Synopses & Reviews
"This book is an immediate classic. I had heard of it rumored for years. It is grand indeed and more than fulfilled my expectations."
and#151;Jim Harrison, author of Legends of the Fall and The River Swimmer
"Tracks and Shadows is a valuable, fascinating, very human book about the making of a field biologist. Harry Greene has lived the life of which I once dreamed: studying snakes. But there's more here, much more, and what makes it all work is something not taught in herpetology class. This man can write."
and#151;David Quammen, author of Spillover and The Song of the Dodo
"With Tracks and Shadows, renowned field scientist Harry Greene masterfullyand#151;and poeticallyand#151;examines the contradictions inherent in wild places that teem with both beauty and danger. In these stories, drawn from a life spent in the study of his beloved snakes, he reveals how an eminently humane scientist learned to find joy and peace by exploring the living world."
and#151;Mark W. Moffett, author of Adventures among Ants: A Global Safari with a Cast of Trillions
"Harry Greene shares the sting of death and the joy of life in Tracks and Shadows, but this brilliant book is also about the wonder of snakes, the beauty of studying natural history, and the importance of sharing a love of nature with humanity. It has something to teach every one of us."
and#151;Marty Crump, author of In Search of the Golden Frog and Headless Males Make Great Lovers
and#160;
Review
"Achingly beautiful. . . . Greene succeeds in illuminating the world as a place of beauty, harmony, and danger, deeply interconnected and worthy of cherishing and preserving." Starred Review.
Review
"Fiercely honest and fascinating."
Review
"As packed with people and drama as a novel."
Review
"This scientist has a poetand#8217;s heart. . . . Tracks and Shadows is a sweet surprise; rarely has science been so tender."
Review
"As beautiful and nuanced as the landscapes it evokes."
Review
"Greene has created a rare bridge between [artists and scientists] and told us what it feels like to be a deeply sensitive research scientist, working in a world where the ecosystems are falling to bits around us."
Review
"What a pleasure it is to read these meditations on a 'personal quest for wildness.' . . . What makes this book so rich is [the author's] gift with language along with his thoughtful appreciation of what it means to study nature and to travel, if ever so briefly, on a living planet."
Review
"Greene engages readers from beginning to end. . . . The book leaves us with questions to ponder but also with inspiration to indulge our curiosity for nature."
Review
"[Reminds] us that appreciation of the natural world is important to us as individuals and collectively."
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"Fiercely honest and fascinating." Frances Bonier - Science
Review
"No one reading this paean for a respect of the outdoors and its inhabitants could fail to be enthused."
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"Harry Greeneand#8217;s exuberance for life infuses this scien- tific autobiography, which overflows with his passion for herpetology, the wild places that his beloved reptiles inhabit, and very human friendships."
Review
andldquo;A scholarly, provocative, and compelling account of our relationships with amphibians and reptiles. These interactions are extremely diverse, both highly positive and severely negative, and by helping us understand them, Eye of Newt will play a critical role in resolving contentious but core issues in conservation. Driven by fine, clear, evocative writingandmdash;the more so for Crumpandrsquo;s personal stories interwoven with those of her granddaughter and her late friend, the great writer-naturalist Archie Carrandmdash;and Fenolioandrsquo;s always outstanding images, Eye of Newt is engaging, trustworthy, and will be of widespread interest both to amphibian and reptile enthusiasts and professional herpetologists. Wonderful and unusual, emotionally and intellectually captivating, this is an important, timely bookandmdash;and the ending is superb.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Accomplished scientist and author Marty Crump has distilled a lifetime avocation studying amphibian and reptilian folklore into a masterwork. Eye of Newt not only instantly becomes the authoritative source on lore and mythology, but also transforms it into a compelling argument for conservation. Without these species our culture would be forever impoverished. No reader will ever look at one of these animals the same again.andrdquo;
Synopsis
Intellectually rich, intensely personal, and beautifully written,
Tracks and Shadows is both an absorbing autobiography of a celebrated field biologist and a celebration of beauty in nature. Harry W. Greene, award-winning author of
Snakes: The Evolution of Mystery in Nature, delves into the poetry of field biology, showing how nature eases our existential quandaries. More than a memoir, the book is about the wonder of snakes, the beauty of studying and understanding natural history, and the importance of sharing the love of nature with humanity.
Greene begins with his youthful curiosity about the natural world and moves to his stints as a mortician's assistant, ambulance driver, and army medic. In detailing his academic career, he describes how his work led him to believe that natureand#8217;s most profound lessons lurk in hard-won details. He discusses the nuts and bolts of field research and teaching, contrasts the emotional impact of hot dry habitats with hot wet ones, imparts the basics of snake biology, and introduces the great explorers Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. He reflects on friendship and happiness, tackles notions like anthropomorphism and wilderness, and argues that organisms remain the core of biology, science plays key roles in conservation, and natural history offers an enlightened form of contentment.
Synopsis
"With
Tracks and Shadows, renowned field scientist Harry Greene masterfullyand poeticallyexamines the contradictions inherent in wild places that teem with both beauty and danger. In these stories, drawn from a life spent in the study of his beloved snakes, he reveals how an eminently humane scientist learned to find joy and peace by exploring the living world."
Mark W. Moffett, author of Adventures Among Ants: A Global Safari with a Cast of Trillions
"This book is an immediate classic. I had heard of it rumored for years. It is grand indeed and more than fulfilled my expectations."
Jim Harrison, novelist and poet
Synopsis
Recent estimates suggest that nearly 3 million people in the US alone keep an amphibian or reptile as a pet.and#160; YouTube videos with odes to cane toads are ubiquitous.and#160; And yet amphibians and reptiles also keep extermination companies in business, and are reviled by many.and#160; These emotions pose great challenges to the conservation of these species, just as their populations in the natural world are in great decline.and#160; It can be quite hard to inspire stewardship of a tomato toad in the same way that one can more generally charismatic fauna like pandas and polar bears.and#160;and#160;and#160; In response, herpetologists have created large-scale programs such as Amphibian Ark, the umbrella organization behind the Year of the Frog campaign, http://www.amphibianark.org/, to educate and enthrall citizens with the charm of the more slimy species of the planet.
and#160;
Few herpetologists have contributed more to the conservation of amphibians and reptiles than Marty Crump, a renowned expert on declining amphibians.and#160; This manuscript is her ode to the toad, a masterful compilation of science and narrative centering on human relations with amphibians and reptiles across the globe.and#160; An intrepid explorer and skilled writer, Crump has gathered stories and myths and paired them with natural history to give a wonderful view of how essential amphibians and reptiles are to our well being.and#160; Using symbolism, folklore, and science, the manuscript also explores the conservation consequences of our complicated amorous and vexed affair with snakes, frogs, toads and other herpetofauna.
Synopsis
Frogs are worshipped for bringing nourishing rains, but blamed for devastating floods. Turtles are admired for their wisdom and longevity, but ridiculed for their sluggish and cowardly behavior. Snakes are respected for their ability to heal and restore life, but despised as symbols of evil. Lizards are revered as beneficent guardian spirits, but feared as the Devil himself.
In this ode to toads and snakes, newts and tuatara, crocodiles and tortoises, herpetologist and science writer Marty Crump explores folklore across the world and throughout time. From creation myths to trickster tales; from associations with fertility and rebirth to fire and rain; and from the use of herps in folk medicines and magic, as food, pets, and gods, to their roles in literature, visual art, music, and dance, Crump reveals both our love and hatred of amphibians and reptilesandmdash;and their perceived power. In a world where we keep home terrariums at the same time that we battle invasive cane toads, and where public attitudes often dictate that the cute and cuddly receive conservation priority over the slimy and venomous, she shows how our complex and conflicting perceptions threaten the conservation of these ecologically vital animals.
Sumptuously illustrated, Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog, Adderandrsquo;s Fork and Lizardandrsquo;s Leg is a beautiful and enthralling brew of natural history and folklore, sobering science and humor, that leaves us with one irrefutable lesson: love herps. Warts, scales, and all.
About the Author
Marty Crump is currently an adjunct professor of biology at Utah State and Northern Arizona Universities. She has been a herpetologist for more than forty-five years, working with tropical amphibians in the areas of parental care, reproduction, territoriality, cannibalism, and tadpole ecology. Her work hasand#160;drawn attention to theand#160;issue ofand#160;declining amphibian populations. In addition to her science writing, In addition to her popular science writing, she is the author of the recent award-winning childrenandrsquo;s book, The Mystery of Darwinandrsquo;s Frog. She lives in Logan, UT.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrationsand#160;
Acknowledgmentsand#160;
PART ONE: DESCENT WITH MODIFICATION
1. Tracks and Shadowsand#160;
2. Naturalistand#160;
3. Nerdand#160;
4. Field Biologistand#160;
5. Medicand#160;
PART TWO: CONVERSING WITH SERPENTS
6. Graduate Schooland#160;
7. Hot Dry Placesand#160;
8. Hot Wet Placesand#160;
9. Giant Serpentsand#160;
10. Venomous Serpentsand#160;
PART THREE: PRETTY IN SUNLIGHT
11. Friendsand#160;
12. Loose Endsand#160;
13. Born-Again Predatorand#160;
14. Field Biology as Artand#160;
Notesand#160;
Bibliographyand#160;
Index