One Planet

Publishers Weekly

In an effort to reawaken our consciousness of the environment, this hefty volume offers text about and photographs (taken by a team of more than 20 nature photographers) of eight modern ecosystems: oceans, deserts, grasslands, polar regions, wetlands, mountains, forests and cities. Including pictures portraying the beauty of the natural world as well as images of its destruction, French nature writer Hulot and the foundation bearing his name succeed in emphasizing humans' not always salubrious influence on biodiversity, from sea snails of the ocean floor to the common city rat. The photographs-whether stunning or shocking, like that of a gory fish market in Tokyo and one of a stork trapped in a plastic bag are much more effective for Hulot's environmental project than the brief, condemning text, characterized by words like "selfish," "pitiful," "pathetic" and "sickening." The juxtaposition of clich d images (a clownfish in a sea anemone and an otter floating on its back) with those of a rusted ship hulk marooned in the desert, circular hollows used to collect salt in Niger and an aerial view of crop irrigation offers an innovative picture of modern ecosystems. With more than 300 full-color pages, this volume offers a look into the near and far reaches of the world, which share the common consequences of an advancing human population. (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

This beautiful book, produced by the Nicolas Hulot Foundation for Nature and Humanity, a group that works to promote education and preservation in the areas of ecology and the environment, is filled with 250 breathtaking photographs taken by a team of renowned nature photographers. After an introduction by Niles Eldredge (curator, American Museum of Natural History), the work is presented in eight sections covering oceans, deserts, grasslands, polar regions, wetlands, mountains, forests, and cities. The introductory narrative for each section, by journalist and French television host Hulot, is minimal, though passionately conservation-minded. The photographs, also minimally captioned, speak volumes on their own-a herd of gnus escaping from crocodiles, a lone beetle crossing the Namib Desert at daybreak-to celebrate nature's majesty and diversity across the globe. The color reproduction is excellent, and the subject matter is consistently dramatic and compelling. For all public and undergraduate library collections.-Marianne Stowell Bracke, Science-Engineering Lib., Univ. of Arizona, Tucson Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.