Strange Encounters: Tales of a Renegade Naturalist

by Daniel B. Botkin

Book Overview

The warm, witty anecdotal adventures of a world-renowned scientist, spanning thirty years and dozens of countries. Most people only dream of having the life Daniel B. Botkin has led. He has studied whales and elephants, tramped over high mountain passes and through rain forests, worked with NASA, and spent substantial time walking in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark, and Henry David Thoreau. In Strange Encounters, Botkin does for the natural world...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B08CM1XW7T
• ISBN13: 9798656146067
• Release Date: July 2020
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

More Refreshing Than Strange

There are a lot of really great books out there about natural history, but Botkin's approach is a little different. He includes anecdotes about New England water mills, and sounds a little like McKibben; then he crosses the continent to write about sea lions-now he sounds like Moore. He crosses the ocean to Africa in order to write about elephants, and one is reminded of Quammen's Natural Acts. Botkin is not copying the styles of other writers, he is simply exploring similar topics, but from a different perspective-that of an ecologist. Through twenty-eight essays, and a poignant account of the ecology of his wife's battle with cancer, Botkin approaches each problem-whale hunting, sustainable salmon fisheries, forest management, endangered species, and more-with a completely open mind. He will not accept dogmatic explanations, and his inquisitiveness leads him on a life-long hunt to try to solve some-any-ecological problem. He writes in humorous tones of the slings and arrows of the idealist ecologist, and wonders how, as a forestry expert, he wound up with jobs trying to learn how long whales sleep (no one knew), or how much food an elephant ate (no one knew), or how many leaves are on a tree (no one knew). He despairs that he will ever make a positive contribution to ecology: "Ever the optimist, I had readily accepted the opportunity to work on the salmon issue. Perhaps this time I can really make a difference..." In each essay it appears as if his contribution is minor, until one takes in his body of work, over his long career, to discover that his contribution was actually enormous and invaluable. The reader of natural history will enjoy Botkin's experiences and insights, but more importantly, those unfamiliar with ecology or natural history (reds, you know who I mean) will learn a great deal without feeling threatened.

Ecological wit & wisdom

The book is an intriguing mixture of elements. On the one hand it describes the author's sometimes hilarious experiences as he seeks to answer such questions as "how long does a whale sleep," and "how much does an elephant eat." On the other hand he raises sobering questions about the capacity of the discipline of ecology to solve environmental problems. I enjoyed the book both for its human interest and for the author's reflections on the state of our understanding of nature.

A must read for students, scientists, and everyone else

Daniel Botkin's new book continues his string of must read books that provide a valuable perspective on the environment. His wealth of experience in field work and academic science is nicely complemented in this book through his reflections on a number of scientific issues with which he has engaged over his career. From the engineering of New England mills to studying ocean life, Botkin's reflections on his work will keep you engaged throughout the book and leave you looking for more. Whether you are an aspiring or practicing naturalist, or just looking for a good read, this book is a great choice.

Botkin scores again

A world-class ecologist, with a mind disciplined by the study of physics, recounts his experiences studying a wide-ranging array of environmental problems. With humor, incredulity and pathos he recounts examples of "ecological truth" which are based on untested assumptions. The recurring theme from beginning to end is: measure, measure, measure. This is a must read for students planning a career in science and young scientists just starting out. For this old forest ecologist, I hope the younger generation heeds the wisdom in this book.