Rating: 
Summary: It's Very Long
Review: Part travelogue, part treatise on island biogeography, part portraits of a dozen prominent biologists, part diatribe against loss of wilderness, "The Song of the Dodo" is a massive undertaking. It seems to have been written as much to get it out of Quammen's system as for any imagined reader.You marvel at the remote corners of the world Quammen visits, and the hardships of getting there. You marvel at the quiet determination with which the unsung field researchers toil away. You marvel at the slow realization among ecologists that "reserves" aren't sufficient to maintain biodiversity over several lifetimes. You bristle at the loss, irretrievably, of unspoiled places through either the bald encroachment of man or, more galling, the benign paternalism of "wildlife managers." In particular, Quammen reveals the devastating legacy of Christian missionaries who brought their lifestyles (and livestock) with them. In short, "Dodo" is about four books all rolled into one, which makes it a heady undertaking for the reader OR author. Quammen does a pretty good job of organizing his data into a readable narrative, but it may have been more powerful as four separate books, I don't know. Frankly, the chatty endlessly-detailed "A la recherche du temps perdu "-style wore on me after a while, and I read a dozen other books while slogging through this one. However, along with "The Beak of the Finch" by Jonathan Weiner, Quammen has performed a valuable service by summarizing current thought in the "new synthesis" of evolution. Reading both books gives the lay reader, such as myself, a new appreciation for the delicacy and complexity of life on earth.
Rating: 
Summary: Not gripping, yet interesting
Review: Granted I rarely read non-fiction, I found this book rather boring and only struggled to read it because I am utterly interested in the subject matter. I read a little over half of it before finally giving up. The writing was just too disjointed, divided in too many little stories that I struggled to connect, given very few hints of what the author's point was. In my opinion, the style was a little too personal for reporting scientific information, and the obsession of the author with degrading Charles Darwin whenever he got a chance was also a turnoff. However, I have to admit that there's a lot of work put into this book, based on the bibliography alone, and it contains a lot of interesting and important information, if you can wade through it.
Rating: 
Summary: Even better than Wild Thoughts from Wild Places!
Review: I was sceptical going into this book that Quammen wouldn't hold my attention long enough.. I thought "can there really be that much information about island biogeography that isn't boring?" Quammen proved me wrong though. I thouroughly enjoyed this book, even more than his collection of short stories. There is just enough science to be interesting, but without so much technical blabber that you get lost. And his adventures with crazy scientists inspire me towards my goal of becoming a biologist. Fantastic Read!
Rating:
Summary: A career changing book...
Review: This is one of those books that, picked up on a whim, grabs you by the ears and swings you around to look at the world in a completely different way. I picked it up as an unsuspecting Classics graduate with a mild interest in nature stories and the history of science. I put it down as a newly fledged conservation biologist, having phoned the university to apply for a second Bachelor's degree program halfway through the book. (Actually I think my decision was made around the third chapter, with the description of the Madagascar tenrecs). Quammen's prose is so engaging and his passion for his subject so compelling that I could not help but be converted. That was three years ago; I have since re-read the book at least a dozen times, lent it to any and all of my friends who would stand still long enough to have it thrust at them, and bought a second copy to keep at home when the original is on loan, because I couldn't stand to have it unavailable. I've also bought at least three copies as gifts for friends who exclaimed over it as much as I did... Mr. Quammen, I thank you. However hackneyed the phrase, your book has indeed changed my life.
Rating:
Summary: Months later I still think about Dodo
Review: It has been 5 months since I finished reading Quammen's book and I mourn the dodo and the ending of this book. I have read a lot of science, nature and environmental books this by far is the most compelling of all. Quammen weaves history, biology, biography and environmental issues without preaching a particular slant. The final analysis however can not be escaped - frightening, haunting and hopeful - we are the problem and we also are the solution.
Rating: 
Summary: I guess it wasn't for me.
Review: Usually I'm a nonfiction junkie, but I have to say that this book lost me. I read halfway through before finally giving up. I didn't find the writing style to be very engaging.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Surprise And A Great Read
Review: This book initially both attracted and repelled me. Attracted because the subject matter seemed interesting and important but repelled by the sheer number of pages. I am a full-time grad physics student with a lot of reading to do already so I delayed reading "The Song." I was amazed and informed by the power of the book's content. The other reviewers no doubt have described that. Myself, I have to say that the image of that last dodo falling silent on that distant island not so long ago, has haunted me for months. Quammen sure can write.
Rating:
Summary: Yes, absorbing. Yes, lyrical. Yes, beautifully woven. Yes
Review: It is rare for me to read a non-fiction book that has me RACING for the end, dreading to finish, and grieving the completion. It is also, somehow, socially embarrassing to acknowledge a gratitude so deeply felt that I want to contact Quammen personally to thank him. I am a psychotherapist, not a biologist/ecologist/mathematician. But I know a good read, an IMPORTANT read, and this is one. Certainly, as with others above, it is on my "best book" list.
Rating:
Summary: An astounding adventure
Review: Clearly Quammen has an interest in biodiversity that goes well beyond authorship. A book that should be required reading, at least in part, by every high school biology student. Assign one or two chapters and it would be difficult to stop reading further. Recommended reading for anyone with an interest in natural science. You will not regret the time spent absorbing fascinating book. If every author that attempted to bridge the "comprehension" gap between the scientist and public was made to measure up to Quammen's standards of research, authorship and understanding, we would not be so easily misled by public relations spin nor our woefully uneducated media.
Rating:
Summary: The best non-fiction book I have ever read
Review: This is a near-perfect book for the layman in biogeography (like myself). It is a great mix of theory, history, interviews, accounts of the author's re-tracing of the steps of past and present biogeographers, and the author's tours of wildlife habitats and reserves. The author presents a fair treatment of the "never-to-be-resolved" issue of the true discoverer(s) of "the survival of the fittest/natural selection". I was only let down by the fact that I had finished reading the book (I just wish there was more to read) - but, there is more; a great glossary, a comprehensive bibliography, and a good index. I only wish that the fauna (98%) and flora (2%) presentations could have been more balanced, since I am a plant person. However, the subject matter is fascinating. This was a great read. I learned much of Wallace, Darwin, MacArthur, Edward Wilson, and the modern biogeographical thinkers. I enjoyed the descriptions of the explorations and tours of wildlife habitats. I highly recommend this book, both for adventure and for knowledge.
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