Zoologist Charlotte Uhlenbroek鈥檚 reading is as diverse as the species she encounters in her series Jungle, which begins airing on BBC TV next week. She relishes the blend of spiritual ideas with physics in Fritjof Capra鈥檚 The Web of Life (Flaming, 1997), 鈥渙ne of the most important books of our time鈥�. If we are going to meet the challenges of environmental degradation, politicians as well as scientists will need to adopt a new way of thinking 鈥� Capra鈥檚 鈥� she says.
Mary Kingsley rapidly became one of her heroes when she took her Travels in West Africa (National Geographic) with her when filming in the Congo. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a fascinating and very funny account of a remarkable journey by a Victorian lady travelling alone through the Congo at the end of the 19th century.鈥� She is also enjoying Bill Bryson mix of anecdote and meticulous research in A Short History of Nearly Everything (Random House).
Robert Kunzig鈥檚 tale of ocean science in Mapping the Deep (Sort of Books, 2000) opens up the astonishing world beneath the surface of the oceans. She loves the sea and finds Kunzig鈥檚 story of its exploration gripping.
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