2008-07-15 A Comprehensive Guide To Borneo's Wildlife

Essentially 'Wild Borneo' equates to an illustrated list of the plants and animals of the island and in which regions they are found. Although it is of course impossible to mention every species, the book does a good job of covering most groups in reasonable detail.

The book begins with a section on the various habitats on the island and the main floral components of each. The second section is by far the largest and features extensive chapters on all the animal groups in varying amounts of detail. The book concludes with several small sections on human impact and conservation.

The big disappointment of this book is in fact the photographs. Although they show good profiles of the animals, they rarely feature any behaviour or character so can end up being a bit dull. Furthermore most of the really unusual or interesting species are not featured and we have to make do with closely related species which are no doubt commoner and easier to photograph.

Although it can sometimes appear to be a cross between a tourist guide and a conservationists hymn sheet, it is well written and gives detailed info on a wide range of species. While it gives particular focus to high profile species such as the orangutan, it also does a great job of covering all forms of life on Borneo and is a great ambassador for rainforest conservation.

Overall I would say that this is a great book with which to learn about Borneo's natural world. However if you want mind-blowing photography look elsewhere.