Life in the Tropics
Annotated Book List for Biology Component
Required Book
Kricher, John. 1997. A Neotropical Companion, second edition. Princeton University Press.
This volume will be the basic textbook for our course and includes broad coverage of all issues relating to tropical biology.
You Really Should Read
Forsyth, A., and K. Miyata. 1995. Tropical Nature: Life and Death in the Rain Forests of Central and South America. Touchstone Press.
Beautifully written essays on a number of important tropical matters that a traveler is likely to experience…army ants, cryptic organisms, lianas, plant reproductive strategies, etc. It’s almost like being there.
Plotkin, Mark. 1993. Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Amazon Rain Forest.
Wonderfully told tales that will make you want to become an ethnobotanist (!), with commentary on the plight of diminishing forests and their resources.
Travel Guides
Rachowiecki, R., and D. Palmerlee. 2003. Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Lonely Planet Publications.
An all-purpose travel guide to everywhere that we will be…information about culture, travelers’ resources, health and safety, etc. I would not travel without my own copy.
Maps – consider purchasing a map of Ecuador to bring with you as a resource, follow along during your travels, and make notes upon.
Phrase book and/or dictionary – consider carrying a small Spanish-English dictionary and or phrase book. Unless you are fluent in Spanish, you will find this an invaluable resource in trying to understand your surroundings and assisting in communication. Lonely Planet, for example, produces a small pocket-sized phrase book/dictionary for Latin American Spanish.
Highly Recommended and Historically Important Texts
Bates, Henry W. 1875. The Naturalist on the River Amazons.
Any edition will do, and the book may be read for free online at a number of sites including http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/sci/earthscience/TheNaturalistontheRiverAmazon/toc.html Knock you on your ear account of Bates’ travels and experiences exploring the Amazon Basin in mid-century. Read a chapter or two online, if not the whole book, for an understanding of how this wilderness appeared to early European explorers and biologists (note for example, that Bates described 16,000+ new species from his explorations!).
Darwin, Charles. 1840. Voyage of the Beagle.
Any edition will do, and the book may be read for free online at a number of sites including http://www.literature.org/authors/darwin-charles/the-voyage-of-the-beagle/ The book chronicles Darwin’s travels throughout South America and is an enjoyable and very lively read.
Darwin, Charles. 1859. Origin of Species
Any edition will do, and the book may be read for free online at a number of sites including http://www.literature.org/authors/darwin-charles/the-origin-of-species/ The book presents the evidence for and Darwin’s argument for evolution by natural selection. Every biologist should read the book at some point in his or her life. It will give you a context for understanding everything that you see as a biologist.
Millard, Candice. 2005. The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey. Doubleday.
A gripping account of Roosevelt’s expedition exploring the River of Doubt (now named Rio Roosevelt in his honor). A stunning account of the hardships faced by true explorers…”fools rush in where wise men fear to tread” comes to mind
Recommended Field Guides
Lambertini, Marco. 2000. A Naturalist’s Guide to the Tropics. University of Chicago Press.
Nice little book, well-illustrated, that provides a good introduction to the tropics and its inhabitants. It’s not limited to the new world tropics and so provides a useful introduction to parallels between the new and old worlds. It’s translated from Italian which makes it a somewhat awkward read in a few places, but is recommended nonetheless.
Pearson, D.L., and L. Beletsky. 2005. Traveler’s Wildlife Guides: Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Interlink Books.
The issue of field guides to the neotropics is a difficult one…there are too many species! This is a good introduction to the forms, principally vertebrate, that you are most likely to encounter. Illustrations are plentiful and well done. There are also excellent brief sections on the major life zones to be found in the tropics.
Jackson, M.H. 1985. Galapagos, A Natural History Guide. University of Michigan Press.
Now out of print but obtainable used, this is an excellent introduction to all things Galapagos. It includes a wealth of detail about the biology of Galapagos inhabitants.
Emmons, L. H. 1997. Neotropical Rainforest Mammals, A Field Guide, second edition.
This is a concise introduction to the mammals of the new world tropics with brief descriptions of range and biology for each. Good illustrations that can be used for identification.
Twentieth Century Travel Books
Theroux, Paul. 1979. The Old Patagonian Express: By Train through the Americas. Mariner Books.
Travel with Theroux, a wonderfully gifted writer, as he takes the train (HA!) from Boston to the southernmost tip of South America. A glorious introduction to the life of Central and South America.
Matthiessen, Peter. 1996. The Cloud Forest: A Chronicle of the South American Wilderness. Penguin Group.
Matthiessen traveled 100,000 miles of the South American wilderness, from the Amazon rain forests to Machu Picchu, high in the Andes, down to Tierra del Fuego, following trails of old explorers, meeting river bandits, wild tribesmen, and discovering fossils in the depths of the Peruvian jungle. This is his incisive report of his expedition and provides a keen observer’s introduction to this natural world and its cultures.