Last Chance to See

Another book report. I'm realizing that I never say anything bad in my book reports, at least with the non-fiction books. This might be because I'm broke and so I try to make sure the book is good before I buy it, but it also might be because I don't finish the books I don't like and therefore don't review them.

This was another book about animals, but rather than evoking pity for the masses packed on top of each other, this one fills you with a deep sadness for the plight of species which probably will not survive their contact with humans. Its not all bad news as some of these creatures will be saved by the caring of people, but only after the un-caring of people has driven them right to the brink of extinction. But this is too sombre of a review. The book is the work of an unlikely pair. A zoologist who name you won't know provides the knowledge which one of my favorites, Douglas Adams provides the play by play, and the humor. This is obviously a serious issue that those involved are very passionate about, at the same time people tune out very easily when being preached at, which is why Douglas was such a phenomenal choice to be a part of the project. He provides insight and a perspective thats a bit skewed, he keeps you laughing when the only options are to laugh or cry. There is hope within the pages although sadly reality has squashed some of those hopes. The Yangtze River Dolphin known as the Baiji was the center of a monumental conservation effort. In a shockingly short period of time a group of passionate people gathered the funding to create a refuge for the dolphins, unfortunately in the time since this book was written history has shown it to be too little too late. As it is now feared that the Baiji is extinct, or possibly functionally extinct, meaning there may still be a few alive but not enough to survive.

I enjoyed this little book, and it is little. And seeing as I found it online for like 6 bucks I would strongly recommend it for the price, but in all honesty if it was expensive it might no be worth it. Unless of course your just big Douglas Adams fan like me, then you're sure to enjoy.