Synopses & Reviews
They destroy plant diseases. They break down toxins. They plough the earth. They transform forests. Theyve survived two mass extinctions, including the one that wiped out the dinosaur. Not bad for a creature thats deaf, blind, and spineless. Who knew that earthworms were one of our planets most important caretakers? Or that Charles Darwin devoted his last years to studying their remarkable achievements?
Inspired by Darwin, Amy Stewart takes us on a subterranean adventure. Witty, offbeat, charming, and ever curious, she unearths the complex web of life beneath our feet and investigates the role earthworms play in cutting-edge science—from toxic cleanups to the study of regeneration.
Review
“Stewarts fascination with her subject is infectious, her writing as simple and sleek as the earthworm itself.”
—San Francisco Chronicle AudioFile
Review
“Using Darwins research as a starting point, [Stewart] delves into their incredible abilities and offers useful tips for the green thumbs in her audience.”
—Entertainment Weekly
Review
“Stewart provides a well-informed gardeners-eye view of the extraordinary achievements of earthwormsthe movers of the earth. . . . Heather Hendersons narration makes the topics sound friendly and familiar.”
AudioFile
Synopsis
An “engrossing” (The Christian Science Monitor), “fascinating” (TimeOut New York), and “delightfully nuanced” (Entertainment Weekly) exploration of the world underground and one of its most amazing denizens.
About the Author
Amy Stewart is the author of The Earth Moved, which won the 2005 California Horticultural Society’s Writer’s Award, and From the Ground Up. Her essays and commentaries have appeared in the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Garden Design, Organic Gardening, and elsewhere. She has been featured on NPR, Good Morning America, and CBS Sunday MorningHEATHER HENDERSON has brought her authentic, resonant voice and a full cast of characters (from a Scots nanny to a Fargo housewife) to hundreds of projects during her 20-year career. She earned her doctorate at the Yale School of Drama, and her credits include production dramaturgy on the world premiere of August Wilson’s Fences. She has published arts features and reviews in newspapers across the U.S. and has won awards for poetry and screenwriting. What seems to impress people most, though, is that she was an extra in Animal House.
Exclusive Essay
Read an exclusive essay by Amy Stewart