"Where Do Camels Belong?" isn't a book about camels.  This book discusses the vagaries of humans labeling species as native or invasive, as well as the hysteria associated with alien invasive species.  In this nicely written book with numerous examples, Thompson discusses the evidence for the negative accusations leveled at these invasive species and finds that most don't deserve their bad reputation. 
 
Thompson argues that the the alien species greatest crime is moving in after human activities have made the ecosystem in question unsuitable for native species.  He also argues that most invasive species may provide benefits to these disturbed ecosystems.
 
Thompson also indicates that eradication efforts (usually involving harmful chemicals and more habitat disturbance) usually does more environmental damage than the alien invasive species.  The author makes a compelling argument that human activities such as deforestation, agriculture and dam building have irrevocably changed ecosystems, providing suitable habitat for invasive species, and as such, it pays to determine if the invasive species are guilty of their assumed negative effects before taking costly and usually ineffective measures to eradicate them.
 
 
 
 
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This book was interesting and well written. It did occasionally seem overly simplified but delving deeper would have made the book longer and the length was perfect. It's a good induction to the subject. ( )

I frequently find myself arguing the point that questions are better than answers (with varying degrees of success in making that point). This book presents a fine example of this frequent experience. The question laid out, is an excellent one, and it would be assumed, at the outset, that finding the answer by exploration could be adventurous and fun. The first third of the book does make good ground on this track, but does veer into a healthy bit of ennui for the rest of the way. This is due to an irony: the author can't state much with a certainty because the science and the facts are filled with so much uncertainty themselves! Nevertheless, I enjoyed, and the excellent question made it worth exploring the slightly less-than-excellent answers. ( )

A very reassuring book. Interesting list of species that should be reintroduced to GB before it's to late. ( )

This is one of those books that kind of hurt my brain to read, but I appreciate because it revealed so much to me. It's about invasive species. It addresses such topics as: what makes some species invasive (successful) in new environments and others not? are introduced species actually harmful? what should we do about them- or are they better left alone? Most of the answers that Thompson arrived at actually surprised me. It seems that the furor about invasive species is either based on very little science, or none at all. Turns out it is quite natural for species to move around the planet and end up in different places than the originated in- if you go back not that far in time, anywhere on earth would be unrecognizable to us. So what gives humans the right to decide that a certain collection of plants and animals in one place is the ideal one, to be protected at all costs? In most cases, invasive species are not to blame for the decline of "natives"; looked at more closely it is often the fault of human changes to environments, or other factors altogether. And the cost of attempts to remove or eradicate alien species (almost always unsuccessful in the end) usually outweighs by far the cost of original "damage". While it still disturbs and alarms me to see news of a certain species disappearing, especially when it is the victim of human alterations to the Earth, I feel like I should in some degree accept that this is just the way of things. The world changes. Some things will die, others will arise. Yes, we are making this happen faster than before- but it would still happen regardless...

from the Dogear Diary ( )