Synopses & Reviews
A Selection of the Discovery Channel Book ClubIn sixteen stories Steve Daubert pulls the reader into the mystery and immediacy of ecological processes spanning a range from microscopic to tectonic, from microscopic to cosmic forces. Each tale brings the reader into the moment to witness an episode of survival in the wild first-hand. The material is presented on a level of intimacy and detail not usually encountered in other styles of natural history writing.
These creative non-fiction stories provide not just a bird's eye view (though that's true for the owls, warblers, condors, and hummingbirds in the book), but a wasp's eye view, a mouse's, a sea turtle's, a squid's. Sometimes the focus is as small as the detritus on the forest floor, or a single beat of the wing of a gull. Other stories range across evolutionary time. From whales and dinosaurs to creatures invisible to the naked eye, author and illustrator bring to life the dynamic interplay of living, evolving creatures and the natural forces that have shaped their worlds.
The book includes chapter notes that document the scientific basis for each story and describe the controversies still surrounding some of them -- a splendid resource for families to read and share.
Review
Frigate-Jellyfish Each of these happenings is a thread in the intricate web of life, and Daubert, a molecular scientist at the University of California, Davis, demonstrates that these threads are easily broken by humans . . . instructive and entertaining . . .
--Publishers Weekly
Review
Threads from the Web of Life takes readers on a journey around the globe as the author describes unique and unusual ecological processes. It is ideal for casual reading as well as a source of selections to read aloud (!) or to link literature with the study of natural history.
--NSTA [National Science Teachers Association] Recommends
Review
Highly recommended . . . The stories are as much enjoyable as they are informative.
--Science Books and Films
Synopsis
In these stories Steve Daubert pulls the reader into the mystery and immediacy of ecological processes great moments in evolution, and You Are There From vanishing neon flying squids to dinosaur habitat upheavals-by-earthquake, each tale brings the reader into the moment to witness an episode of survival in the wild first-hand.
The book, wonderfully illustrated by the authors brother, includes chapter notes that document the scientific basis for each story and describe the controversies still surrounding some of them a splendid resource for the curious and imaginative of all ages.
About the Author
The book is the result of an unusual collaboration between two brothers, one an "artistic scientist," the other a "scientific artist." Stephen Daubert has pursued science on the molecular level for thirty years at the University of California, Davis. His brother Chris Daubert is Professor of Art at Sacramento City College.
Tech Q&A
Read the Tech Q&A with Stephen and Chris Daubert