Monkeys Are Made of Chocolate: Exotic and Unseen Costa Rica

by Jack Ewing, Daniel Quinn

Overview

Discover the mysterious and fascinating ways in which animals and plants-and people-interact with one another in the rainforests of Costa Rica. Author and naturalist Jack Ewing shares a wealth of observations and experiences, gathered from more than four decades of living in southwestern Costa Rica, home to some of the most prolific and diverse ecosystems on Earth.

More than just a simple collection of essays, Monkeys are Made of Chocolate is a testament to the wonder of life in all its countless guises, as seen through the eyes of a man with a gift for subtle discernment and a natural flair for storytelling.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780965809818
Publisher:	Pixyjack Press, Inc.
Publication date:	04/01/2005
Pages:	210
Sales rank:	320,116
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 8.75(h) x 0.59(d)
Lexile:	1170L (what's this?)

About the Author

Jack Ewing's love affair with the rainforest began in 1970 when, in search of new opportunities for plying his Bachelor of Science degree and his skills as a cattle rancher, he left his native Colorado and moved his wife, Diane, and their young family to the jungles of Costa Rica. His ever-growing fascination with the rainforest, however, soon prompted his transformation into environmentalist and naturalist.A natural-born storyteller, Jack's articles about life in the rainforest appear regularly in Costa Rican publications, and he often speaks to environmental, student and ecological traveler groups. He is currently president of two environmental organizations, ASANA and FUNDANTA. His expertise on biological corridor projects is much sought after. What we must do to save the rainforest, says Jack, is connect the parks, refuges and reserves with biological corridors and then teach the people how to make a living from these natural areas without damaging or destroying them. If we want conservation to work, we have to make it profitable.Jack and Diane live on internationally acclaimed Hacienda Baru National Wildlife Refuge.

Table of Contents

	Foreword	ix
	Preface	xiii
1	Monkeys Are Made of Chocolate	1
2	A Tale of Tzimin and Bolom	7
3	Raven Meets Toboba Tiznada	14
4	Eating the Seed Corn	25
5	Who Says You Can't Teach An Old Sloth New Tricks	31
6	There's a Fungus Among Us	38
7	Everybody Loves Toucan Sam...or Do They?	44
8	Buffalo Herds, Beer and a Disease-Free World	50
9	The Good Guys and the Bad Guys	56
10	Not a Tree to Hug	63
11	Viagra Brings New Hope for Vanishing Marine Turtles	69
12	Addictive Brown Powder and Biodiversity	75
13	Blood Eaters Gone Amok	81
14	A Musty What?	87
15	Bats in the Attic, Pigs on the Plane, Hey Ma, the Well's Gone Dry	93
16	Deforestation, Reforestation and Regeneration	98
17	How Much Is a Tree Worth?	105
18	Please Don't Feed the Crocodiles	112
19	Great Weather for Bare-Throated Tiger Herons	118
20	The Tapirs of Sirena	124
21	A Bad Trip into the Magic World of the Giant Toad	131
22	Moon Lore: Method, Magic or Madness?	137
23	The Law of the Jungle: Survive If You Can	143
24	Those Dangerous Eco-Nuts	149
25	Close Encounters in the Slow Lane	153
26	Carrying Things to Extremes: Extremely Beautiful, Extremely Toxic	159
27	Alien Invasion: Exotics, Non-Natives and Invasives	165
28	Hateful Devils the Ants Won't Even Eat	172
29	Burgers versus Biodiversity in the Mangrove	178
30	And the Cards Came Tumbling Down	184
31	The Pizote and the Lion	190
32	Strange Things Are Happening in the Tree Tops	196
	Epilogue	203
	Acknowledgments	207
	Recommended Reading	208
	About the Author and Hacienda Baru National Wildlife Refuge	209

What People are Saying About This

Stu Summer

"I taught about leaf cutter ants to my sixth grade class and the children were thrilled and amazed. Your pieces on Baird's tapir were so good I simply read them to the class, out of which they decided to raise money to adopt a tapir. Thank you!"
—middle school teacher - Hillsdale, New York

Georgie Wingfield

"Monkeys are Made of Chocolate is a tapestry of stories as rich as the land from which they came. Whether you like reading about huge snakes which always seem to come in pairs, the intelligent behavior of sloths, the ancient craft of boat building by digging out a tree trunk, or how toucans aren't quite as cute as they appear, this book is a treasure trove of Costa Rican life and natural history."
—Agronomist - Sussex, England

Daniel Quinn

"Jack Ewing's thirty-year adventure in a Costa Rican jungle has produced a book full of infectious love and amazing lore."
—award winning author of Ishmael

Beatrice Blake

"A fascinating collection of stories and essays from Jack Ewing's decades of observation of tropical flora and fauna. This book is the fun way to learn about biological corridors and the interrelatedness of all creatures."
—author of The New Key to Costa Rica, 17th edition

Richard Andrus

"Jack's essays offer great insight into tropical natural history, rural Costa Rican culture and environmental issues. The natural history is so well done and the environmental insights so painlessly integrated that I use the book in my tropical ecology and conservation course."
—Professor - Binghamton University, New York

Rob Rachowiecki

"Written in language accessible to everyone, the 32 stories in this book delve deep into the fascinating world of Costa Rica's tropical wildlife, skillfully intertwining ecological facts with current environmental and social issues which affect all of us. Even trained scientists will find something new in the personal, and often humorous, observations in these pages. This book is perfect reading for every inquisitive traveler to Costa Rica."
—author of Lonely Planet Costa Rica guidebook (the first five editions)

Editorial Reviews

"Jack Ewing's thirty-year adventure in a Costa Rican jungle has produced a book full of infectious love and amazing lore."

- Daniel Quinn, award winning author of Ishmael

"I taught about leaf cutter ants to my sixth grade class and the children were thrilled and amazed. Your pieces on Baird's tapir were so good I simply read them to the class, out of which they decided to raise money to adopt a tapir. Thank you!"

- Stu Summer, middle school teacher - Hillsdale, New York

"Written in language accessible to everyone, the 32 stories in this book delve deep into the fascinating world of Costa Rica's tropical wildlife, skillfully intertwining ecological facts with current environmental and social issues which affect all of us. Even trained scientists will find something new in the personal, and often humorous, observations in these pages. This book is perfect reading for every inquisitive traveler to Costa Rica."

- Rob Rachowiecki, author of Lonely Planet Costa Rica guidebook (the first five editions)

"Jack's essays offer great insight into tropical natural history, rural Costa Rican culture and environmental issues. The natural history is so well done and the environmental insights so painlessly integrated that I use the book in my tropical ecology and conservation course."

- Richard Andrus, Professor - Binghamton University, New York

"A fascinating collection of stories and essays from Jack Ewing's decades of observation of tropical flora and fauna. This book is the fun way to learn about biological corridors and the interrelatedness of all creatures."

- Beatrice Blake, author of The New Key to Costa Rica, 17th edition

"Monkeys are Made of Chocolate is a tapestry of stories as rich as the land from which they came. Whether you like reading about huge snakes which always seem to come in pairs, the intelligent behavior of sloths, the ancient craft of boat building by digging out a tree trunk, or how toucans aren't quite as cute as they appear, this book is a treasure trove of Costa Rican life and natural history."

- Georgie Wingfield, Agronomist - Sussex, England

"In this well-crafted selection of short stories, Jack conjures up the intricacies of the natural world as only one who has been deeply imbedded for decades can do. In the manner of a master storyteller, Jack Ewing mesmerizes us as he takes us on wonderful trips in and around the rainforest. A must-read for anyone who has ever been in a rainforest, or is planning on visiting one."

- Excerpts from Quepolandia, a Costa Rican English monthly

"Monkeys Are Made Of Chocolate has served as the theme setter for numerous family discussions in our home-schooling family. Yes, the book is educational, but it is also a thought-provoking adventure into the questions that deal with some of the most basic and elusive issues confronting man today."

- Ben Vaughn, editor of Dominical.Biz

From the Publisher