Remains of a Rainbow: Rare Plants and Animals of Hawai'i

Rating:
Summary: Jaw-dropping glimpse of a lost world
Review: Full-page large-format photographs of Hawaii's unique creatures. It is not exactly nature photography, but rather, very intimate portraits of beings, plants and animals, on the edge of extinction, found nowhere else in the world but Hawaii. The color and print quality are glorious. One can only hope that this book develops a fondness from the viewer toward the denizens of this lost world that can motivate the political will to save and restore it---money to eradicate Miconia that threatens them all, programs to replant native Hawaiian forest, and programs to protect the land from introduced cattle, goats, sheep, deer, and subdivisions. Otherwise, in another generation, children will read this book, and all we will be able to say to them, "See what we once had."

Rating:
Summary: Spectacular Photographs
Review: This book contains some of the most spectacular photographs you've seen. Close-ups even a pro would seldom come close to. It's unlikely you'll see many of these in your travels, but it feels like your walking through a Hawaiian tropical jungle as you page through the book. Many of the pages would look great framed for your walls. This is the perfect coffee table book, all of my friends have picked it up and marveled over the interesting plants and flowers, even the non-gardeners. <grin>

Rating:
Summary: Spectacular Photographs
Review: This book contains some of the most spectacular photographs you've seen. Close-ups even a pro would seldom come close to. It's unlikely you'll see many of these in your travels, but it feels like your walking through a Hawaiian tropical jungle as you page through the book. Many of the pages would look great framed for your walls. This is the perfect coffee table book, all of my friends have picked it up and marveled over the interesting plants and flowers, even the non-gardeners.

Rating:
Summary: Remains of a Rainbow: Rare Plants and Animals of Hawai`i
Review: This book is very likely the best and only opportunity for readers or travelers to experience the rarest of Hawai`i's unique native biodiversity. About 1/3 of all the species on the U.S. Endangered Species List are from Hawai`i - the second smallest (in geographic area) state in the union. Most of these species are so rare and exist in such remote and inaccessible areas of the Hawaiian islands that 99.999% of U.S. citizens (or even visitors to the 50th state) will never see them live and in situ - in their native habitat. David Liittschwager's and Susan Middleton's exquisitely detailed portraits (both photographers worked in the New York studio of acclaimed artist Richard Avedon) of some of the rarest and most photogenic of Hawai`i's endemic biota intimately present each of these beautiful plant and animal species as globally unique individuals worthy of human consideration and protection. The accompanying text, by Liittschwager and Middleton, eloquently describe the painstaking process of creating studio quality portraits of plants and animals so rare and endangered that, in many cases, only one or a handful of individuals exist in the wild with none in captive breeding or propagation facilities. Factual notes and species descriptions by established scientific authorities in the field of Hawaiian conservation biology are included.

Rating:
Summary: Should be 10 stars
Review: This may be the only opportunity for most of us to see most of these species, and what a way to see them! To say it's the most beautiful book I have ever seen would be the understatement of the year.

Rating:
Summary: WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW
Review: WOWS on every page. I gave this book to my Mother and Aunt for X-Mass. I wanted one for myself but ran out of cash (dag nab it) This is one of the most AMAZING nature books ever. If you need some brownie points give this as a gift, it will keep you out of the Dog House for YEARS.

<< 1 >>