Two great forces pushed me towards natural history (uncharted territory where I never intended to go, let alone spend any time): my husband and his enthusiasm for the natural world and being very, very tired of my dissertation. I started to read natural history in order to better understand my husband's studies in entomology and herpetology (and now ornithology and astacology) -- but being an English person, I went about science-ing backwards, starting with animals much larger than bees and serpents. I also started reading more natural history (fun reading!) because I had become exhausted by some of the texts I was reading for research. Today, I have a better appreciation of my (very flawed) dissertation, but when I was mired in the middle of year two (it took three years to complete) I wanted a break -- and what better break can you ask for in life than giant tigers? The books that follow not only changed how I read (I buy more natural history now than any other kind of book) but how I do research and scholarship -- and, silly as it may sound, - they've given me a better, fuller life than I would have had if I hadn't spent time with them!
This is the one that started it all for me. Quammen is an amazing writer - he makes you forget everything around you as you sink into the words-become-images - but the topic matter struck me at heart.
People write about terrifying, wonderful predators? I remember thinking.
What a great job that must be! I haven't quite broken into the write-about-dangerous-animals scene myself, but I hope I can someday write about some of the same topics of Quammen, even if I never attain his level of skill!
This book featured heavily in my dissertation and was another case of I-wish-I-had-written-that! Merrill discusses the increased popularity of natural history in the nineteenth century, its use as a sort of social antidote to other entertainments like drinking and gambling, and the rise of technology/ affordability of new supplies that made it a hobby open to people of almost every class.
The repeated theme of this post - beyond natural history - should be jealousy. Sy Montgomery is a writer whose life I deeply envy, and whose books I buy as soon as I learn of their publication.
Spell went with me to the beach one year and has been haunting me ever since. With green burials becoming more and more popular, I wonder if it's too much beyond the pale to will that my body should be sent to feed these beautiful man-eaters after I don't have a use for it anymore? (Probably).
This is the book that the first chapter of my (I-hope-you-grow-long-enough-to-be-a) book centers on, so Vaillant and his tiger have been an important part of my days so far. Sometimes I wish I could erase the story from my mind so that I could go back and read it again, racing toward the conclusion!
This book is included as sort of an honorable mention, because its written in a style I aspire to and it takes an animal that never frightened me and made me see it as dangerous - which is some impressive journalistic alchemy! I include it most of all because it's a book I constantly lend and recommend to others. If you're interested in the human-animal connection, India, or elephants, this is a must for your shelf!
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