Synopses & Reviews
The true tale of an edenic Rocky Mountain town and what transpired when a predatory species returned to its ancestral home. When, in the late 1980s, residents of Boulder, Colorado, suddenly began to see mountain lions in their yards, it became clear that the cats had repopulated the land after decades of persecution. Here, in a riveting environmental fable that recalls Peter Benchley's thriller Jaws, journalist David Baron traces the history of the mountain lion and chronicles Boulder's effort to coexist with its new neighbors. A parable for our times, The Beast in the Garden is a scientific detective story and a real-life drama, a tragic tale of the struggle between two highly evolved predators: man and beast.
Review
"[C]ompelling, tightly written....Baron's journalistic background is evident; he includes a remarkable amount of human detail that makes this nonfiction account read like a true-crime thriller." Denver Post
Review
"Baron's genuine interest in the topic makes The Beast in the Garden an interesting, educational read." Seattle Times
Review
"A gripping tale of human naiveté, misguided intentions, and conventional wisdom gone awry. It reads like a novel, but is all true." Howard Berkes, National Public Radio
Review
"A fascinating read." Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature
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"The intelligent complexity of Baron's book is refreshing and necessary....An extraordinary achievement." Gordon Grice, author of The Red Hourglass
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"In his first book, Baron, a longtime science reporter for National Public Radio, argues that there's nothing natural about the predation of Homo sapiens by cougars. Rather, humans are unwittingly teaching mountain lions to be more of a threat to us. The Beast in the Garden is told like a whodunit, in reverse." Katharine Mieszkowski, Salon.com (read the entire Salon.com review)
Synopsis
The true tale of an edenic Rocky Mountain town and what transpired when a predatory species returned to its ancestral home.
Synopsis
"Reads like a crime novel . . . each chapter ends on a cliff-hanging note."'"Seattle Times
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. [259]-274).
Synopsis
When, in the late 1980s, residents of Boulder, Colorado, suddenly began to see mountain lions in their yards, it became clear that the cats had repopulated the land after decades of persecution. Here, in a riveting environmental fable that recalls Peter Benchley's thriller Jaws, journalist David Baron traces the history of the mountain lion and chronicles Boulder's effort to coexist with its new neighbors. A parable for our times, The Beast in the Garden is a scientific detective story and a real-life drama, a tragic tale of the struggle between two highly evolved predators: man and beast.
About the Author
David Baron, an award-winning journalist, reports on science for National Public Radio. He lives in Boston and Boulder.