National Geographic The Photo Ark Vanishing by Joel Sartore – Blog Tour and Book Review

In my opinion nothing beats the photography you can find in a National Geographic photobook. I am honored to have been sent a copy of The Photo Ark Vanishing by Joel Sartore at no charge for my honest review byTLC Book Tours.

About the Photo Ark Vanishing:

Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (September 10, 2019)

Celebrated National Geographic photojournalist Joel Sartore continues his Photo Ark quest, photographing species around the world that are escaping extinction thanks to human efforts.

Joel Sartore’s quest to photograph all the animal species under human care celebrates its 15th year with this glorious and heartwrenching collection of photographs. The animals featured in these pages are either destined for extinction or already extinct in the wild but still alive today, thanks to dedication of a heroic group committed to their continued survival. From the majestic Sumatran rhinoceros to the tiny Salt Creek tiger beetle, Sartore’s photographs bring us eye to eye with the kaleidoscopic diversity of shapes, colors, personalities, and attitudes of the animal world.

In these vivid pages, Sartore singles out the species most likely to disappear in the next decades, as well as some that have already been lost. Alongside these indelible images are the words of scientists and conservationists who are working to protect and restore populations of endangered species. With Sartore’s distinctive portrait photography, he invites us to look closer–and to care more.

About the Author:

JOEL SARTORE is a photographer, author, and 30-year contributor to National Geographic magazine, named 2018 National Geographic Explorer of the Year. Through his National Geographic Photo Ark project, he plans to photograph every species of animal under human care, an estimated 12,000. (As of Nov 2018, he has photographed nearly 9,000.) A three-part PBS/Nova special, “Rare,” featured his project in 2017. His “Fundamentals of Photography” is the best-selling offering of all The Great Courses, and he is a frequent guest on CBS Sunday Morning.

ELIZABETH KOLBERT (foreword) is a staff writer for The New Yorker. Her most recent book, The Sixth Extinction, received the Pulitzer Price for general nonfiction in 2015. She is also the author of Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change. A two-time National Magazine Award winner, Kolbert is a visiting fellow at the Center for Environmental Studies at Williams College.

My Opinion:

This book is both beautiful and heart rending. All of the animals in it are either already extinct in the wild or heading towards extinction. Just think about that. The man taking all of these magnificent pictures wants to at least make a record of each one’s existence before it falls from the earth.

Mr. Sartore takes such evocative photos. Even this spider hater could marvel at a two page, oversized arachnid. It almost seems from the looks in the eyes of some of the animals that they knew their fate. It is almost overwhelming to page through at times when you stop to consider the book’s purpose but I think it’s something we really must do as it’s man’s fault that these animals are losing their habitat.

It’s a powerful book with a very powerful message. I keep picking it up to marvel at the photography and celebrate the people who have kept some species alive through dedicated efforts in sanctuaries and preserves. There is also a profound sense of loss for those animals that will never be seen again.

This book would make a perfect gift for anyone who loves animals and/or who cares about their future.

Rating:

5

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