- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Greystone Books; 1st Edition edition (April 7 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1553650921
- ISBN-13: 978-1553650928
- Product Dimensions: 19 x 13.3 x 1.2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 222 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #474,003 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Throughout her 25-year career as a journalist in Canada, Savage (Prairie: A Natural History) has been driven by an almost boundless curiosity about the natural world. The subjects of the essays in this whimsical collection range from the familiar (grizzlies, the Northern Lights, grasshoppers) to the obscure. Savage paints an imaginative portrait of springtails-tiny organisms with spring-loaded tails that are so small they appear as clouds of dust-and other microscopic life within prairie soil, fancifully describing pseudoscorpions, who "stalk through the soil with their venomous pincers armed and ready for action," and waterbears, "plump, lumbering, eight-legged little critters" that "waddle through the film of water around soil granules" in search of food. With this appreciation of the richness of nature comes a heightened awareness of the impact humans have on the natural world, whether through the use of harmful chemicals like DDT or conscious decisions made by the government. Though Savage is distressed by this "destruction that we, as high-end consumers of the world's splendor, are leaving in our wake," the purpose of her essays is not to incite indignation but "to bring the ungraspable reality of the non-human world into clearer focus." In this she succeeds admirably.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
“Wherever there are nature lovers in Canada, there is a good chance of finding a book by Candace Savage on their coffee table.” -- The Globe and Mail
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Of all nature's creations, few are less appealing to humans than parasites. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Of all nature's creations, few are less appealing to humans than parasites. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
A little bit disappointing.,
By
This review is from: Curious By Nature (Paperback)
I was given Curious By Nature by a friend who knew I loved to read, and that I also loved nature. When I saw the cover I was intrigued--the subtitle is "One Woman's Exploration of the Natural World," and this led me to believe that the book was a sort of diary or record of the author's journeys into the wilderness. I expected it to be filled with beautiful descriptions of nature--something which this city girl enjoys very much in her reading.Well, I ended up being a bit disappointed. The book features various articles Savage wrote over the years for Canadian Geographic, as well as several excerpts from her books. The articles, while interesting, are of a scientific bent and contain little description of the wilderness. For example, there is an article about the organisms that live in prairie soil, one about conservation efforts to protect the Peregrine falcon, one about the scientific debates surrounding the Aurora Borealis, one about skunks. Two articles which I did enjoy were the ones concerning wolves, and grizzly bears. If you enjoy reading scientific articles, or articles in a nature magazine, you'd likely enjoy this book. Savage is a capable writer and she knows her subjects. However, do not pick up this book if you are looking for a soul-enriching journey into the wilderness, or for detailed descriptions. It is not that, but rather a collection of unconnected magazine articles which do have educational value, but may not be satisfying in other respects.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lyrical, evocative prose draws in even non-science readers.,
By Midwest Book Review - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Curious By Nature (Paperback)
If Candace Savage's name sounds familiar, it's because she's been writing nature books and magazine articles for the last twenty-five years, appealing to a wide audience of nature lovers with her reflections on ecology, environment, and natural history. CURIOUS BY NATURE explores a range of natural wonders, from the northern lights to peregrine falcons: at the heart of many of her essays are reflections on how humans and wildlife can continue to co-exist in a shrinking world. Lyrical, evocative prose draws in even non-science readers.Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch
4.0 out of 5 stars
Flesh on the bare bones of research,
By Valerie Adolph "Coast Journal" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Curious By Nature (Paperback)
Book review - "Curious by Nature"September 15, 2008 by Valerie Adolph | Edit This is a little gem of a book subtitled `One Woman's Exploration of the Natural World'. It is a series of pleasantly written essays, most of which take scientific research and present it in a very readable and relaxing style. In the preface she says that she has `tried to put the flesh of emotion back on to the bare bones of fact.' Her topics range from storm petrels (who knew they were named after St Peter who walked on water?) to grasshoppers and grizzlies. And speaking of grizzlies she taught me that the term `to bear children' may be related to the noun `bear' and that the phrase `to get (or take) our bearings relates to the constellations Ursa Major, the Great Bear and Ursa Minor, the Little Bear, in whose tail is the Pole Star that gave direction to ancient mariners. The writer's focus, however, is the tragic losss of wilderness and wilderness species in our modern world. Her own world centres in Saskatchewan but encompasses, through her research, threatened and endangered species worldwide. She is especially empassioned as she writes of the grassy prairie ecosystem and the buffalo as she presents us with a history lesson focusing on this great and almost extinct ungulate. Powerful writing. Throughout the essays she keeps reminding us of the complexities of the different ecosystems and how little we understand of the inter-related aspects of each. In the second of her two essays on wolves she looks at the return of wolves to Yellowstone Park. This has ben opposed by local ranchers. The opposition is simple - wolves sometimes kill cattle and elk. Actual research shows the matter to be far from simple. The presence of wolves actually increases the number of smaller wildlife, including birds. They have wide ranging impact on almost all wildlife in the park, whether plant or animal. They even, it is thought, increase the number of willows along the stream banks. Not simple at all. If you enjoy developing a deeper insight into the complexities of our North American ecosystems you will appreciate this book. Wilderness, the writer says, is not a noun, but a verb, "It is what the Earth does to create and sustain life on this planet". Perhaps we should be paying attention. |
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