Monkey Dancing: A Father, Two Kids, and a Journey to the Ends of the Earth

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Summary: Him and his children on a journey around the world
Review: What is a father to do when his brother dies of cancer, his marriage ends, and his life falls apart? Newsweek correspondent Daniel Glick decided his course of action would take him and his children on a journey around the world to see some of the planet's vanishing life forms, and Monkey Dancing is his account of that trip, taken in the summer of 2001. From the Great Barrier Reef in Australia to elephants in Nepal, Glick and his three children embarked on an unforgettable adventure and Monkey Dancing tinges their experiences with insights on loss, fatherhood, and world changes.

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Summary: An epic journey, both inwardly and out
Review: Whether you're looking for an escapist adventure, soul-searching memoir or a captivating close-up of natural wonder, Monkey Dancing will not disappoint. Dan Glick's account of his half-year global journey as a newly single dad with two kids is a humorous and moving story, full of reflection and insight about human relationships, with each other and with the planet.
After his wife left him unexpectedly for a woman and his brother died of cancer at 48, Glick sought perspective and healing through traveling and nature -- not unusual modes of solace, but decidedly different when you take 9- and 13-year-old siblings along to the python-infested jungles of Borneo or leech-laden trails in Nepal. Acutely aware that life can be short and unpredictable, Glick wanted to show his kids some of the world's endangered treasures while there was still a chance to do so
The entertaining narrative will amuse anyone who has traveled to challenging places (or wants to), especially those intrepid parents who have experienced both the exasperation and joys of discovery with children in tow. And it may well inspire parents who haven't to give it a go, even -- or maybe particularly -- in a world that currently seems so uncertain.
Monkey Dancing is also a stark tale of the grim conditions facing many of the earth's most spectacular ecosystems. Glick, who covered the environment as a journalist, weaves solid reporting among personal anecdotes for a tale that is as much about our wider connections with the natural world as our ties to our fellow humans.
When Glick learned that 40 percent of the world's coral reefs are gone, Australia's Great Barrier Reef became a top destination on his itinerary. As a father with a passion for nature, he wanted his kids to float among the technicolor fish and flora submerged beneath a turquoise ocean. As a journalist, he saw a story in the fact that even here, in a developed country where the environment is relatively protected, this reef is still gravely threatened. It wasn't inconceivable that the remaining coral reefs could disappear in his children's lifetimes.
He also chose destinations with "charismatic megafauna" that would appeal to his kids: orangutans in Borneo, rhinoceroses in Vietnam and Nepal, and the tigers of the Nepalese lowland plains. Those species, however, are on the verge of extinction, a fact apparent in how difficult it was to locate these animals.
Yet the family's observations were not without hope. Glick shares conservation success stories among the tragedies, offering encouragement that some of the marvels his children encountered may be available to their grandchildren one day as well.
It's not every kid that gets a first-hand look at the earth's vanishing wild places, let alone a chance to bond with their dad in such environs for months on end. Kolya and Zoe Glick are blessed indeed. In the pages of Monkey Dancing, fortunate readers can travel with them, gleaning inspiration to embark on journeys of their own toward deeper, more meaningful connections with the people, the creatures and the remarkable natural places we love.