About the Book

Some of the world’s greatest writings on ravens and other birds, insects, trees, elephants, and more, collected for the first time in book form showing why Bernd Heinrich is so beloved for his “passionate observations [that] superbly mix memoir and science” (New York Times)

From one of the finest scientist/writers of our time comes an engaging record of a life spent in close observation of the natural world, one that has yielded “marvelous, mind-altering” (Los Angeles Times) insight and discoveries.  In essays that span several decades, Heinrich finds himself at home in Maine, where he plays host to visitors from Europe (the cluster flies) and more welcome guests from Asia (ladybugs); and as far away as Botswana, where he unravels the far-reaching ecological consequences of elephants’ bruising treatment of mopane trees.  The many fascinating discoveries in Naturalist at Large include the maple sap harvesting habits of red squirrels, and the “instant” flower-opening in the yellow iris as a way of ensuring potent pollination. Heinrich turns to his great love, the ravens, some of them close companions for years, as he designs a unique experiment to tease out the fascinating parameters of raven intelligence. Finally, he asks “Where does a biologist find hope?” while delivering an answer that informs and inspires.

Critical Praise

Praise for One Wild Bird at a Time   "[Bernd Heinrich is] a dedicated watcher happy to knock down the fourth wall of zoology." —Wall Street Journal     Praise for The Homing Instinct      “Deep and insightful writing.” — David Gessner, Washington Post     Praise for Life Everlasting      "Despite focusing on death and decay, Life Everlasting is far from morbid; instead, it is life-affirming . . . convincing the reader that physical demise is not an end to life, but an opportunity for renewal."—Nature     Praise for Bernd Heinrich     “He richly deserves the comparison to Thoreau.”—Washington Post Book World     “Passionate observations [that] superbly mix memoir and science.”—New York Times Book Review       —

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Product Details

• ISBN: 9780544986831
• ISBN 10: 0544986830
• Imprint: Mariner Books
• On Sale: 05/08/2018
• Trimsize: 5.500 in (w) x 8.250 in (h) x 0.000 in (d)
• Pages: 304
• List Price: $26.00
• BISAC1 : NATURE / Ecology
• BISAC2 : NATURE / Animals / Insects & Spiders
• BISAC3 : NATURE / Essays