Out of Eden: An Odyssey of Ecological Invasion
Rating
The Pequod Review:
Published in 2005, Alan Burdick's Out of Eden explores the modern ecological threats posed by invasive species, and specifically the ways in which biodiversity is under threat by globalization. I am less inclined than Burdick to view the natural world (ex-homo sapiens) as one that tends towards equilibrium — is there a Hyman Minsky equivalent in the field of biology? — but he cites a number of intelligent examples (e.g., bacteria that emerge in sterile labs, brown tree snakes which have periodically taken over Guam, cave-dwelling insects, etc.) to show how species thrive or fail in various environments. Recommended.