The remarkable story of how one of the most biologically diverse habitats in the world was destroyed, restored, and continues to evolveâwith stunning, full-color photographs by two of the worldâs best wildlife photographers.
A Window on Eternity is a stunning book of splendid prose and gorgeous photography about one of the biologically richest places in Africa and perhaps in the world. Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique was nearly destroyed in a brutal civil war, then was reborn and is now evolv-ing back to its original state. Edward O. Wilsonâs personal, luminous description of the wonders of Gorongosa is beautifully complemented by Piotr Naskreckiâs extraordinary photographs of the parkâs exquisite natural beauty. A bonus DVD of Academy Awardâwinning director Jessica Yuâs documentary, The Guide, is also included with the book.
Wilson takes readers to the summit of Mount Gorongosa, sacred to the local people and the parkâs vital watershed. From the forests of the mountain he brings us to the deep gorges on the edge of the Rift Valley, previously unexplored by biologists, to search for new species and assess their ancient origins. He describes amazing animal encounters from huge colonies of agricultural termites to specialized raider ants that feed on them to giant spiders, a battle between an eagle and a black mamba, âconversationsâ with traumatized elephants that survived the slaughter of the parkâs large animals, and more. He pleads for Gorongosaâand other wild placesâto be allowed to exist and evolve in its timeless way uninterrupted into the future.
As he examines the near destruction and rebirth of Gorongosa, Wilson analyzes the balance of nature, which, he observes, teeters on a razorâs edge. Loss of even a single species can have serious ramifications throughout an ecosystem, and yet we are carelessly destroying complex biodiverse ecosystems with unknown consequences. The wildlands in which these ecosystems flourish gave birth to humanity, and it is this natural world, still evolving, that may outlast us and become our legacy, our window on eternity.