Growing Up Wild

There is a tremendous information gap between scientists working in the outdoor fields and the millions of others who share their interest in natural processes. The failure of naturalists to provide information to the public has allowed some amazing myths to develop. Far worse, however, this knowledge gap can bring about actual damage to the environment through laws and public policy initiatives based on erroneous information. Growing Up Wild bridges this gap, bringing the latest results of scientific research to the public in an irreverent, humorous style that would make the book worth reading for entertainment value alone. The author, who combines careers as a wildlife professional and newspaper columnist, provides an eclectic mix of topics from toads to turkeys in a style that, while always humorous, ranges from gonzo journalism to formal poetry-sometimes in the same essay.

Many of the essays contained in the book began life as one of the author's weekly newspaper columns. These were supposed to focus on a single organism and give some interesting facts about it. That is, they were supposed to be typical "nature" pieces. The questions that came in, in response to the original columns, seemed to indicate that people were not even reading all the way through. So he changed the format to start out with some outrageous tale to pique the interest (and make people wonder how on earth this was going to segue to the real topic), move on to the main topic, then hook back to the anecdote at the end. The response was quite overwhelming. Since the material in this book has a mix of early and more recent columns, the reader can watch this style develop.

There is something for everyone in this collection of essays. Topics range from single-celled organisms to whales. In addition to recreational reading, this book provides excellent supplementary material for students. In spite of the humor and light tone, each essay provides an in-depth look into the lives of our wild neighbors, as well as making some pointed commentary on the culture and political processes that affect them.