Vietnam: A Natural History, by Eleanor Sterling, Martha Maud Hurley, and Le Duc Minh, breaks new ground, emerging as a novel engagement with Vietnam through a study of its living environment. Lushly illustrated and broadly informative, the book presents an accessible—and thoroughly enjoyable—summary of current natural science research with relevance for anyone interested in the evolution and current status of the country's flora, fauna, and habitats.
The timing of the book's release and its ecological focus capitalize on a series of extraordinary scientific discoveries in Vietnam. Perhaps the most well-publicized of these discoveries occurred in 1992, when scientists conducting a survey of the Vu Quang Nature Reserve in Ha Tinh Province noticed curious trophies of a large mammal hanging from the rafters of hunters' homes. These skulls bearing swept, straight horns belonged to a creature known to locals as the “Saola,” and subsequent research led to the description of...