The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild
by Craig Childs
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Book Summary Information
Author: Craig ChildsEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-12-12
ISBN: 031606632X
Number of pages: 323
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Book Reviews of The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild
Book Review: Super stories, well told
Summary: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Al Olsen
Have you ever wondered about the history of the mountain goat in the continental United States? Or why the rancher who is trying to decrease the coyote population on his ranch seems to only get more coyote pups? These two questions and many, many more are explained in this wonderfully written book by author Craig Childs. His usage of the English language is eloquent, to say the least. This is top-quality writing from a sharp observer who describes himself as a naturalist or adventurist.
This book is a collection of thirty-seven essays of varying lengths. They are all personal encounters covering topics from mosquitoes to bears. Most of them are reflections written about these animals in the wild, in varying locations like the Sonora Desert in Mexico, or the Yukon River. He also wrote an interesting piece about birds flying into and out of the twin beams where the World Trade Center once stood.
One of the most distinctive aspects of his style of writing is the way that he plays with words and puts them opposite words that are unusual. Here is an example from his essay on the rainbow trout that clearly shows the fun that he has in describing it. "The motions that followed the length of its body caused great momentum. It moved as if it were solid energy prepared to erupt but satisfied with remaining in one place for a short time. It was as if water had taken a concrete a form and speckled itself with lavenders and reds."
Some of the more interesting pieces of trivia were cleverly disguised in his essay on porcupines. For instance, a porcupine's digestive system is nearly a third of its body weight. Then he goes on to talk about the quills. There is a greasy layer of fatty acid that coats the quill. A researcher discovered that this substance is mostly palmitic acid, which is a strong antibiotic as effective as penicillin. This is fascinating stuff!
This book would challenge high school students to expand their vocabulary-or for anyone who enjoys animals. A fun, educational, and delightful read!
Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended.
Summary of The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild
From one of the finest nature writers at work inWhether recalling the experience of being chased through the Grand Canyon by a bighorn sheep, swimming with sharks off the coast of British Columbia, watching a peregrine falcon perform acrobatic stunts at 200 miles per hour, or engaging in a tense face-off with a mountain lion near a desert waterhole, Craig Childs captures the moment so vividly that he puts the reader in his boots.
Each of the forty brief, compelling narratives in THE ANIMAL DIALOGUES focuses on the author's own encounter with a particular species and is replete with astonishing facts about the species' behavior, habitat, breeding, and lifespan. But the glory of each essay lies in Childs's ability to portray the sometimes brutal beauty of the wilderness, to capture the individual essence of wild creatures, to transport the reader beyond the human realm and deep inside the animal kingdom
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