For millions, the Galapagos represent nature at its most unspoiled, an place famed for its rare flora and fauna. But the Galapagos is home to nearly 50,000 humans. Add invasive species, floods of tourists, and unresolved conflicts between Ecuadorian laws and local concerns: It's easy to see why the Galapagos were recently added to UNESCO's World Heritage in Danger list.

Each chapter in this provocative, perceptive book focuses on a specific person or group either exploiting or protecting the Galapagos' natural resources—from modern-day pirates who poach endangered marine species to the environmental activists who patrol protected waters to catch them red-handed. The book explores the inevitable clash in values between these individuals and their activities.

Bassett's perspective is as readable as it is sensible.

• Hardcover
• 304 pages
• 6" x 9"
• © 2009