leasummer's review against another edition
3.0
I am not the target audience for this book - I am an environmentalist, I don't have kids, I have a degree in natural resources. I think that this book existing is good and a lot of people will love the anecdotal information and stories of his daughter. There are points where you can tell it was formerly essays reworked into a book. The author doesn't form a conclusion or provide anything other than his personal story of following along as humans try to save three species.
houlette's review against another edition
5.0
A fresh, insightful look at how to live in a world facing massive environmental crisis. Nominally about conservation, but really more about how humans relate to nature and wilderness. Engaging and fascinating, and even uplifting in a surprising way.
12dejamoo's review against another edition
I will get back to this but I need to make a fresh start and having this hanging over me is counter productive
debbiecuddy's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this author's book, This Is Chance, so I thought I would give this a try and it is definitely worth reading.
The book just what the subtitle says, a "story about looking at people looking at animals..." The author focuses on three endangered species and explores various viewpoints related to our efforts to save them. His writing is unbiased; he presents information and leaves it up to the reader to ponder the complex issues related to conservation. It has certainly opened my eyes to the deeply complex relationship between humans with other living creatures.
"We are gardening the wilderness. The line between conservation and domestication has blurred."
The book just what the subtitle says, a "story about looking at people looking at animals..." The author focuses on three endangered species and explores various viewpoints related to our efforts to save them. His writing is unbiased; he presents information and leaves it up to the reader to ponder the complex issues related to conservation. It has certainly opened my eyes to the deeply complex relationship between humans with other living creatures.
"We are gardening the wilderness. The line between conservation and domestication has blurred."
novemah's review against another edition
5.0
There are so many things I like about this book. I first heard about it through a radio show called 99% Invisible, which covered an excerpt from the book about the history of the teddy bear. It was so fascinating and well-done that I decided to check out the rest of the book, and I'm really glad that I did.
I happen to work in environmental conservation, and I feel that Mooallem does an excellent job of capturing the motivations, passion, and flaws of the humans who work in this field. (For example, this sentence is so reflective of some of the people I work with: "Even a job that looks so idealistic and decent can get pocked with misunderstandings, egos, and competition. That's what every ecosystem is like.") I like his writing style, and a large part of that might be because I use similar words to describe what I do. He talks about "gardening the wilderness", and I sometimes describe my work as "weeding the forest". It's just so spot on, like the way I tell my non-ecological friends that invasive plants are like big-chain stores taking over small businesses -- he also paraphrases an ecologist using the same analogy and refers to invasive species as the "ecological Applebee's and Walmart... spreading through nature and homogenizing it, while putting the more fragile mom-and-pops out of business."
He's also an excellent storyteller, and the book is focused on 3 main species that people are trying to protect: the polar bear, Lange's metalmark (a butterfly), and the whooping crane. There's some environmental history mixed in those stories as well, like the Theory of American Degeneracy (an actual theory pushed by some Europeans), the historical/political context when the Endangered Species Act was passed, and of course the history of the teddy bear and the less popular Billy Possum. The footnotes are also really fun, and I think that's one of the many ways this book manages to talk about how humans are ruining the environment without being a total bummer. I highly recommend this to folks who are fans of historical non-fiction and/or environmental issues.
I happen to work in environmental conservation, and I feel that Mooallem does an excellent job of capturing the motivations, passion, and flaws of the humans who work in this field. (For example, this sentence is so reflective of some of the people I work with: "Even a job that looks so idealistic and decent can get pocked with misunderstandings, egos, and competition. That's what every ecosystem is like.") I like his writing style, and a large part of that might be because I use similar words to describe what I do. He talks about "gardening the wilderness", and I sometimes describe my work as "weeding the forest". It's just so spot on, like the way I tell my non-ecological friends that invasive plants are like big-chain stores taking over small businesses -- he also paraphrases an ecologist using the same analogy and refers to invasive species as the "ecological Applebee's and Walmart... spreading through nature and homogenizing it, while putting the more fragile mom-and-pops out of business."
He's also an excellent storyteller, and the book is focused on 3 main species that people are trying to protect: the polar bear, Lange's metalmark (a butterfly), and the whooping crane. There's some environmental history mixed in those stories as well, like the Theory of American Degeneracy (an actual theory pushed by some Europeans), the historical/political context when the Endangered Species Act was passed, and of course the history of the teddy bear and the less popular Billy Possum. The footnotes are also really fun, and I think that's one of the many ways this book manages to talk about how humans are ruining the environment without being a total bummer. I highly recommend this to folks who are fans of historical non-fiction and/or environmental issues.
itsgg's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a must-read: Important, thoughtful, entertaining, and evocative. Mooallem's charming and genuine voice brings the reader along on the journey to his ultimate conclusion: "Maybe what conservation tries is sometimes misguided or futile. But there's something deep and blameless in the trying itself-- a spark we can feel defined by as humans and should point out to our kids." I can't remember the last time I gave a non-fiction book a 5-star rating, but "Wild Ones" absolutely earns it.
lietmanna's review against another edition
5.0
A very articulate compilation of interesting and illuminating human-animal interactions. Mooallem includes many memorable anecdotes: presidential predilections, children's book trends, and a swath of controversies over peoples' role in "nature"/"wilderness." He inserts a lot of his own moral quandaries and personal beliefs, which made the work all the more captivating, accessible, and commendable.
thenajo's review against another edition
5.0
Excellently written book about the experiences around endangered animals, and by extrapolation the experience of our environment to our presence. Jon situates himself as a narrator who is not in the position to give us the answer, and because he so freely admits his own powerlessness, the reader doesn't hold it against him. If you're looking for a call to action, this isn't the book. Nor is it a eulogy. It's simply a perspective worth thinking about.
meghanarnold's review against another edition
4.0
Drew me in, but got a bit rambling toward the end. Enjoyable writing though and piqued my interest on a few other topics. Solid non-fiction read.
knitter22's review against another edition
5.0
Wild Ones is one of the best non-fiction books I've read this year. I know it's only April, but I have a feeling that this book will still be a top contender at the end of the year. Jon Mooallem takes a look at the connections (or disconnections as the case may be) between the anthropomorphic animals that populate his four year-old daughter's world and the animals in the real world. He writes about three species that are at different points along the endangered species arc – polar bears, Lange's metalmark butterfly, and whooping cranes. What is so extraordinary about Wild Ones is that Mooallem doesn't write to scare, preach, or belittle his readers, but rather to provide a balanced look from many different perspectives and let readers reach their own conclusions.
What animals and plants are worth saving at all and who gets to decide? Wild Ones can be disturbing at times because it questions even our success stories, such as bald eagles, the California condor, and whooping cranes. Should we be bothered that extreme, expensive measures are required to keep many species from disappearing forever? Or should we be inspired that people are willing to do so much to keep the remaining few whooping cranes or condors around, even if the rescue of something in nature requires it to live out its days unnaturally? These are incredibly valuable questions to ask, and Mooallem does that brilliantly.
“Just as we’re now causing the vast majority of extinctions, the vast majority of endangered species will only survive if we keep actively rigging the world around them in their favor. Scott and his colleagues gave those creatures’ condition a name: conservation-reliant. It means that, from here on out, we will increasingly be forced to cultivate the species we want, in places we protect and police just for them, perpetually rejiggering some asymmetrical balance to keep each one from sliding into extinction. We are gardening the wilderness. The line between conservation and domestication has blurred.”
What animals and plants are worth saving at all and who gets to decide? Wild Ones can be disturbing at times because it questions even our success stories, such as bald eagles, the California condor, and whooping cranes. Should we be bothered that extreme, expensive measures are required to keep many species from disappearing forever? Or should we be inspired that people are willing to do so much to keep the remaining few whooping cranes or condors around, even if the rescue of something in nature requires it to live out its days unnaturally? These are incredibly valuable questions to ask, and Mooallem does that brilliantly.