A superb biographical rehabilitation of an indispensable natural scientist.
A fresh portrait of one of the most important naturalists and explorers of the 19th century.
Most historians give Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) equal credit for discovering natural selection, although he remains in Darwin’s shadow. This outstanding biography aims to change that. As Costa, a biology professor and author of Darwin’s Backyard, recounts, Wallace, not wealthy like Darwin, left school early to earn a living. Fascinated by natural history, he spent years collecting and reading before deciding to travel to Brazil, supporting himself by selling specimens. After four years and sending back thousands of specimens, he returned as a respected member of British scientific circles, winning support for research in the East Indies. Costa provides fascinating, highly detailed accounts of these expeditions, during which Wallace killed, skinned, preserved, packed, and shipped more than 100,000 specimens. Unlike many collectors, he paid them close attention, recording their behavior, distribution, and relationships to similar species and making groundbreaking discoveries in biogeography, sexual selection, and protective coloration. He sent home torrents of writing, including his famous letter proposing natural selection. This revelation devastated Darwin, who had mulled over the idea for two decades. Priority for a discovery goes to whomever announces it publicly, which Darwin failed to do. Unwilling to adopt the usual tactic—i.e., announce quickly and claim sole credit—he published Wallace’s paper together with his own early writing. Neither caused a stir, but Darwin immediately began writing On the Origin of Species. Wallace always gave Darwin full credit for natural selection, dedicated books to him, and carried on extensive correspondence. Aware of his money difficulties, Darwin and friends successfully lobbied for a government pension. All cringed after 1870 when Wallace took up spiritualism and claimed that only mysteriously creative forces, not natural selection, could produce the human brain. Although scandalized, they continued to respect his scientific talent, but this may have been the kiss of death for scholars, leading to his demotion from the Victorian pantheon.
A superb biographical rehabilitation of an indispensable natural scientist.Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 9780691233796
Page Count: 552
Publisher: Princeton Univ.
Review Posted Online: Dec. 19, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An ebullient nature lover’s paean to birds.
A charming bird journey with the bestselling author.
In his introduction to Tan’s “nature journal,” David Allen Sibley, the acclaimed ornithologist, nails the spirit of this book: a “collection of delightfully quirky, thoughtful, and personal observations of birds in sketches and words.” For years, Tan has looked out on her California backyard “paradise”—oaks, periwinkle vines, birch, Japanese maple, fuchsia shrubs—observing more than 60 species of birds, and she fashions her findings into delightful and approachable journal excerpts, accompanied by her gorgeous color sketches. As the entries—“a record of my life”—move along, the author becomes more adept at identifying and capturing them with words and pencils. Her first entry is September 16, 2017: Shortly after putting up hummingbird feeders, one of the tiny, delicate creatures landed on her hand and fed. “We have a relationship,” she writes. “I am in love.” By August 2018, her backyard “has become a menagerie of fledglings…all learning to fly.” Day by day, she has continued to learn more about the birds, their activities, and how she should relate to them; she also admits mistakes when they occur. In December 2018, she was excited to observe a Townsend’s Warbler—“Omigod! It’s looking at me. Displeased expression.” Battling pesky squirrels, Tan deployed Hot Pepper Suet to keep them away, and she deterred crows by hanging a fake one upside down. The author also declared war on outdoor cats when she learned they kill more than 1 billion birds per year. In May 2019, she notes that she spends $250 per month on beetle larvae. In June 2019, she confesses “spending more hours a day staring at birds than writing. How can I not?” Her last entry, on December 15, 2022, celebrates when an eating bird pauses, “looks and acknowledges I am there.”
An ebullient nature lover’s paean to birds.Pub Date: April 23, 2024
ISBN: 9780593536131
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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
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