Islands In A Far Sea: The Fate Of Nature In Hawai'i (A Latitude 20 Book)
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
First published in 1988, Islands in a Far Sea offers a comprehensive environmental history of Hawai‘i. This thoroughly revised edition begins with an up-to-date account of the geological formation and shaping of the Islands, their colonization by plants and animals, and the patterns of ecology and evolution that unfolded in nurturing seas and on breathtaking landscapes.
Beginning some 1,500 years ago, Hawai‘i was one of the last Edens to be exploited by human beings, and its transformation has been among the most rapid. Seeking to improve life, humans have grossly altered the living nature of the Islands from the coral reefs to the volcanic summits. Since the first arrival of Polynesian canoes, Hawai‘i has been a venue of accelerating extinction and today leads the United States in the rate of permanent loss of native plants and animals.
This book tells the story of human interaction with Hawai‘i's native landscapes and rich biological heritage. The! author's accessible language allows readers to grasp basic geological and biological principles and to understand the perhaps surprising vulnerability of Hawaiian ecosystems-which have coevolved with volcanoes-to human impact. Islands in a Far Sea includes many well-documented historical examples of such impacts, featuring growth and greed, fears and foibles as humans confronted endemic nature in Hawai‘i. Citing a large array of sources, the author makes it possible for interested readers to probe more deeply the changes in natural systems that have ensued on all of the Hawaiian Islands. To date the result has been the tragic reduction of a unique and benign biota. However, the book holds out hope that current efforts to protect what is left of Hawai‘i''s flora and fauna in their remaining wild settings may yet succeed.
The theme of conservation pervades Islands in a Far Sea, as does a sense of urgency. Without intense care and effort, what is natural about ! Hawai‘i will soon pass into history. Anyone with an interest in conserving the native life of the land will come away from this work with both an informed awareness of the problem and, hopefully, a resolve to promote human stewardship of Hawai‘i's natural identity.
About the Author
John L. Culliney is a graduate of Yale and Duke universities and holds a doctorate in zoology. He has taught biology and marine science in Hawai‘i since 1978 and has authored four books on subjects ranging from the North American continental shelf to the horticulture of native Hawaiian plants. He lives on the island of O‘ahu.
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