The Way of the Panda: The Curious History of China's Political Animal

New
Hardcover
2010
$14.22

In a most original book, science writer Henry Nicholls uses the rich and curious story of the panda from its 'discovery' 150 years ago in the highlands of China to its present international status as endearing icon of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF - fifty years old in 2011) and shy darling of the world's zoos to do several things - to chart the emergence of modern China onto the global stage; to examine our changing attitude to the natural world; and to offer a compelling history of the conservation movement.

Synopsis

In a most original book, science writer Henry Nicholls uses the rich and curious story of the panda from its 'discovery' 150 years ago in the highlands of China to its present international status as endearing icon of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF - fifty years old in 2011) and shy darling of the world's zoos to do several things - to chart the emergence of modern China onto the global stage; to examine our changing attitude to the natural world; and to offer a compelling history of the conservation movement.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 224
Publisher: Profile Books
Published: 10 Sep 2010
ISBN 10: 1846683688
ISBN 13: 9781846683688
Book Overview: The extraordinary impact of the panda - from obscurity to fame - a story of China's transition from shy beginnings to centre stage

Media Reviews

A fascinating story of an extraordinary animal -- Desmond Morris
Henry Nicholls expertly charts the panda's decades of fame and binds together many intriguing facets of 150 years of Sino-Western interaction * Daily Mail *
Thoroughly readable ... sheds valuable light on a mysterious and often misunderstood creature * BBC Wildlife *
Insightful and meticulously researched ... provides fascinating insights into the panda's rise to its current popularity ... [Nicholls] has the skill, rare among scientists, of explaining science in a clear and appealing manner. His writing is easygoing yet informative, and will be accessible to any reader with an interest in nature -- Fintan Enright * Irish Examiner *
An engaging popular science narrative ... absorbing and illuminating * Morning Star *
The story is indeed fascinating, and Nicholls tells it with tremendous verve ... this is narrative nonfiction at its best -- Ian Critchley * Sunday Times *
Splendid -- Kate Kellaway * Observer *
A fascinating story * History Today *
Curious but engaging * Times Literary Supplement *

Author Bio

Henry Nicholls is a freelance science journalist writing regularly for Nature, New Scientist and BBC Focus as well as the broadsheets. His first book Lonesome George told the story of the last giant tortoise of Pinta in the Galapagos and was shortlisted for the 2007 Royal Society General Book Prize.