The Forest and The Sea: A Look at the Economy of Nature and the Ecology of Man (Time Reading Program Special Edition)

by Marston Bates

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0809435616
• ISBN13: 9780809435616
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: Time-Life Books
• Length: 273 Pages
• Weight: 4.65 lbs.

Customer Reviews

And everything in between

This is an exploration of ecology written before the topic was politicized, by a scientist with wide experience in field and laboratory observation. Though some particulars are dated - publication antecedes the theory of continental drift, Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, etc. - his observations run from the planetary to the particular and present a rich context for thought about the environment. For example, can we even discuss species as distinct from the environment? The atmosphere of our planet is as much a creation of life as it is a necessary support system. Every community creates feedback, every individual is a producer as well as a product. Bates traces the similarities between living systems in deserts, oceans, rainforests and ponds, and wonders if we are even able to see the real forest, let alone the trees. Other creatures receive sensory input at different wavelengths, from different organs, with different brains than we hominids - how can we possibly infer what motivates a mosquito? Bates' title reflects his awareness that a rain forest and a shallow sea can be mapped onto each other. Most life occurs near the surface, on coral reefs and in the forest canopy. We tend to see the reef as teeming with life and the forest as empty because of our viewpoint - our terrestrial bipedalism puts us on the surface of the sea and the bottom of the woods. Climbing to a platform in the tree tops is much like snorkeling among angel fish and urchins, one finds a teeming world. Finally, Bates discusses our place in nature, that dying of old age is hardly natural at all, that we have grasped longevity without embracing birth control and the implications of our industrial/agricultural impact on our own and the planet's future. I would add that there is a bit of charm in his old-fashioned manner, a tendency to wander into anecdotes and asides, always cogent, but producing a mental picture of a learned old coot offering a summation of his long and varied career. Good stuff!

A Jewel

The author of this wonderful book was inspired by a simple, enlightening observation: life in the rain forests is in many ways similar to life in the sea. The author sketches the basic comparison in the early chapters, and in the later paints vibrant, engaging pictures of life in several communities: in the forest and the sea of course, but also in deserts, grasslands, rivers and lakes, even in the water-collecting cup of a tropical plant. He creates a picture of a network of life -- all forms of life in all communities are interdependent, and all categories (including "forest" and "sea") that scientists and laymen use to classify biological communities are arbitrary and artificial. He describes some of the strange creatures found in the transition areas between land and sea in order to show that the boundary between the two is no more than a man-made expedient; the boundaries blur as we observe the communities that have adapted to life on both land and sea. He ends the book with a thought-provoking chapter on modern man's role in nature -- words that will be close to the conscience of any thinking person. Marston Bates obviously loved biology; reading this book I could feel the passion of a man who believed that his work was worth spending his life on, and that his life's work was worth recording carefully for other people. He must have been as passionate about writing as he was about biology: this is a well-written book. The rhythms of the prose echo those of the sea; the expertly-balanced sentences support his comparisons of seemingly disparate communities. This book is a treat for literate people, the kind of find that makes scouring the shelves of used-book stores seem like a sensible pursuit. Unfortunately, you may have to scour the shelves of several bookstores to find it, but if you can, get a copy of this jewel.

wkrc wcpo cpo

Actually krc, anopheles is a pet design of mine. Into the human genomic chreode is an accomplishment that is meant to humble one and be felt. I fumbled to cathy @bios. signals and systems... botched the intellectual curiosity of the problem.. We're all happy you have decided on Tomorrow. Your calf is safe at Donner Pass. Beware the Borneo horticulturist.