Book Reviews

Ghosts of Gondwana
The history of Life in New Zealand
Author George Gibbs
Craig Potton Publishing  2006
Price  $49.99
Reviewed by John Kennedy, Programme Coordinator, Ecotourism.
Oddly enough I doubt that George Gibbs realised that by creating Ghosts of Gondwana he was writing a book that looks as if it is designed to go hand in hand with the course content of the Certificate in Ecotourism.

The book could be classed as “popular science” and in it Gibbs works hard to make difficult subjects readable to the average non-scientist amongst us. For example in the introduction to chapter two, Gibbs writes:

A few New Zealand organisms would qualify as outlandish freaks on the world stage. They just do not seem to belong amongst their relatives.

By writing in this way, Gibbs immediately engages the reader. In addition, he highlights well known species such as the kakapo and draws comparisons with lesser know species, and by so doing, helps keep the reader engaged and informed.

Another feature of the book which encourages interest is the use of many pictures and diagrams, which add another dimension to and moves the book from the merely technical to the fascinating..

New Zealand’s biodiversity and geological history is a fascinating story and is the basis for providing the subject matter of a good New Zealand Ecotour. Gibbs should be congratulated for bringing all the various component natural histories together. We have interesting endemic species not just because of our isolation but also the various orgeony’s that h have taken place over the past 80 million years.

Previously, students in Ecotourism needed books on geology, fauna, flora, and meteorology to adequately described New Zealand’s bio-geo makeup. Gibbs has incorporated information from all these disciplines into one volume that presents us with a vast amount of knowledge in easy to read language.