Presentation and Book Signing December 8 in Denver

I'll be giving a presentation about our battle to save Serengeti at the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver on December 8, 7:30 PM. In case you don't know about it, the Tattered Cover is ranked as one of the great independent bookstores in the country. Fabulous people and a great place.

http://bit.ly/tbwjTM

Serengeti: The Eternal Beginning

Serengeti: the Eternal Beginning from Boyd Norton on Vimeo.

Wow - more comments. Thank you Richard Engel and Jane Goodall.

“Preserving the Serengeti is as much about saving our humanity, our link to nature and our own ancient past, as it is about stopping an environmental tragedy. Boyd's book, Serengeti: The Eternal Beginning covers it all very well.” Richard Engel, Chief Foreign Correspondent, NBC NEWS

"Boyd Norton has captured the magic of this ancient and majestic ecosystem. Through superb and deeply sensitive photographs and compelling accounts of his experiences there he introduces its animals and people. Serengeti: the Eternal Beginning is profoundly moving – you will understand why it is so important to preserve this place for generations to come." Jane Goodall, Ph.D., DBE. Founder – the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace

A Few of the Great Pre-Publication Comments on My Serengeti Book

We've gotten some nice comments from folks who have seen some of the pre-publication layouts and pages.

"What manner of insanity would lead us to destroy our own cradle. A cradle that still brings forth so much life.
That is the Serengeti. And its richness and wonder are under great threat.
Boyd Norton's book, Serengeti, shows us this magical land in all its splendor, and demonstrates how we might better know it and preserve it". Ed Begley, Jr., actor, eco-activist

"Boyd Norton, who over the past fifty years has proven himself one of the world's finest wilderness photographers, immerses himself in the world's ultimate wilderness--the Serengeti--and produces his masterpiece: the capstone of his splendid career. Visually stunning, evocatively written, Norton's Serengeti brings us back to our common birthplace and makes a compelling argument for the need to protect and preserve it. Norton has convinced me: the Serengeti is the one place on earth I must experience before I die."
Joe McGinniss, author of Going to Extremes, Fatal Vision and (forthcoming) The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin.

"The Survival of the Serengeti and its mass migrations of animals is of critical importance for the world. This book of Boyd Norton's photographs conveys the whole magical essence of these great plains and animals."
Ian Player, Founder, International Wilderness School, South Africa

"On the eve of human and animal extinctions, on-going and those still to come, Boyd Norton's exquisite images of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro shock us back into East Africa's "eternal beginnings," its thundering migrations, and the nourishment of its stillness. This book is a gift, a piece of hope. Grab it now." Gretel Ehrlich, Author The Solace of Open Spaces

"A pictorial and poetic tour de force. " Kathi Anderson, Executive Director, The Thoreau Institute Walden Woods Project

"Boyd Norton's spectacular new book about the Serengeti comes at a crucial moment. His brilliant photography and compelling writing remind us of this incomparable place where life unfolds with unparalleled scale and drama, just as the Tanzanian government is uncovering plans for a road (and perhaps a railroad) that would disrupt the fabled migrations that define life in this grand landscape. I hope that this book will mobilize the lovers of the Serengeti to save it." John A. Knox, Executive Director, Earth Island Institute

And a whole bunch more - thanks to all.

Tickling the Dragon's Tail

During the 1960s I was a nuclear physicist conducting research on nuclear reactor safety at the National Reactor Testing Station in Idaho. It was exciting cutting edge science. In November of 1962 I sat at the controls of a reactor, operated remotely from a half mile away, and ran a super-prompt critical power excursion of such magnitude that it blew up the reactor. It was goddamn fun! The Atomic Energy Commission eventually killed all nuclear safety research. Knowing what I do about the various aspects of reactor safety, I feel we should not build anymore nuclear power plants. Reinforcing that viewpoint are the accidents at SL-1, Fermi, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and now Fukushima. Here's the video of my blowing up the reactor.

Evolution Today
In my 26 years of travel in East Africa I have never witnessed anything like this. This baboon appears to be very comfortable with bipedalism. One wonders if others in his troop will adapt and adopt this form of locomotion. Paleoanthropologists suggest that bipedalism played a key role in human evolution.