New Releases by Tim Flannery

A comprehensive history of the continent, "full of engaging and attention-catching information about North America''s geology, climate, and paleontology" ( The Washington Post Book World). Here, "the rock star of modern science" tells the unforgettable story of the geological and biological evolution of the North American continent, from the time of the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago to the present day (Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel). Flannery describes the development of North America''s deciduous forests and other flora, and tracks the migrations of various animals to and from Europe, Asia, and South America, showing how plant and animal species have either adapted or become extinct. The story spans the massive changes wrought by the ice ages and the coming of the Native Americans. It continues right up to the present, covering the deforestation of the Northeast, the decimation of the buffalo, and other consequences of frontier settlement and the industrial development of the United States. This is science writing at its very best—both an engrossing narrative and a scholarly trove of information that "will forever change your perspective on the North American continent" ( The New York Review of Books).

‘Flannery has done us a service first by reissuing the story of a fascinating adventure from 200 years ago, and then by setting these events in perspective with his lucid introduction.’ Canberra Times ‘At 2.00 pm on Sunday, 6 July 1835, a giant of a man shambled into the camp left by John Batman at Indented Head near Geelong...’ In 1803 the convict William Buckley, a former soldier, escaped from the first official settlement in Victoria, near Sorrento on Port Phillip Bay. For three decades the ‘wild white man’ lived with Aborigines around the bay, before giving himself up in 1835. First published in 1852, The Life and Adventures of William Buckley is the ultimate survival story of early Australia and provides an extraordinary insight into pre-contact indigenous society. Tim Flannery has published over thirty books, including the award-winning The Future Eaters, The Weather Makers and Here on Earth and the novel The Mystery of the Venus Island Fetish. In 2005 he was named Australian Humanist of the Year and in 2007 Australian of the Year. In 2007 he co-founded and was appointed Chair of the Copenhagen Climate Council. In 2011 he became Australia’s Chief Climate Commissioner, and in 2013 he founded the Australian Climate Council. ‘This account, in Buckley’s words...has all the elements of a Boy’s Own yarn: convicts, savages, privations, wars, cannibalism, survival, treachery and the founding of a colony.’ Herald Sun

‘Sunlight and Seaweed is the beginning of a new way of helping the planet we live on.’ AU Review Acclaimed scientist Tim Flannery investigates exciting new technologies currently being developed to address our most pressing environmental threats in a book that presents a positive future for us and our planet. Climate change, food production and toxic pollution present huge challenges, but, as Flannery shows, we already have innovative, practical and inspiring solutions. Solar energy has, until now, been limited to supplying power only when the sun is shining. But new technology using concentrated sunlight to provide intense heat energy that can be effectively stored overcomes this problem, providing clean renewable power around the clock. Further, the large amounts of power produced can be used to tackle the issue of feeding the world’s growing population—by enabling energy-intense methods of purifying polluted land for agricultural production. Drawing carbon out of the atmosphere is an essential component in limiting climate change. Flannery explores the potential of kelp, a fast-growing sea algae, to be used on a large scale to convert carbon from the air to a non-gaseous form, reducing levels of atmospheric carbon. With accessible and engaging explanations of the fascinating science behind these technologies, as well as accounts of the systems already in operation around the world, Sunlight and Seaweed is an enlightening and uplifting view of the future. Tim Flannery has published over thirty books including the award-winning The Future Eaters, The Weather Makers and Here on Earth and the novel The Mystery of the Venus Island Fetish. In 2005 he was named Australian Humanist of the Year and in 2007 Australian of the Year. In 2007 he co-founded and was appointed Chair of the Copenhagen Climate Council. In 2011 he became Australia’s Chief Climate Commissioner, and in 2013 he founded the Australian Climate Council. His previous book is Atmosphere of Hope: Searching for Solutions to the Climate Crisis. ‘Sunlight and Seaweed also offers an excellent model for how best to communicate the challenges posed by climate change without turning readers off with unrelieved messages of doom.’ Sydney Morning Herald ‘This new book is among [Flannery’s] best...Wonderfully thought provoking...Well informed and sobering.’ Australian ‘This man is a national treasure, and we should heed his every word.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘It is difficult to overstate the importance of this concise, convincingly argued view of our world’s prospects for its survival and improvement over the next 33 years...Every one of this slim treatise’s 127 pages packs a punch, and its timely content deserves to be read by all of us.’ Books+Publishing ‘Accessible and engaging..An enlightening and uplifting view of the future.’ Readings ‘Tim Flannery addresses complex issues and make them clear and accessible. His compelling book both seriously informs and entertains...This is a fascinating, exciting and inspirational read.’ Toowoomba Chronicle ‘Flannery is optimistic, presenting a well-researched range of clearly explained technologies and strategies, and many of them are compelling reasons to be hopeful.’ SA Weekend ‘A small book full of big ideas...This book doesn’t just wow the reader with nifty ideas; Flannery explains how they actually work, with his signature fluency and clarity.’ Australian Book Review ‘It is a joy to be guided through the science by someone who understands it and can explain it...Flannery commands his subject, but he can also be read for style alone...Flannery’s message in Sunlight and Seaweed is urgent and his spare prose reflects this.’ Newtown Review of Books ‘Flannery has written in easy-to-understand language and he sets out a positive path for this planet’s future.’ Weekly Times ‘In a summer in which heat records are sure to be broken, Tim Flannery dives into the clean technologies that just might sustain the world of our children and grandchildren: giant kelp farms that can do the work of forests, taking carbon dioxide out and deacidifying seawater,and concentrated sunlight stored to power homes and cities. Flannery offers some kernel of hope for us hopeless humans.’ Sydney Morning Herald ‘A focused, clear and optimistic read.’ Best Books of 2017, Adelaide Advertiser ‘While global environmental challenges are immense, he [Flannery] argues here, they are not insurmountable...Flannery has a great ability to distil complex subject matter into something you can wrap your head around.’ North & South ‘This book offers a welcome ray of hope.’ Organic Grocer

It’s 1932, and the Great Venus Island Fetish, a ceremonial mask surrounded by thirty-two human skulls, now resides in a museum in Sydney, Australia. But young anthropologist Archie Meek, recently returned from an extended field trip to Venus Island, has noticed something amiss: a strange discoloration on some of the skulls. Has someone tampered with the fetish? Is there a link between it and the mysterious disappearance of Cecil Polkinghorne, curator of archaeology? And how did Eric Sopwith, retired mollusks expert, die in the museum’s storeroom? Could Archie’s life be at risk as well? But these are not the only concerns that weigh upon the assistant curator’s mind. Why hasn’t his beloved Beatrice—registrar, anthropology—accepted his proposal of marriage and the love token he brought back from Venus Island? Has something been lost in translation? Tim Flannery''s The Mystery of the Venus Island Fetish is a delightfully risqué caper, full of eccentric characters, intrigue, and adventure.

Dix ans après le succès international des Faiseurs de pluie (2006), Tim Flannery revient sur la crise climatique sans précédent dont nous sommes responsables, et souligne que notre temps est compté. Mais il se veut ici résolument optimiste car, pour lui, tout peut encore changer. S''appuyant sur les recherches les plus récentes et de nombreux exemples, il propose des solutions concrètes face au changement climatique. À travers le monde, des initiatives originales permettent déjà aux populations de s''adapter, comme dans l''Himalaya, où un homme crée des glaciers artificiels. La géo-ingénierie offre aussi de multiples options : pulvériser des particules de soufre dans l''atmosphère pour la refroidir, réfléchir les rayons solaires grâce à des miroirs spatiaux, etc. Une autre piste consiste à séquestrer davantage de carbone, en fertilisant les océans, en optimisant la photosynthèse grâce à la reforestation, en augmentant les capacités de capture et de stockage des sols, des roches et de certains matériaux, tel que le ciment. L''auteur lance ici un véritable cri d''espoir ! Il est encore temps de sauver notre climat.

IL LIBRO GIUSTO AL MOMENTO GIUSTO. IL LIBRO DI CUI IL MONDO HA BISOGNO ADESSO. Dieci anni dopo il bestseller «I signori del clima», Tim Flannery, scienziato e scrittore, fa il punto sui cambiamenti climatici e su cosa può fare l’uomo per salvare se stesso e la Terra. In tutte le parti del mondo la gente affronta le conseguenze di un clima profondamente mutato, che comporta tempeste e uragani sempre più frequenti, incendi, alluvioni e siccità. Per alcune popolazioni è già diventata una questione di sopravvivenza. Basandosi sugli studi più recenti, Flannery fotografa con lucidità la situazione attuale, analizza le cause del riscaldamento globale e delinea un futuro in cui l’uomo non sarà più dipendente dall’energia fornita dai combustibili fossili, ma svilupperà al meglio le tecnologie già esistenti per produrre energie rinnovabili. Dalla possibilità di immagazzinare in modo sicuro l’anidride carbonica in Antartide o sul fondo degli oceani alla produzione di biocarburanti, Tim Flannery non parla di fantascienza, ma di un futuro possibile e, soprattutto, dell’unico futuro in cui potremo sopravvivere su un pianeta in armonia con tutte le forme viventi.

Ten years after his internationally bestselling The Weather Makers, acclaimed scientist and author Tim Flannery argues that Earth’s climate system is approaching a crisis. Catastrophe is not inevitable, but time is fast running out. In the lead-up to the United Nations Climate Change Summit to be held in Paris in December, Atmosphere of Hope provides both a snapshot of the trouble we are in and an up-to-the-minute analysis of some of the new possibilities for mitigating climate change that are emerging now. From atmospheric carbon capture through extensive seaweed farming, CO2 snow production in Antarctica and the manufacture of carbon-rich biochar to reflecting the sun’s rays by releasing sulphur into the atmosphere and painting landscapes and cities white, Flannery outlines an array of innovative technologies that give cause for hope. Tim Flannery has published over thirty books including the award-winning The Future Eaters, The Weather Makers and Here on Earth and the novel The Mystery of the Venus Island Fetish. In 2005 he was named Australian Humanist of the Year, and in 2007 Australian of the Year. In 2007 he co-founded and was appointed Chair of the Copenhagen Climate Council. In 2011 he became Australia’s Chief Climate Commissioner, and in 2013 he founded and heads the Australian Climate Council. His latest book is Atmosphere of Hope: Searching for Solutions to the Climate Crisis. ‘This man is a national treasure, and we should heed his every word.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘Thoughtful, candid and—yes—ultimately upbeat, Atmosphere of Hope could not be more timely. It is just the book the world needs right now.’ Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction ‘An important and timely book...The eloquent clarity of this book is a delight. It makes a grim subject exciting. It does fill me with practical hope as well as an enabling sense of urgency. I am also moved by what can be achieved.’ Australian Book Review ‘A significant statement from a great Australian.’ Tom Griffiths, Australian Book Review, Books of the Year 2015 ‘Flannery cleverly offers practical solutions rather than another jeremiad about climate change.’ Australian Financial Review, Best Books of 2015

Le grand biologiste Tim Flannery a parcouru les îles tropicales du Pacifique Sud-Ouest pendant plus d''une décennie à la recherche de marsupiaux, de chauves-souris et d''autres petits mammifères que l''on ne rencontre nulle part ailleurs sur notre planète. Plusieurs de ces îles étaient pour la science des pages vierges : l''équipe s''aventura dans des villages où personne, de mémoire d''homme, n''avait encore vu un visage blanc, et sur des sommets montagneux couronnés de végétation irréelle. Dans le grand arc insulaire situé entre l''île de Sulawesi et les Fidji (soit une distance supérieure à celle qui sépare Paris de Montréal), Flannery va faire d''immenses découvertes, mettant au jour de véritables "fossiles vivants", mais aussi des indices fondamentaux pour la compréhension des rouages et des caprices de l''évolution. Si la Polynésie offre souvent une perfection de carte postale, d''autres terres plus lointaines montrent un visage tourmenté, parfois hostile, surtout lorsque les obstacles géologiques se doublent du tabou des frayeurs ancestrales. Et c''est là que la petite équipe, surmontant les fatigues par un humour et un enthousiasme inépuisables, débusque des rats géants, des chauves-souris à tête de singe, le grand éclat de rire de la Création. Une mission de biologistes spécialisés dans les mammifères entreprend d''explorer les îles tropicales du Pacifique Sud-Ouest. Rarement ouvrage de vulgarisation scientifique n''aura été aussi juste, aussi drôle et instructif à la fois. Défenseur acharné de la biodiversité, Tim Flannery a les armes qu''il faut pour propager son amour de la Terre et du vivant.

Indiana Jones meets Charles Darwin Kämpfe mit Schlangen, Geisterbeschwörungen, kulinarische Herausforderungen und unbekannte Tierarten – der große Forscher und Umweltaktivist Tim Flannery blickt zurück und erzählt sehr persönlich von seinen abenteuerlichen Reisen, die er als junger Wissenschaftler zu den pazifischen Inseln unternommen hat: von den Menschen der Trobriand Inseln, faszinierenden Landschaften sowie von lokalen Sitten und Bräuchen. Eine spannende, amüsante und überraschende Reise durch eines der facettenreichsten und spektakulärsten Gebiete der Erde. »Tim Flannery spielt in einer Liga mit den ganz großen Forschern wie Dr. David Livingstone.« Sir David Attenborough »Ein unwiderstehlicher Autor« Jared Diamond

Aujourd''hui notre planète affronte de nombreux problèmes qui sont l''aboutissement d''une très longue évolution : après avoir présenté la Terre depuis ses origines, l''auteur rappelle les grandes théories de l''évolution (Darwin, Lovelock) pour montrer à quel point l''histoire de la vie est indissociable de celle de la planète : la Terre est comme un organisme vivant fait d''une multitude d''êtres micro et macroscopiques, à l''image de notre corps qui ne peut survivre sans l''ensemble des éléments qui le constituent. Aujourd''hui, nous devons choisir entre Médée et Gaïa : Soit nous continuons à détruire notre planète et l''ensemble des organismes qui la peuple (en polluant les mers, détruisant nos ressources, réchauffant l''atmosphère) et nous nous condamnons à l''extinction. Soit nous décidons de sauvegarder la vie en prenant des mesures qui passent par la raison et l''équité (en arrêtant de surconsommer, en partageant nos ressources''). Le salut ne passera que par la collaboration, dont le premier défi est crucial : gérer intelligemment notre environnement, non par la création d''un gouvernement mondial mais par le respect de règles communes.

A story of science and discovery that’s “part travel diary and part field notebook . . . like what you’d get if Charles Darwin starred in an Indiana Jones flick” (Audubon Magazine). Credited with discovering more species than Charles Darwin, Tim Flannery has been hailed as “the rock star of modern science.” Here, he recounts a series of expeditions he made early in his career to the islands of the South Pacific, a great arc stretching nearly 4,000 miles from the postcard perfection of Polynesia to some of the largest, highest, and most rugged islands on earth (Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel). Originally traveling in search of rare and undiscovered mammal species, Flannery found much more: fascinating places where local taboos, foul weather, dense jungle, and sheer remoteness made for dramatic exploration; strange creatures such as monkey faced bats, giant rats, gazelle-faced black wallabies; and human cultures far removed from our own. This “rollicking good adventure-science read” is a must-have for anyone who has ever imagined voyaging to the ends of the earth to uncover and study the rare and the wonderful (Audubon Magazine).

In this edited selection of his journals, Matthew Flinders, Australia’s greatest navigator and the man who named our island continent, describes in captivating detail his epic mission to map our shores between 1796 and 1803.

From the authors of A Gap in Nature, a breathtaking visual adventure showcasing ninety of the world’s most astounding creatures. Sumptuous birds of paradise, amazing soft-shell turtles, frogs that look like tomatoes, and terrifying fish (including the deep-water angler fish from Finding Nemo) are just some of the extraordinary creatures that can be found in Tim Flannery and Peter Schouten’s new book, Astonishing Animals. Superbly illustrated with lifelike full-color paintings, Astonishing Animals details ninety of the world’s most amazing animals from around the world. In this book you will find the hairy seadevil; the spectacular Sulawesi naked bat; and in the depths of the limestone caves in Slovenia, the olm, a pink, four-legged, sightless salamander that lives for a hundred years. In fascinating vignettes, Flannery offers the true evolutionary tale of how each of these bizarre creatures came to look the way they do. Alongside each historical account is a stunning hand-painted color reproduction (life-size in the original painting) by Schouten. Filled with purple-faced apes, jagged-toothed dolphins, and antlered lizards, Astonishing Animals is a remarkable collection of the world’s most incredible creatures and the stories behind their remarkable survival into a modern age. “An elegant paean to some of the world’s strangest and/or most beautiful creatures.” —Mary Ann Gwinn, The Seattle Times “As beautiful as it is fascinating, this book will be relished by animal lovers of all stripes.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"When it comes to the natural world, Australia is home to a disproportionately large share of the world''s riches. That means we Australians are caretakers of a unique natural heritage in a land which tolerates few mistakes. So how are we doing?"--Back cover.

En kuskus er et pungdyr på størrelse med en katt. Som alle sine artsfrender har den fem klør - men ikke i mytene til Ny-Guineas fjellfolk. I denne boken møter man et folk og en kultur som kan virke ufattelig fremmed fjern fra vår egen, mensom kanskje nettopp derfor blir så usannsynlig spennende.

Tim Flannery quiere ofrecernos un cambio de perspectiva y nos invita a reconsiderar nuestro lugar en la Tierra, qué significa realmente estar vivos. Aquí en la Tierra es una revolucionaria doble biografía de nuestro planeta y de nuestra especie. Flannery recrea la trayectoria del mundo, desde sus orígenes como una caótica masa de gases elementales a los paisajes abarrotados que ahora habitamos. Y es una historia asombrosa. ¿Cómo surgió la vida? ¿Qué fuerzas le dieron forma? ¿Cómo llegamos a convertirnos en la especie dominante? ¿Cuándo empezamos a alterar el planeta? Y lo que es más importante, ¿cómo nos ha cambiado como especie? La formidable fuerza de la naturaleza nunca ha sido tan bien representada como en este libro. Ni, sorprendentemente, el poder transformador de las ideas. La más feroz rivalidad por la supervivencia ha dado paso a la cooperación. Y el desafío al que ahora nos enfrentamos es cómo preservar el frágil equilibrio del planeta. Nuestro destino está en nuestras manos. Pero primero tendremos que saber quiénes somos. Reseñas: «Absorbente, divertido e increíblemente erudito.» Bill Bryson «Flannery ha conseguido unir la historia del planeta, la biología evolutiva y su propia experiencia. Es el triunfo de lo interdisciplinar, y merece ser ampliamente leído.» Financial Times «Un libro maravilloso. Indispensable para optimistas y para pesimistas.» New Scientist

With this awe-inspiring account of earth’s evolution, “you’ll discover why Tim Flannery’s books have made him the rock star of modern science” (Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel). Beginning at the Big Bang, Here on Earth explores the evolution of Earth from a galactic cloud of dust and gas to a planet with a metallic core and early signs of life within a billion years of being created. In a compelling narrative, internationally-acclaimed scientist, explorer, conservationist, and “crackerjack storyteller” Tim Flannery describes the formation of the Earth’s crust and atmosphere, as well as the transformation of the planet’s oceans from toxic brews of metals to life-sustaining bodies covering seventy percent of the planet’s surface—which first appeared as ocean-born microscopic plants and bacteria with the metal brew serving as a catalyst for the earliest biological processes known to exist (Publishers Weekly). From this beginning of life on Earth, Flannery tells the fascinating story of the evolution of humanity, exploring several early human species—from the diminutive creatures proclaimed as “hobbits” who lived in Africa around two million years ago to Homo erectus—before turning his attention to Homo sapiens. Drawing on Charles Darwin’s and Alfred Russell Wallace’s theories of evolution and Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis, Here on Earth is “an educational project worthy of Flannery’s great talents” (TheGuardian).

¿Qué significa el cambio climático? ¿Cómo afectará el calentamiento global a nuestras vidas? ¿Es la causa de las tormentas extremas y de las sequías cada vez más frecuentes? ¿Son inevitables estos sucesos? Con este libro, Tim Flannery responde a cuestiones tan urgentes como éstas y otras muchas. Para ayudarnos a comprender el dilema al que nos enfrentamos, nos cuenta con detalle la fascinante historia del clima y su posible futuro, pues si seguimos quemando combustibles fósiles, aumentarán los niveles de gases de efecto invernadero en la atmósfera y esto provocará un calentamiento del planeta aún mayor. A pesar de que cada país se ve influido de manera diferente por estos efectos no deseados, todos tenemos algo en común: la amenaza del cambio climático. La nueva meteorología que estamos generando pone en peligro el futuro de nuestra civilización. Tenemos que ser conscientes de que el estado de la atmósfera y del subsuelo, del agua y de la tierra depende de nosotros. Pero este reconocido científico va más allá de relatar la historia del clima y no pierde el optimismo. Con gran entusiasmo, Flannery muestra cómo podemos colaborar en la lucha contra estos problemas y nos transmite su confianza en una futura solución si todos nos implicamos. Nos sorprenderá lo mucho que aún podemos hacer. La amenaza del cambio climático nos puede cambiar la vida. Reseñas: «Por fin una explicación clara sobre una de las cuestiones más importantes y polémicas de la actualidad.» Jared Diamond «Éste es el libro que el mundo ha estado esperando -y necesitando- durante décadas. Por fin un libro que presenta, para el público general, la prueba irrefutable de que el cambio climático ya se está produciendo, y la necesidad de ser muy serios con este tema... rápidamente.» Peter Singer «Todo aquel que lea La amenaza del cambio climático podrá apreciar la fragilidad de nuestro clima y comprender que es ésta la generación que debe actuar para protegerla.» Tony Blair

Ancora oggi le esplorazioni hanno il fascino del mistero, soprattutto quando ne sono protagonisti scienziati che, in terre lontane, conducono avvincenti ricerche sul campo. Se poi lo scienziato è un tenace ambientalista di fama internazionale, oltre alla curiosità per la parte avventurosa della sua vita viene da chiedersi come ci si trasforma, da appassionato ricercatore di canguri e fossili australiani, in uno studioso impegnato nella dura battaglia sul mutamento climatico i cui libri hanno vasta eco in molti paesi e una forte influenza sui politici così come sulla gente comune. Sicuramente colpisce l’ardore dei suoi primi passi da giovane biologo, come pure la descrizione dei luoghi e delle popolazioni che incontra, ma poi un interesse più profondo cattura la nostra attenzione, perché è anche il nostro: la consapevolezza, che gradualmente si fa strada nella sua carriera, dell’importanza del clima per la vita sulla Terra. È questo il filo conduttore dei suoi scritti, raccolti nell’arco di oltre vent’anni di attività. La determinazione di Flannery a voler comprendere come il clima sta trasformando il mondo e le società ci coinvolge e ci impegna, attraverso la lettura del Diario di un esploratore, in una sfida fondamentale per tutti: la salvaguardia del nostro pianeta.

A forceful call to climate change action and a pragmatic roadmap toward sustainability from the internationally acclaimed author of The Weather Makers. Utilizing the most up-to-the-minute data available, Tim Flannery offers a guided tour of the environmental challenges we face and their potential solutions in both the big picture and in specific detail. He explores everything from techniques for storing the carbon that dead plants release into the earth to the fragile balancing act between energy demands and food supply in India and China, from carbon-trading schemes in South America to a collaboration between a Danish wind-energy company and an automobile manufacturer that may produce a viable electric car and end the reign of big oil. Now or Never is a powerful, thought-provoking, and essential book about the most urgent issue of our time. It burns with Flannery’s characteristic mix of passion, scientific precision, and “offhand interdisciplinary brilliance” (Entertainment Weekly). “Shocking . . . [Flannery] writes for a general audience with passion and clarity.” —Jim Hansen

Sometime this century, after 4 billion years, some of Earth''s regulatory systems will pass from control through evolution by natural selection, to control by human intelligence. Will humanity rise to the challenge? This landmark essay by Tim Flannery is about sustainability, our search for it in the twenty-first century, and the impact it might have on the environmental threats that confront us today. Flannery discusses in detail three potential solutions to the most pressing of the sustainability challenges: climate change. He argues that Australia has a special responsibility when it comes to climate change, and that our prime minister could be a critical player on the global stage in Copenhagen in December 2009 - but only if we take swift and effective action and make sharp cuts in emissions. Brilliant and terrifying, Now or Never is a call to arms by Australia''s leading thinker and writer on the natural world. "Throughout the latter part of 2007 and into 2008, I found it increasingly hard to read the scientific findings on climate change without despairing ... I think that there is now a better than even chance that, despite our best efforts, in the coming two or three decades Earth''s climate system will pass the point of no return." —Tim Flannery, Now Or Never

The internationally acclaimed author of The Weather Makers crafts a love letter to his native land and one of its most unique inhabitants: the kangaroo. Drawing on three decades of travel, research, and field work, Tim Flannery shows us how the destiny of the extraordinary kangaroo is inseparable from the environment that created it. Along the way he uses encounters with ancient aboriginal cultures, eccentric fossil hunters, farmers, scientists, kangaroo advocates, and kangaroo hunters, to explore how Australia’s deserts and rain forests have shaped human responses to the continent—and how kangaroos have evolved to handle the resulting challenges. Ultimately, Chasing Kangaroos is a captivating blend of memoir, travel, natural history, and evolutionary science—and further proof of Flannery’s “offhand interdisciplinary brilliance” (Entertainment Weekly). “Absorbing, funny, and wonderfully learned.” —Bill Bryson, New York Times–bestselling author of A Walk in the Woods

Country is about the unique nature of Australia and about Flannery''s own journey toward understanding it. Travelling thousands of kilometres, he encounters Aboriginal cultures and examines Europeans trying to understand this land. He begins to understand how Australia''s deserts and rainforests have shaped human responses to the continent, and how kangaroos have evolved to handle the intricate challenges of the island. Flannery''s remarkable enquiry into the evolution of the kangaroo is the centrepiece of the book.Spanning several decades of Flannery''s life, the book recounts his early discovery of palaeontology, and how he comes to find his home in the world of the museum. Reading Country it''s impossible not to feel the excitement of a passionate researcher. Funny, easy to read and full of interesting information, this is a remarkable book by a wonderful writer.