A Breath of Fresh Air: Island Air That Is

Finally we are reading something that is new, interesting, and refreshing. We are getting into the sub disciplines of geography--specifically biogeography and GIS. The one reading that really interested me this week was the chapter "The Man Who Knew Islands," from the book: The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions.

This chapter is an amazing blend of fieldwork, science, regions, controversy, and challenges. The chapter discusses the story of Alfred Russel Wallace and Charles Darwin and their parallel discovery of evolution through the examination of animals on islands. While the chapter focuses mostly on Wallace's rise and interest in evolution it does raise questions and doubts about Darwin's actions in suppressing Wallace's findings until his own were published.I was particularly interested in reading the rest of the book because of this discussion and challenges to Darwin as the progenitor of evolution.

While we have read many examples of good writing, I must admit that the writing found in Song of the Dodo is amazing. Written like a travel log, historical story with modern commentary works well in dealing with this potentially difficult subject.

More importantly or perhaps why I liked this chapter so much is that it doesn't harp on historical geography or the loss of geography as a science or discipline. Finally a geography writing about their subject that is accessible to all readers, not just hifalutin geographers.

Best read thus far in the semester of article/assigned readings (books excluded).