Last Chance to See

"Last Chance to See" is a book written by Douglas Adams of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" fame. This one is quite a bit different from his previous work, however. In "Last Chance...", Adams traveled around the world, visiting remote (and sometimes dangerous) areas. The book is a chronicle of the endangered species he found, their current plight and chances of survival, why they are in trouble, and what might be done to help. Of course, the whole thing is written with his fantastic wit and humor. Whether he is talking about the cool frood running the Improbability Drive or Komodo Dragons scavenging near a village, Adams really knows how to push the English language to its creative limit.

The book (ISBN 0345371984) by Douglas Adams and Mark Cardwardine - zoological expert and photographer - was first published in 1990. The original radio series is available on CD-ROM, as is the book read by Douglas Adams with pictures and "multimedia" (don't you love that expression?).

Although stained with factual errors, it is a highly recommended book that is amusing at the same time as it puts a finger on important subject. It is not only insect species that become extinct; mammals do too. It would be interesting to see a follow-up on the endangered species in the book, now a little more than 10 years later.