Book Reviews
Yes, I do tend to read five books at once. Call it my reading vice.
While this blog originated as a science blog where I posted nearly exclusively on peer reviewed papers, it’s morphed over time into a science and nature book review blog. This is, in part, a response to the contraction of my free time after I became a mother in the summer of 2012, and it became impossible to post substantive work on a regular basis. But I’ve discovered that blogging book reviews allows me the mental space to read with care, to study other writers and their works, and to learn new things. As a professional writer, I’ve found this to be an immensely satisfying use of my limited time. As of 2014, I’ve posted around three dozen book reviews here.
As a published author myself, I grok the value of a good review. As such, I refrain from posting reviews that are wholly critical or negative; if I don’t enjoy a book, I simply won’t review it. However, for the books I enjoy enough to write about here, I won’t hesitate to include critical points on minor issues mixed in with a spirited and detailed discussion of everything else that I appreciated, enjoyed, or was awed by.
As a very recent addition, I’ve begin asking authors for guest posts — either excerpts from their published books or essays they may want to contribute here related to their published work. The books I most enjoy are non-fiction works dealing with nature, natural history, wildlife, ecology, conservation, and the environment — but I’m happy to consider reviewing books in other topic areas too. (And yes, I’m open to being contacted by publishing houses about reviewing new releases. I have also provided blurbs for book covers related to conservation.) I gravitate to books written for general audiences, and I’m always in search of authors to enjoy who create interesting characters and who have a unique voice. Peruse the list below for my latest reviews. Readers can contact me at: delene {at} nasw {dot} org.
General audience science, nature, wildlife and environmentally-themed books
- Animal Wise: The thoughts and emotions of our fellow creatures, by Virginia Morell
- Collared: Politics and Personalities in Oregon’s Wolf Country, by Aimee Lyn Eaton
- Love, Life, and Elephants, by Daphne Sheldrick
- How Animals Grieve, by Barbara J. King
- Big, Wild, and Connected, Part I (Florida Peninsual to the Coastal Plain), by John Davis
- Birthright: People and Nature in A Post-Modern World, by Stephen Kellert
- Rambuncious Garden: Saving Nature in A Post-Wild World, by Emma Marris
- Zoobiquity: The Astonishing Connections Between Human and Animal Health, by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz
- Odd Couples: Extraordinary Differences Between the Sexes in the Animal Kingdom, by Daphne Fairbairne
- Frankenstein’s Cat: Cuddling up to Biotechs Brave New Beasts, by Emily Anthes
- The Mindful Carnivore: A Vegetarian’s Hunt for Sustenance, by Tovar Cerulli
- Where the Wild Things Were, by W. Stolzenburg
- The Wolf’s Tooth: Keystone Predators, Trophic Cascaades and Biodiversity, by Cristina Eisenberg
- Shell Games: Rogues, Smugglers, and the Hunt for Nature’s Bounty, by Craig Welch
- Monster of God, by David Quammen
- The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival, by John Vaillant
- The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness and Greed, by John Vaillant
- Wolfer: A Memoir, by Carter Niemeyer
- Vicious: Wolves and Men in America, by Jon Coleman
- The Wolverine Way, by Douglas Chadwick
Academic or higher-education audience science books
- Dogs: Their fossil relatives and evolutionary history, by X. Wang and R. Tedford
- Genes, Categories and Species, by Jody Hey
Author Question & Answer Interviews & Author Guest Posts
- Guest Post: Meera Lee Sethi, author of MountainFit
- A chat with William Souder about his book On A Farther Shore: The Life And Legacy of Rachel Carson
Caveat #1: Please contact me about finished books only. I prefer to not review galley copies.
Wild Muse 
7 thoughts on “Book Reviews”
Markus Jais
Dear DeLene,
thanks for the review. I’ve almost finished the book and I completely agree with you that it is a great book. Highly recommend for
everyone interested in predator ecology and conservation.
Although, like you, I already know most of the stuff it’s always good to read it presented in a different way.
I especially liked the information about the “Ecology of Fear”.
Here in Germany, I love watching White-tailed Eagles. They are huge birds (the female can weigh more than 6kg and have a wingspan
of up to 245cm) and the Eurasian sister species of the Bald Eagle.
When they fly over a lake, often all the waterfowl goes crazy and takes to the air because of fear of ending up as eagle food. I wonder
how negatively this affects the birds. Not the bird that get’s killed but the ones that fly way from the huge eagle. This costs them
energy and, especially during a very cold winter, they may starve or freeze to death. Unfortunately this is very hard to study and quantify.
White-tailed Ealges are also known to negatively affect colonies of Great Cormorants. They will prey on the young in the nests and steal
food from the adults. Sometimes, they may even kill and adult Cormorant. But maybe even more dramatic is the “Ecology of Fear” in this example, as many breeding Cormorants very quickly leave the nests when an eagle approaches and while doing so they often damange the eggs or accidentally throw them out of the nest.
Large colonies have moved great distances because of predation and disturbance by White-tailed Eagles. This is a great example that
predators not only limit or affect prey species by direct killing but by putting them under stress.
By the way, your website it great!
Markus
Markus Jais
To make things clear: I was referring to your review of “The Wolf’s Tooth, by Cristina Eisenberg”. I just posted the comment on the wrong article.
Sorry.
Markus
DeLene
That’s okay Markus, I figured it was that one or Where the Wild Things Were (which I think also discussed this loosely). I didn’t quite understand your second example though, with the cormorant nesting and destruction of clutches by fleeing parents… my understanding of the ecology of fear concept is that there is an effect upon the forage of the preyed upon species, so I don’t quite understand where that fits with the cormorants. But thanks for reading and for caring about wildlife — it’s heartening to know someone in Europe is reading this and cares. Best wishes, DeLene
Markus Jais
Hi DeLene,
maybe I took the “ecology of fear” a little to far in that example. In that example, the fear among the cormorants reduces the breeding success but does not directly affect the foraging behavior.
But there might be an effect on foraging, too, although I don’t know if it can be quantified. Eagles flying over the lakes or rivers make the cormorants and other waterbirds nervous which can reduce their foraging time or efficiency. I don’t know of any study that has investigated that effect but it seems possible.
I think more people in Europe should read your blog and learn about the concepts you write about. Here in Germany, we don’t have large wilderness areas like Yellowstone but we have a slowly but surely increasing wolf population in eastern Germany near to Polish border (where they came from).
I don’t know about any studied ecosystem effects but for sure they change things there, like the behavior of the prey species (Wild Boar, Roe Deer, Red Deer).
Also, they are a great benefit to avian scavengers like Ravens and White-tailed Eagles (who regularly take carrion when available). At one wolf kill, more than 30 eagles were counted.
So they probably have a positive effect on the survival of eagles, although, again, this is very hard to quantify without detailed studies and no one pays for such studies.
We now have one wolf in Bavaria in southern Germany and people already go nuts. Some are afraid to visit the mountains, others want the wolf to be killed. So far, most people seem to like it, though. Hopefully a pack will form.
Unfortunately the increase of wolves in the Alps has also lead to an increase in illegal poisoning (for example in France) which may threaten the recently established population of the Bearded Vulture. For more about this, see this interview I did for my website:
http://europeanraptors.org/interviews/interview_bearded_vulture_alps_richard_zink.html
Wolves would be fantastic for vultures but as always, when humans enter the picture, things get complicated.
I read about the wolf book you’re working on. Looking forward to reading it.
Markus
Alan Gregory
Get hold of Dave Foreman’s new “Take Back Conservation.” A very timely and critical read for anyone who cares about our natural heritage.
James Borrell
Hey,
I saw your blog after you retweeted my ‘Top 100 Conservation Twitterers’ article. I enjoy the same books, so I’ll have to add yours to my reading pile.
Also thought you might enjoy Wild Hope by Andrew Blamford, have a look!
Best Wishes,
James
DeLene
Thanks for the title suggestion — at the moment, I could use a *strong* dose of hope for positive conservation outcomes!