The Tapir's Morning Bath: Solving the Mysteries of the Tropical Rain Forest

An engaging portrait of a community of biologists, The Tapir's Morning Bath
is a behind-the-scenes account of life at a tropical research station that
"conveys the uncertainties, frustrations, and joys of [scientific] field
work" (Science). On Panama's Barro Colorado Island, Elizabeth Royte works
alongside the scientists -- counting seeds, sorting insects, collecting
monkey dung, radiotracking fruit bats -- as they struggle to parse the
intricate workings of the tropical rain forest. While showing the human
side of the scientists at work, Royte explores the tensions between the slow pace of basic research and the reality of a world that may not have time to wait for answers.