In short, this book rocks. Read it.
Maybe it just came to my life in the right moment, or maybe I'm too much of a Douglas Adams fanboy. Maybe. But as someone who considers himself a member of the human species, worries about planet earth and its inhabitants, loves traveling, reading, laughing and thinking... this book has it all.
It is funny, surprising and touching. It takes you on a trip and teaches you about the world. It also breaks your heart and makes you wish you could do more.
It was written in the 80s and even though we now have answers to some of his questions (Baiji dolphins are gone, but Kakapos are still with us), the writing feels as relevant as it will ever be.
Adams writing conveys profound, deep insights in such a straightforward and direct way you can't help but devour the entire book. It reads partly as a travel journal, part science book, part jokes and comedy.
He tells you about people and places he visited while looking for some of the most endangered animals, trying to catch a glimpse of them before they disappear forever. The idea of it is so beautiful and poetic it is hard to grasp it is also so simple.
But perhaps the most inspiring thing about the book is the sense of wonder that permeates it throughout. We really live in an astounding planet, surrounded by the most improbable and wonderful living creatures. And yet we are systematically eliminating their chances to live. This book remind you how lucky we are we got to share our home with these creatures. How great it is to have them be part of our stories. How important it is to try and keep them alive, if only because our world would be darker and lonelier and sadder without them.
Read it.