The enchanted braid : coming to terms with nature on the coral reef

A colorful journey through the natural history of coral reefs and humanity's relationship to them.

The most complex of all marine ecosystems, the coral reef is a phenomenon of both awesome beauty and vital importance.

It is home to a spectacular, uncounted variety of fish, shrimps, worms, snails, crabs, sea cucumbers, sea stars, urchins, anemones, sea squirts, and plants.

Osha Gray Davidson takes us into the heart of the intricate labyrinths of the coral reef-from the individual coral polyp to towering metropolitan structures such as the Great Barrier Reef.

From the story of Charles Darwin's little-known study of corals to the breakthroughs of today's marine scientists, Davidson chronicles the natural history of this fascinating "plant-animal-mineral" form and issues a clarion call to halt the manmade degradation of coral reefs.

Features quotations from Darwin's captivating, but little known diary recounting his trips to the reefs. * An 8-page color insert captures the beauty of the coral reef and its unique inhabitants.

OSHA GRAY DAVIDSON (Iowa City, Iowa) has written for The New York Times, New Republic, The Nation, Philadelphia Inquirer, and San Francisco Chronicle. He is also the author of The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South,which was short listed for the Helen Bernstein Award, Under Fire: The NRA and the Battle for Gun Control, and Broken Heartland.