I recently finished a book that I got for Christmas. I want to tell you about it. And then you should go read it.
The book is Wild Ones by Jon Mooallem.
I first heard about this book on the podcast 99% Invisible. If you're not listening to this podcast, you should be. Technically it's about architecture and design. It's also about many many other things and is almost always fascinating. It is good.
The episode about Wild Ones is actually some audio recordings from a live show featuring Jon Mooallem reading parts of the book with musical accompaniment from the band Black Prairie. As usual, it is fascinating. I wanted to hear more of the story, so I added the book to my Christmas list.
What is the book about? It's so hard to put into words. The subtitle of the book does a whole lot better than I can. It reads "A sometimes dismaying, weirdly reassuring story about looking at people looking at animals in America." Yeah, it's pretty cumbersome as far as subtitles go, but it's the most concise description I've found.
The author digs into the story of 3 different endangered species: Polar Bears, Lange's Metalmark Butterflies, and Whooping Cranes. All of it is underlined by the fact that he is doing this as a way to be sure his young daughter is able to experience these animals before we loose them entirely. However, the story is actually about humans more than any of the 3 species he investigates. He meets conservationists and scientists working to save each of these species. He gets insider info on what we are doing for each one. He goes out in the field to watch and help. He summarizes his thoughts and feelings beautifully. You are left feeling simultaneously hopeless and hopeful somehow. You question everything we are doing yet feel motivated to do more to save our planet and endangered species. I can't explain it. It is "a sometimes dismaying, weirdly reassuring story about looking at people looking at animals in America."
The book also talks a lot about shifting baselines. Its a great way to start to understand the concept of shifting baselines. Its a common theme that he comes back to multiple times. I pondered if I should do a post about shifting baselines next week, but I think you should just read Wild Ones instead. Oh, and you can also learn a bunch about Hornaday who has also been featured on The Brain Scoop recently. I think Emily and Jon would get along great. Jon should probably be a guest on The Brain Scoop. That would be some YouTube magic. And if you're not watching The Brain Scoop, stop reading my blog and go watch it right now. Seriously.
I learned quite a bit from this book. I think that's the best part. It is nonfiction, but written in story form. You feel like the author is talking to you directly, just telling you this fascinating story of his experiences. He weaves science into it without it being awkward or dry. You gobble up the story and end up with a bunch of new knowledge. Just go read it!
And, if you're not convinced yet, I want to share a few quotes from the book that I found particularly profound. They probably won't resonate as much out of context, but they are still good.
From Section 1: Bears
"We seem to be forever oscillating between demonizing and eradicating certain animals, and then, having beaten those creatures back, empathizing with them as underdogs and wanting to show them compassion. We exert our power, but are then unsettled by how powerful we are."
From Section 2: Butterlies
"It was a tragedy of charisma. Because of their affection for a single celebrity whale, hordes of people had jeopardized an entire species of anonymous butterfly. They weren't an angry mob; they were a loving mob. But they loved only certain things."
Discussing the "soup stage" of butterfly metamorphosis (which was also recently discussed on the Brain Scoop!):
"'You're not what you were before' Jana told me, 'but neither are you what you're going to be. The soup stage really sucks, but you have to embrace being soup for a while.'"
From Section 3: Birds
Quoting Joan McIntyre while discussing how she survives in a world she finds so discouraging.
"'You try to stay virtuous in your immediate life, you try to be correct - because you only feed the monster if you interfere too much.'"
And, I shall leave you with one last tidbit. Billy Possum: the Teddy Bear's underachieving little brother. To make sense of that statement you'll have to either read Wild Ones or listen to the 99% Invisible episode about it. Then go watch some Brain Scoop.
PS: Sorry for the lack of visuals this week. If things go as planned, I will more than make up for it next week.
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