La Sonrisa del Flamenco: Reflexiones Sobre Historia Natural

The author knows the value of using vivid particulars to communicate abstract scientific ideas. When he writes about such biological oddities as the inverted jellyfish Cassiopea, the praying mantis's mating habits, the giant panda's extra ''thumb'' or the flamingo's inverted jaw, he does so with a double purpose - to entertain us with fascinating details while teaching us a few general concepts. Every oddity he describes stands on its own as a discrete fact of nature, an individual mystery, as well as yielding an example of some broader principle. This lively approach - ''letting generality cascade out of particulars,'' in his own words - is displayed again in his latest collection of essays, "The Flamingo's Smile." -- New York Times