A gorgeous (if squirm-inducing) book on the awe-inspiring ways that “well and truly life begets death and death begets life.”
All creatures small and slimy.
Toward the start of this fascinating and profound and cheerfully written book, Martins—an entomologist, evolutionary biologist, and professor at Stony Brook University—describes approaching a dead elephant in his native Kenya. A “cloying fruity stench oozes through the warming morning, the very essence of life decaying,” he muses. But he quickly adds that, instead of repelling many life forms, “others have found their way here before me.” There are “the marks of a lone leopard.” There is “the stomping of vultures.” And there are the battalions of parasites that drink from the dead elephant’s eyes, its blood, and its sweat with such vigor, and in such endless numbers, the corpse resembles less a pachyderm than a “boiling cauldron of maggot stew.” Later, the author describes a “suicidal” praying mantis that tries to drown itself in front of him. This occurs because the mantis’ brain has been co-opted by a horsehair worm that shares thousands of genes with it thanks to millions of years of co-evolution. Once it infiltrated the unfortunate insect’s body, the worm grew to five times the insect’s size, then directed it into dangerous waters the worm needed for mating and birthing. The worm killed its own host to live—and create more life. “Delicate and diabolical,” concludes the author. Life would not exist if not for the parasites that prey on it, and recycle it, is this book’s mantra. Throughout it all, Martins is an enthusiastic guide. At one point, he writes of essential oils “kicked up from herbs in the grasses—familiar, tangy, and delightful. Ah, the scent of joy and wonder distilled!” He journeys throughout East Africa and the Amazon rainforest to learn about leeches, lice, ticks, fleas, and tapeworms. Much of their world is still a mystery, and readers will share the author’s amazement.
A gorgeous (if squirm-inducing) book on the awe-inspiring ways that “well and truly life begets death and death begets life.”Pub Date: July 7, 2026
ISBN: 9780593804667
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.
The third volume in the Elephant Whisperer series.
In this follow-up to An Elephant in My Kitchen, Malby-Anthony continues her loving portrait of the Thula Thula wildlife reserve, which she co-founded in 1998 with her late husband, South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony, who published the first book in the series, The Elephant Whisperer, in 2009. Following his death in 2012, Malby-Anthony sought to honor his legacy by continuing his vision “to create a massive conservancy in Zululand, incorporating our land and other small farms and community land into one great big game park.” At the same time, the elephants gave her “a sense of purpose and direction.” In the Zulu language, thula means quiet, and though the author consistently seeks to provide that calm to her charges, peace and tranquility are not always easy to come by at Thula Thula. In this installment, Malby-Anthony discusses many of the challenges faced by her and her staff, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. These included an aggressive, 2-ton rhino named Thabo; the profound loss felt by all upon the death of their elephant matriarch, Frankie; difficulty obtaining permits and the related risk of having to relocate or cull some of their animals; the fear of looting and fire due to civil unrest in the region; and the ongoing and potentially deadly struggles with poachers. Throughout, the author also shares many warm, lighthearted moments, demonstrating the deep bond felt among the humans and animals at the reserve and the powerful effects of the kindness of strangers. “We are all working in unity for the greater good, for the betterment of Thula Thula and all our wildlife….We are humbled by the generosity and love, both from our guests and friends, and from strangers all around the world,” writes the author. “People’s open-hearted support kept us alive in the darkest times.”
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781250284259
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A quirky wonder of a book.
A Peabody Award–winning NPR science reporter chronicles the life of a turn-of-the-century scientist and how her quest led to significant revelations about the meaning of order, chaos, and her own existence.
Miller began doing research on David Starr Jordan (1851-1931) to understand how he had managed to carry on after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake destroyed his work. A taxonomist who is credited with discovering “a full fifth of fish known to man in his day,” Jordan had amassed an unparalleled collection of ichthyological specimens. Gathering up all the fish he could save, Jordan sewed the nameplates that had been on the destroyed jars directly onto the fish. His perseverance intrigued the author, who also discusses the struggles she underwent after her affair with a woman ended a heterosexual relationship. Born into an upstate New York farm family, Jordan attended Cornell and then became an itinerant scholar and field researcher until he landed at Indiana University, where his first ichthyological collection was destroyed by lightning. In between this catastrophe and others involving family members’ deaths, he reconstructed his collection. Later, he was appointed as the founding president of Stanford, where he evolved into a Machiavellian figure who trampled on colleagues and sang the praises of eugenics. Miller concludes that Jordan displayed the characteristics of someone who relied on “positive illusions” to rebound from disaster and that his stand on eugenics came from a belief in “a divine hierarchy from bacteria to humans that point[ed]…toward better.” Considering recent research that negates biological hierarchies, the author then suggests that Jordan’s beloved taxonomic category—fish—does not exist. Part biography, part science report, and part meditation on how the chaos that caused Miller’s existential misery could also bring self-acceptance and a loving wife, this unique book is an ingenious celebration of diversity and the mysterious order that underlies all existence.
A quirky wonder of a book.Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5011-6027-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
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