Islands make for great metaphors. For the human psyche or, as in Louise
Young’s Islands: Portraits of Miniature Worlds, for our planet. Here is
biodiversity in Hawaii, the collapse of civilisation on Easter Island, “fire,
gold and spice” in Indonesia, the dodo of Mauritius, climate change in Iceland,
and coral atolls, volcanic islands—even Atlantis. Published by W. H.
Freeman, $23.95, ISBN 0716731355.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Space
UN space database aimed at easing global tensions is mysteriously down
News
Environment
Global warming already causing crop losses of over $20 billion a year
News
Mathematics
Mathematicians put AI to work on Fermat's last theorem
News
Mathematics
The sneaky maths trick for solving problems without answering them
91É«ÇéƬ
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Mathematicians put AI to work on Fermat's last theorem
2
The sneaky maths trick for solving problems without answering them
3
How healthy is your brain? We now know how to find out
4
This book is essential reading before watching the new Odyssey film
5
Resuscitated human retinas respond to light 10 hours after death
6
Global warming already causing crop losses of over $20 billion a year
7
Salt batteries are about to shake up EVs and grid storage
8
The 4 best science-fiction shows of 2026 so far
9
Beetroot juice is trending – its benefits go beyond the hype
10
The strange metals forcing us to rethink how electricity really works
