Product Description

Ever since French explorer Samuel de Champlain's first taste of what he called "la mer douce" -- the freshwater sea -- the Great Lakes have been admired, exploited, and renewed. This vast region is a study in contrasts: a hub of industry that's the resting spot for billions of migrating birds. 40 million residents, immense untamed forests. Ninety-five percent of North America's fresh water and a dumping ground for poisonous wastes. The Great Lakes is an authoritative, accessible look at an ecosystem in eternal flux. Written by one of North America's most acclaimed science and nature writers, the book explores the area's geological formation and its role in human history; its diverse plant, bird, and animal species; and its significant physical, climatic, and environmental features. This captivating tribute to the Great Lakes region is also an essential guide to the challenge of preserving the natural world.

Published in partnership with the David Suzuki Foundation.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31091 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-26
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.07" h x 7.88" w x 10.24" l, 2.54 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Review
"The most complete and up-to-date resource about the ecology of the world's largest freshwater system." (Exploration Magazine 20071209)

"Grady writes compellingly about the rocks, forests and creatures of the lakes, as well as the changes for good and bad that have been seen over the years." (Chronicle Herald )

From the Publisher
A comprehensive, engaging, and timely exploration of one of the most important ecological systems on Earth, a life-sustaining continental resource that is increasingly under threat.

About the Author
Wayne Grady is one of Canada's finest science writers and a Governor General's Award-winning translator. He has authored eleven books of nonfiction, translated fourteen novels, and edited more than a dozen anthologies of short stories and creative nonfiction.