Lost Wonders

We can't think what we need to think about the catastrophe of extinction. It is too big. Only stories can change us and ignite the passion necessary for action. Lathan's superb storytelling makes ecological crisis personal, local and often scarily visible. He doesn't let the tragedy hide, as it usually does, behind graphs and abstractions. Yet there's hope here too, in spades. This is an exhilarating and vital book. -- Charles Foster, author of <i>Cry of the Wild</i> Not just a timely epitaph . . . but a celebration of their existence, reminding us of their wonder. -- Stephen Moss, author of <i>Ten Birds That Changed the World</i> Lathan is a superb writer, in a class with Merlyn Sheldrake, Robert McFarlane, and Bruce Chatwin . . . and also an intrepid reporter and meticulous researcher. . . A haunting elegy for the sixth extinction, with a note of hope. * Kirkus * A beautifully crafted elegy for the lost species of our age. In repopulating the world with extinct snails, lizards, bats and rats, Tom Lathan makes us marvel and care almost as much as the conservationists who tried and failed to save them. -- Kate Teltscher, author of <i>Palace of Palms</i> These are important stories and Lathan tells them with pathos and sensitivity. -- Ross Barnett, author of <i>The Missing Lynx</i> A devastating survey of how human negligence pushed species to extinction over the past 25 years . . . This moving elegy will stick with readers long after the final page. * Publishers Weekly *