Embarrassed to have his students learn he had not ever seen many of the creatures he was lecturing about, wildlife biologist Cameron MacDonald opted to take his two young children, his wife-who prefers sushi to wilderness-and their pancake-eating dog on a four-month, 16,000-kilometre camping road trip. Their eyewitness encounters with endangered species, dingy motels, ravenous insects and other family vacation hazards are recalled with humour and pride in The Endangered Species Road Trip (Greystone $19.95). While describing the scavenger hunt for rare species he's trying to photograph on the way to Florida-such as the Swift fox and the Basking shark-the Langara College instructor resembles Chevy Chase in those National Lampoon's Vacation movies. Not exactly Origin of the Species, but charming.

978-1-553-65935-8