Synopses & Reviews
We tend to think of cities as a realm apart, somehow separate from nature, but nothing could be further from the truth. In
Feral Cities, Tristan Donovan digs
below the urban gloss to uncover the wild creatures that we share our streets and homes with, and profiles the brave and fascinating people who try to manage them. Along the way readers will meet the wall-eating snails that are invading Miami, the boars that roam Berlin, and the monkey gangs of Cape Town. From feral chickens and carpet-roaming bugs to coyotes hanging out in sandwich shops and birds crashing into skyscrapers, Feral Cities takes readers on a journey through streets and neighborhoods that are far more alive than we often realize, shows how animals are adjusting to urban living, and asks what messages the wildlife in our metropolises have for us.
Review
Praise for Tristan Donovan's Replay: The History of Video Games
"A wonderfully thorough and entertaining history" —The Guardian
"While other history books have covered the topic, Tristan Donovan's 500-page tome is the most wide-ranging history I've read." —Wired
"One history lesson worth its weight in quarters." —Bookgasm
"Comprehensive and wide-ranging—yet engrossing and splendidly entertaining. If you read only one history of video games—Replay is it." —Eugene Jarvis, creator of the arcade games Defender and Smash TV
"If you enjoy reading about games, there's absolutely no way that you're not going to find spending quality time with this rewarding." —Kieron Gillen, writer for games website "Rock Paper Shotgun" and the comic Uncanny X-Men
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"Donovan charts a refreshing albeit number-heavy history of fizzy drinks, from the first 'fixed air' waters to ever-sweeter iterations that have changed how the world quenches its thirst." —Discover Magazine
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"Donovan succeeds in his attempt to create an extremely comprehensive work on the subject like none have before. Recommended for those who enjoy industry histories and a must-have for libraries." —
Library Journal “Highly recommended for curious lay readers as well as for public and college library collections.” —The Midwest Book Review “A pleasant, informative read for anyone interested in the backstory behind the ubiquitous fizzy, sugary soft drink… Recommended.” —CHOICE magazine
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"A fascinating cultural and business chronicle of a product everyone takes for granted." —Booklist
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"Like the beverage, Fizz is addictive." —Shepherd Express
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"In his fascinating history of carbonated drinks, Donovan (Replay: The History of Video Games) reveals that fizz is about a lot more than just bubbles." —Publishers Weekly
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"Snappy and informative the whole way through." —Slog, from Seattle's The Stranger
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"In his new book, Fizz, journalist Tristan Donovan takes us on a fast-paced ride through the history of the soft-drink industry." —Wall Street Journal
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“An entertaining jaunt through city wildlife.” —Kirkus Reviews
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“Donovan not only shows readers how territorial boundaries between humans and wild animals constantly shift, but also how such encounters with birds, coyotes, and snakes should come as no great surprise.” —Publishers Weekly
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“Surprising, entertaining, sometimes frightening, Donovan's worldwide exploration of urban wildlife will be enjoyed by all types of readers including young adults, animal lovers, and those interested in ecology.” —Library Journal
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“In Feral Cities, journalist Tristan Donovan explores the conflict zone of cities and wild animals, and he seems to have a good time doing it.” —Science News
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“Donovan entertainingly exposes ecological experiments gone hopelessly awry and offers thoughtful input on how such tipping points can be avoided in the future.” —Booklist
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“Even those of us who have intensely studied urban wildlife for decades can learn a bit from some of Donovan’s many sources, and Donovan can be praised for drawing out nuggets of information and perspective from sources who by reputation tend to be reticent.” —Animals 24-7
Review
“This interdisciplinary understanding of the issue is certainly apparent in the excellent Feral Cities. Although not an analytical, scientific text, the book provides a unique look into the lives of both urban wildlife and its human counterpart. For anyone interested in any of the many aspects of urban wildlife,Feral Cities will be a vastly entertaining read.” —The Nature of Cities
Synopsis
This social, cultural, and culinary history charts soda's remarkable, world-changing journey from awe-inspiring natural mystery to ubiquity. Off-the-wall and offbeat stories abound, including how quack medicine peddlers spawned some of the world's biggest brands, how fizzy pop cashed in on Prohibition, how soda helped presidents reach the White House, and even how Pepsi influenced Apple's marketing of the iPod. This history of carbonated drinks follows a seemingly simple everyday refreshment as it zinged and pinged over society's taste buds and, in doing so, changed the world.
About the Author
Tristan Donovan is the author of two widely praised books, Replay: The History of Video Games, and Fizz: How Soda Shook Up the World. His journalism has appeared in the Times (of London), the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, Stuff, Eurogamer, the Big Issue, Community Care, and many other publications. He has a degree in ecology.