The Amazon

By: Mark J. Plotkin

Narrated by: David Colacci

Publisher's summary

The complex ecosystem of the Amazon covers an area about the size of the continental US. Approximately one of every four flowering plant species on earth resides in the Amazon. A single Amazonian river may contain more fish species than all the rivers in Europe combined. The rain forest, which contains approximately 390 billion trees, plays a vital role in stabilizing the global climate by absorbing massive amounts of carbon dioxide - or releasing it into the atmosphere if the trees are destroyed. Severe droughts in both Brazil and Southeast Asia have been linked to Amazonian deforestation, as have changing rainfall patterns in the US, Europe, and China. The Amazon also serves as home to millions of people.

Approximately 70 tribes of isolated and uncontacted people are concentrated in the Western Amazon, completely dependent on the land and river. These isolated groups have been described as the most marginalized peoples in the Western hemisphere, with no voice in the decisions made about their futures and the fate of their forests. In this addition to the What Everyone Needs to Know series, ecologist and conservation expert Mark J. Plotkin, who has spent 40 years studying Amazonia, its peoples, flora, and fauna, offers an engaging overview of this irreplaceable ecosystem and the challenges it faces.

©2020 Mark J. Plotkin (P)2020 Tantor

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5 out of 5 stars

By Jen on 03-20-24

Very informative

The biodiversity section and the last chapter on how to stop deforestation are what make this book worth the read!

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5 out of 5 stars

By Daniel on 08-14-20

Great introduction to Amazonia

This is a wonderful, well-grounded, and throughout well-performed introduction to the Amazon. Enjoy!

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3 out of 5 stars

By Amazon Customer on 01-02-24

On the one hand, learned a lot. On the other hand....

..the structure of it was downright bizarre. Each section started with a "question" that was answered. But the questions felt contrived, the topic order was unwieldy, and there was 0 narrative to it.

I feel very prepared for a trivia game on this topic. And the structure is good for bite sized learning.

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3 out of 5 stars

By Amazon Customer on 03-17-24

Prioritizes foreign interests and politics

The book has a fair amount of detail regarding Amazonia, but focuses too heavily on foreign interests in the region and the implications of [insufficient] political response, taking up the majority of the book for cautionary tale and lore.

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