intelligence and innovation, and that humanity’s main advantage, and the reason why we survived and they didn’t, is that humans can exist on foods other than meat, which enabled us to adapt better to changing environments. There’s a fascinating chapter on hybridisation between pale-skinned European Neanderthals and the early black African humans to create the first European humans. He doesn’t specifically say so, but I got the distinct feeling that he thinks the infusion of Neanderthal DNA was advantageous to the humans. Certainly he suspects that female Neanderthal mothers may have passed tips to their hybrid offspring on how to survive in the cold European climate, such as cave-dwelling. Apparently indigenous Europeans (and their descendants throughout the diaspora) still have a small but significant percentage of Neanderthal DNA.
Once into the human phase of history, he shows how man began to impact on the environment and on other species, hunting some to extinction, destroying the habitats of some through farming, and domesticating some as farm animals or working animals. He talks of the European reliance on the cow as a source of food, and how that advantaged those with high lactose tolerance. He discusses the domestication of dogs, horses, cats, and explains how repeated selection and breeding of those with the most suitable temperaments for living domestically eventually changed them fundamentally from their wilder forebears. And he shows how human activities led to the introduction of species from (and to) other regions of the world, sometimes deliberately, sometimes accidentally, and often with unforeseen effects on indigenous species.
As well as being a naturalist, Flannery is a renowned name in the field of climate change, so his final section looks to a future where change is happening so fast some species are unlikely to be able to adapt quickly enough to survive without human intervention. However, it’s not all bleak – the warming of Europe allows scope for reintroduction of species who emigrated during the ice ages, and Flannery sees this as a possible means of survival for some of the species who will be under threat in warmer parts of the world. He makes a strong case for Europe reintroducing some of the large species from Africa, including the predators, arguing that it’s unfair for Europeans to expect a turbulent, growing Africa to have to bear all the risks and costs of preserving these species if we are all to enjoy the benefits of their survival. He’s less clear about his support for the reintroduction of extinct species, possible now with genetic science, but suggests that society should form a view on this (presumably, though he doesn’t say so, before the mad scientists make the decisions for us). Thankfully, he draws the line at the idea of reintroducing the Neanderthal, although the survival of Neanderthal DNA makes this possible, concluding that the genetic manipulation of humans is immoral. I can only hope the wider scientific community agrees with him on that one.
As always with these science-based books, I feel I’ve give only a superficial flavour of this one, concentrating on the bits that most interested me. But I found the whole thing fascinating, bringing together lots of disparate bits of things I’ve read about over the years into one coherent whole. Flannery writes clearly and entertainingly, including lots of anecdotes about the scientists and naturalists who’ve contributed to the sum of knowledge over the centuries, which helps to break up the more sciency stuff. And he’s meticulous about differentiating things that are known from those that are theorised but not yet proven, and from his own occasional speculations. An excellent read, informative and enjoyable – highly recommended!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Atlantic Monthly Press.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Starting roughly 100 million years ago, Flannery sets out to tell the story of Europe – how it formed, the species that have lived, survived or become extinct in it, the rise of humanity, and the possible future impacts of our current galloping climate change. Along the way, he tells us of the many men and women who have contributed to uncovering this history or who have in some way affected it.
There’s so much in this fascinating book that it’s hard to know how to summarise it in a few hundred words. It gives a panoramic view, bringing together and linking all the bits of natural history that are often covered separately, such as the formation of the continent, or current rewilding projects, or the origins of humanity. It’s surprisingly compact, considering its huge scope, and yet never feels superficial or rushed. And Flannery is a master of the art of converting scientific information into language easily understandable by the non-scientist.
Flannery starts by explaining how the landmass formed and changed over time and how this impacted on the development and spread of species, or conversely on their isolation to single geographic areas. He explains the various climate changes over the aeons – why they happened and how they affected both environment and fauna. He describes the various land corridors that have existed at points between what are now separate continents, and the flow of species along these. I was reading a review copy without maps, but it indicated that maps will be available in the final version – I didn’t find the lack of them seriously affected my understanding of what he was describing, but they would undoubtedly be an enhancement.
Personally I’m very human-centric, so I found the sections where he discussed the early hominids, the Neanderthals and the early humans particularly interesting. Flannery seems to have a good deal of admiration for the Neanderthals, seeing them not in any way as a lower form of species to humanity. In fact, he often gives the impression that in some ways he thinks they were superior in terms of intelligence and innovation, and that humanity’s main advantage, and the reason why we survived and they didn’t, is that humans can exist on foods other than meat, which enabled us to adapt better to changing environments. There’s a fascinating chapter on hybridisation between pale-skinned European Neanderthals and the early black African humans to create the first European humans. He doesn’t specifically say so, but I got the distinct feeling that he thinks the infusion of Neanderthal DNA was advantageous to the humans. Certainly he suspects that female Neanderthal mothers may have passed tips to their hybrid offspring on how to survive in the cold European climate, such as cave-dwelling. Apparently indigenous Europeans (and their descendants throughout the diaspora) still have a small but significant percentage of Neanderthal DNA.
Once into the human phase of history, he shows how man began to impact on the environment and on other species, hunting some to extinction, destroying the habitats of some through farming, and domesticating some as farm animals or working animals. He talks of the European reliance on the cow as a source of food, and how that advantaged those with high lactose tolerance. He discusses the domestication of dogs, horses, cats, and explains how repeated selection and breeding of those with the most suitable temperaments for living domestically eventually changed them fundamentally from their wilder forebears. And he shows how human activities led to the introduction of species from (and to) other regions of the world, sometimes deliberately, sometimes accidentally, and often with unforeseen effects on indigenous species.
As well as being a naturalist, Flannery is a renowned name in the field of climate change, so his final section looks to a future where change is happening so fast some species are unlikely to be able to adapt quickly enough to survive without human intervention. However, it’s not all bleak – the warming of Europe allows scope for reintroduction of species who emigrated during the ice ages, and Flannery sees this as a possible means of survival for some of the species who will be under threat in warmer parts of the world. He makes a strong case for Europe reintroducing some of the large species from Africa, including the predators, arguing that it’s unfair for Europeans to expect a turbulent, growing Africa to have to bear all the risks and costs of preserving these species if we are all to enjoy the benefits of their survival. He’s less clear about his support for the reintroduction of extinct species, possible now with genetic science, but suggests that society should form a view on this (presumably, though he doesn’t say so, before the mad scientists make the decisions for us). Thankfully, he draws the line at the idea of reintroducing the Neanderthal, although the survival of Neanderthal DNA makes this possible, concluding that the genetic manipulation of humans is immoral. I can only hope the wider scientific community agrees with him on that one.
As always with these science-based books, I feel I’ve give only a superficial flavour of this one, concentrating on the bits that most interested me. But I found the whole thing fascinating, bringing together lots of disparate bits of things I’ve read about over the years into one coherent whole. Flannery writes clearly and entertainingly, including lots of anecdotes about the scientists and naturalists who’ve contributed to the sum of knowledge over the centuries, which helps to break up the more sciency stuff. And he’s meticulous about differentiating things that are known from those that are theorised but not yet proven, and from his own occasional speculations. An excellent read, informative and enjoyable – highly recommended!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Atlantic Monthly Press.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
cavalary's review against another edition
4.0
[EN: (RO below)]
The book is written well, at times even humorous, and definitely engaging and enjoyable throughout, which in itself is quite an achievement when you consider the topic. However, while it usually does a pretty good job of painting a picture in the reader's mind, it does feel like it'd have been better as a documentary to watch than a book to read and there are times when the information's too compressed, the overwhelming amount packed in a page or a single paragraph being hard to keep up with.
Otherwise, from the beginning it's taken as a given that, ever since they evolved, humans have been wiping out other species as soon as they met them, and part four, its first half in particular, is a disheartening tale of environmental destruction and species' extinction. Also, the event at the start of the Eocene may be the most striking example, but whenever the devastating effects of past climate change events are described, it's mentioned almost in passing how much slower the change took place and how much lower the level of emissions which caused it was, compared to the current situation. So, while that final trip with the time machine, for the view of Europe 180 years in the future, paints a far better picture than supposedly optimistic views of the future generally do, it's barely a quick glimpse, with no details, which may easily make it just as bad, and either way it seems utterly impossible, judging by both the present and the past. And... Referring to the matter in general, not for the purpose of bringing back Neanderthals, why would selective breeding of people be profoundly immoral, but just fine and even desired when it comes to any other species?
[RO:]
Cartea e scrisa bine, uneori chiar cu umor, si cu siguranta captivanta de la cap la coada, ceea ce e in sine o realizare daca tii cont de subiect. Insa, desi de obicei reuseste destul de bine sa formeze o imagine in mintea cititorului, da senzatia ca ar fi fost mai potrivita ca un documentar de privit in locul unei carti de citit si sunt momente cand informatia este prea compresata, cantitatea coplesitoare dintr-o pagina sau un singur paragraf fiind greu de urmarit.
Altfel, de la inceput este considerat un dat ca, inca de cand au evoluat, oamenii au eliminat alte specii imediat ce le-au intalnit, iar partea a patra, in special in prima jumatate a sa, este o poveste descurajatoare a distrugerii mediului si disparitiei speciilor. De asemenea, evenimentul de la startul eocenului poate fi cel mai izbitor exemplu, dar oricand sunt descrise efectele devastatoare ale schimbarilor climatice din trecut, se mentioneaza aproape in trecere cu cat mai lent au avut loc schimbarile si cu cat a fost mai redus nivelul emisiilor care le-au cauzat, in comparatie cu situatia curenta. Deci, desi acea ultima calatorie cu masina timpului, pentru o privire asupra Europei 180 de ani in viitor, prezinta o imagine mult mai buna decat imaginile asa-zis optimiste ale viitorului tind sa o faca, este doar o intrezarire, fara detalii, care o pot face cu usurinta la fel de rea, si oricum pare complet imposibila, judecand atat in functie de prezent cat si de trecut. Si... Referindu-ma la subiect in general, nu in scopul readucerii la viata a oamenilor de Neanderthal, de ce ar fi inmultirea selectiva a oamenilor profund imorala, dar complet in regula si chiar de dorit cand e vorba de orice alta specie?
The book is written well, at times even humorous, and definitely engaging and enjoyable throughout, which in itself is quite an achievement when you consider the topic. However, while it usually does a pretty good job of painting a picture in the reader's mind, it does feel like it'd have been better as a documentary to watch than a book to read and there are times when the information's too compressed, the overwhelming amount packed in a page or a single paragraph being hard to keep up with.
Otherwise, from the beginning it's taken as a given that, ever since they evolved, humans have been wiping out other species as soon as they met them, and part four, its first half in particular, is a disheartening tale of environmental destruction and species' extinction. Also, the event at the start of the Eocene may be the most striking example, but whenever the devastating effects of past climate change events are described, it's mentioned almost in passing how much slower the change took place and how much lower the level of emissions which caused it was, compared to the current situation. So, while that final trip with the time machine, for the view of Europe 180 years in the future, paints a far better picture than supposedly optimistic views of the future generally do, it's barely a quick glimpse, with no details, which may easily make it just as bad, and either way it seems utterly impossible, judging by both the present and the past. And... Referring to the matter in general, not for the purpose of bringing back Neanderthals, why would selective breeding of people be profoundly immoral, but just fine and even desired when it comes to any other species?
[RO:]
Cartea e scrisa bine, uneori chiar cu umor, si cu siguranta captivanta de la cap la coada, ceea ce e in sine o realizare daca tii cont de subiect. Insa, desi de obicei reuseste destul de bine sa formeze o imagine in mintea cititorului, da senzatia ca ar fi fost mai potrivita ca un documentar de privit in locul unei carti de citit si sunt momente cand informatia este prea compresata, cantitatea coplesitoare dintr-o pagina sau un singur paragraf fiind greu de urmarit.
Altfel, de la inceput este considerat un dat ca, inca de cand au evoluat, oamenii au eliminat alte specii imediat ce le-au intalnit, iar partea a patra, in special in prima jumatate a sa, este o poveste descurajatoare a distrugerii mediului si disparitiei speciilor. De asemenea, evenimentul de la startul eocenului poate fi cel mai izbitor exemplu, dar oricand sunt descrise efectele devastatoare ale schimbarilor climatice din trecut, se mentioneaza aproape in trecere cu cat mai lent au avut loc schimbarile si cu cat a fost mai redus nivelul emisiilor care le-au cauzat, in comparatie cu situatia curenta. Deci, desi acea ultima calatorie cu masina timpului, pentru o privire asupra Europei 180 de ani in viitor, prezinta o imagine mult mai buna decat imaginile asa-zis optimiste ale viitorului tind sa o faca, este doar o intrezarire, fara detalii, care o pot face cu usurinta la fel de rea, si oricum pare complet imposibila, judecand atat in functie de prezent cat si de trecut. Si... Referindu-ma la subiect in general, nu in scopul readucerii la viata a oamenilor de Neanderthal, de ce ar fi inmultirea selectiva a oamenilor profund imorala, dar complet in regula si chiar de dorit cand e vorba de orice alta specie?
kimswhims's review against another edition
5.0
A triumph of Natural History that spans from 100 million years ago all the way to a peek into the future. Any book that stuffs that span of time into 357 pages is going to be densely packed with fascinating information.
It also has only a small section for images, so having google handy to look up unfamiliar beasts works quite well while reading this book.
It's a very open-minded approach and introduced me to a whole new way of looking at conservation with a very long term view. Fascinating.
Had to dedicate blocks of 20 mins of reading time (in multiple amounts) to it, because I found it took quite a bit of concentration to absorb the small amount of it that I feel I did.
Quite an eye-opener and a really great read. Will be considering getting my own secondhand copy after returning this one to the library so I can have a more indepth look at the many pages of footnotes.
It also has only a small section for images, so having google handy to look up unfamiliar beasts works quite well while reading this book.
It's a very open-minded approach and introduced me to a whole new way of looking at conservation with a very long term view. Fascinating.
Had to dedicate blocks of 20 mins of reading time (in multiple amounts) to it, because I found it took quite a bit of concentration to absorb the small amount of it that I feel I did.
Quite an eye-opener and a really great read. Will be considering getting my own secondhand copy after returning this one to the library so I can have a more indepth look at the many pages of footnotes.