"The situation is acute. If we could entirely eliminate our cortex, it would perhaps, not be so serious. We could, perhaps, live as complex a life as a fish and have a nervous system perfectly adjusted to such a life." This speculation from page 295 of Science and Sanity by Alfred Korzybski describes Vonnegut's theme rather well. Vonnegut once again pulls humor out of bleakness.

If you want to take an exotic trip to South America to visit the Galapagos Islands, but can't actually afford the air fare and hotel accommodations, you'll want to sit back in the comfort of your home and enjoy "Galapagos: The Islands That Changed the World". The commentary was wonderful, and the colors, sites and scenes were magnificent.

Every naturalist guide in the Galapagos has this book. They also sell this book at the Charles Darwin Center in Santa Cruz, and it is a must read. It explains how the islands came about and what makes them so unique. I highly recommend this book!

This book is well organised, well written and beautifully illustrated. Written by people who truly know the Galapagos Islands and all that exists there, including landings and information on what one can expect to see on arrival at any one island. I actually used three other guides whilst in the Galapago this month and only accessed this one at the end of my trip. I have continued to read this book since arriving home and highly recommend it.

Unless you are an advanced nature buff, birder, etc. this book should fulfill the need for travelers to recognize habitats and the land and air critters that inhabit them. Lavishly illustrated, good identification information, and even range maps- all very compact, and accurate. The information is next to the photo, so there's no paging back and forth- a good thing when you have a critter right in front of you. There's even a cross-referenced check-list by habitat! I'll definitely be taking this slender book with its strengthened, plasticized covers on my next trip to the "Islas Encantadas". You'll be glad you got this for your trip.

In anticipation of an upcoming trip to the Galapagos, I looked at a bunch of books before deciding to purchase this one from Lonely Planet. I love the way the book is organized, taking each island and explaining the unique features of that island. After that, the animals and birds are listed so that you can cross reference everything. In addition, there are lots of helpful travel tips in the beginning chapters. Most importantly, the pictures are fantastic!!

map of the islands.

This relatively small book on the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands is packed with information and pictures. The author has gone to a great deal of trouble to condense a vast amount of data into a handbook for the traveller, without sacrificing essential information, clarity or accuracy. Not only does it cover the wildlife that the visitor is most likely to encounter, it also gives a succinct history of the islands. Working in the Galapagos Travel Industry, and having considered many similar books for pre-trip briefing and ready reference while in the islands, this is the book I would recommend. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews Was this review helpful to you? YesNo Report this | Permalink Comment Comment 12 of 15 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Galapagos Wildlife, December 5, 2001 By S. Farina (New York City, NY USA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Galapagos Wildlife: A Visitor's GUide (Paperback) I just came back from the Galapagos and found David Horwell's book indispensable. It is a very readable and concise introduction to the flora and fauna of the Galapagos islands. Beautiful photographs. Very informative. Easy to carry around and refer to. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in the Galapagos islands. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews Was this review helpful to you? YesNo Report this | Permalink Comment Comment 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent text and photos in this brief book, July 10, 2007 By Donald Nierlich (Santa Monica, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME) I agree with the previous reviewers: I carried this book to the Galapagos and found it a super companion. It isn't comprehensive -- and a few additional pages of IDs and photos might be desirable -- but it covers all of the essential natural-history topics: geology/volcanoes, history, fish, birds, mammals, turtles & iguanas, geography and so on -- and the photos and text are excellent. Indeed, the text is what sets it apart; there are short, interesting discussions of many of the features that are exceptional to the islands, so without any deep study you come away with some appreciation of what you have seen. Finally, in addition to the good chapters mentioned by other reviewers, there is an excellent chapter for planning your trip, which details what you will see where. It is amazing that so much good stuff was fit into this thin book. Take it with a more comprehensive treatment if you want the name of everything you see (or ask your guide). Help other customers find the most helpful reviews Was this review helpful to you? YesNo Report this | Permalink Comment Comment 2 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Galapagos Wildlife, 2nd:A Visitor's Guide, March 27, 2007 By D. Blobner (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME) Small enough to bring with me, but comprehensive enough to be helpful giving a good overview of the habitat and wildlife of the Galapagos. Pictures good as are descriptions of the islands and conservation. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews Was this review helpful to you? YesNo Report this | Permalink Comment Comment

Excellent coverage of the history and the geology, biology and conservation action being taken. Photographs very helpful particularly in identification of the finches.

this book as got all the information pertaining to galapagos delta and islands, this is very informtive but can be used only while travelling