Islands Portraits of Mini Worlds

"Once you have slept on an island, you'll never be quite the same", begins an old verse. Places of dreams and desires, islands have long held a primal sway over our hearts and imaginations.In this beautifully written, exquisitely illustrated book, Louise Young explores some of the most fascinating of these isolated landscapes, particularly those whose stories address the delicate balance that exists between the land, the people, and other living things. An environmentalist and geophysicist, Young describes the unique history and personality of each island -- its birth and evolution, the geology that has shaped its landscape, and its human, plant, and animal inhabitants.