Island Life

Wallace's Island Life is one of the foundation works of zoogeography. It focused on the detailed problems of animal dispersal and speciation. Like Darwin, Wallace classified islands as either oceanic (no previous connection to a land mass) or continental (previously connected to a land mass). He considered the means by which each class of island might become colonized, the types of animals most likely to perform the necessary migrations, and the conditions-such as major climactic or geologic change-under which the migrations might have been made. Wallace was the first to use the new knowledge of Pleistocene ice ages to explain certain phenomena of animal distribution, and in Island Life he speculated about the possible causes of glaciation. He was one of the few 19th-century scientists to realize that astronomical causes alone would not suffice, but had to be combined with a corresponding elevation in the northern land mass -- Abe books website.

It's the ultimate escape fantasy: Trade in the rat race for life on a tropical island and all the languid luxury that it evokes. For India Hicks and David Flint Wood, the dream became reality when, after high-profile careers, she as a fashion model, he as an advertising executive, the couple left the city behind for the Bahamas. Five years and three children later, the husband-and-wife team have impeccably restored three houses and one hotel. Fusing traditional European design with Asian, African, and Caribbean influences, the resulting interiors reflect their love of intense color and their keen sense of style, inherited on India's side from her father, the renown interior designer David Hicks, and further enhanced by the family's travels. In "Island Life, the secrets of these sumptuous, unique homes, used as locations for Ralph Lauren, J. Crew, and "Vogue magazine, among others, are revealed in intimate detail. With panoramic color photographs, David Loftus captures not only the eclectic combinations of antiques, flea market finds, and modern furnishings, but also the overall ambiance of the tropics. For those who share David and India's dream, this is where to start planning.

A collection of stories chronicling the characters and dramas that capture life in small coastal communities. In this story collection, Pat Carney follows the rhythms of day-to-day life in coastal BC. Featuring a revolving cast of characters—the newly retired couple, the church warden, the musician, the small-town girl with big city dreams—Carney’s keen observations of the personalities and dramas of coastal life are instantly recognizable to readers who are familiar with life in a small community. With her narrative of dock fights, pet shows, family feuds, logging camps and the ever-present tension between islanders and property-owning “off-islanders,” Carney’s witty and perceptive voice describes how the islanders weather the storms of coastal life. Carney writes evocatively of the magical landscape of the British Columbia coast, where she has lived and worked for five decades. At the same time, she addresses the less-idyllic moments that can also characterize coastal life: power outages, winter storms, isolation. On Island brings the West Coast landscape—human and natural—to life, and gives islanders and mainland dwellers alike a taste of what it means to be “on island.”

Some legends are true... The old stories tell of an evil far beneath the earth. When an archaeological expedition ignores local wisdom and opens an old barrow on a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides, they unleash a horror beyond their darkest nightmares. Will anyone survive the onslaught of the Island Life? William Meikle spins a tale of terror that will keep you awake until you turn the final page!

A frank, practical, and entertaining exploration of the pleasures and complexities of living on small islands. Many people dream of living simple lives on small islands, but few are aware of some of the unique challenges that accompany this distinctive lifestyle. From negotiating surrounding waters to creating a sustainable home and making a viable life away from urban conveniences, small-island living can be rewarding or difficult (or both), depending on myriad circumstances. Complicated Simplicity: Island Life in the Pacific Northwest draws on a variety sources to contextualize peoples' enduring fascination with islands worldwide, including the author's own experiences growing up on Bath Island (off Gabriola) and her interviews with over twenty intrepid figures who live on the San Juan Islands, the Gulf Islands, the Discovery Islands, and in Clayoquot Sound. Ingenuity, tenacity, and a passion for living in these special places shine through in the personal stories, as does a shared concern for safety, sustainability, and thoughtful stewardship. Engaging, inspiring, and often funny, Complicated Simplicity offers readers honest and useful insights on the joys, perils, and rewards of island life.

Photographer Jay Fleming turned his attention to Smith and Tangier Islands - the Chesapeake Bay's last inhabited 'water-locked' islands. Fleming has made countless trips to the islands to document the unique way of life and environment that have been shaped by isolation and the waters of the Chesapeake. This collection of photographs will fill the pages of Fleming's second book, Island Life. This body work comes at an important time for the islands, as their populations continue to decline and the unrelenting forces of the bay threaten the working working waterfronts that have sustained the communities for centuries. Fleming hopes that his photography will immerse readers in the Island Life and capture a crucial moment in time for the Chesapeake's most unique communities.

"Découvrez les merveilles de la vie insulaire à travers les yeux perspicaces d'Alfred Russel Wallace dans "Island Life". Wallace, le naturaliste visionnaire du XIXe siècle, nous guide à travers un voyage fascinant au cœur de la biodiversité insulaire. Avec une plume érudite, il explore les îles du monde entier, dévoilant des écosystèmes uniques, des espèces endémiques et des forces évolutives qui façonnent la vie sur ces havres isolés. "Island Life" est bien plus qu'un simple exposé scientifique ; c'est une odyssée captivante qui mêle la biologie, la géographie et l'évolution. Plongez dans l'exploration pionnière de Wallace, qui a jeté les bases de la compréhension moderne de la diversité biologique et de l'écologie insulaire. Une lecture incontournable pour les amoureux de la nature et les passionnés de science, où chaque page révèle les secrets fascinants de la vie sur les îles."