Atlas obscura : Wild life An explorer's guide to the world's living wonders

Cara Giaimo

Book - 2024

"From the bestselling authors of Atlas Obscura and Gastro Obscura, comes Wild Life, an over-the-top, dazzling collection of the world's most fascinating, most unusual, and least-understood natural wonders. It's more than a field guide--it's an adventure. From the curious minds of Atlas Obscura, authors of #1 New York Times bestselling Atlas Obscura and Gastro Obscura, comes an unputdownable tour through the world's most extraordinary natural wonders and curiosities. Learn how dung beetles navigate by the stars and trees communicate through their roots. Meet one of the strongest animals in the world: the puny peacock mantis shrimp. Visit a 44,000 year old shrub, float along flying rivers, and explore a garbage dump t...eeming with endangered storks. There are first-person interviews: hear from a honey hunter and his avian partners, a scientist working to understand the hidden language of prairie dogs, an offshore radio DJ who is at the heart of the local fishing community. Examine old examples of bird song notation written on sheet music. Featuring over 500 extraordinary plants, animals, and natural phenomena with illustrations and photos on every page, first-person interviews, and engaging infographics, the book takes readers around the globe, with stops in every continent--from Arctic deserts to lush jungles, to the deepest fathoms of the ocean, and into the heart of our densest cities. In a time where the world that feels more knowable than ever, where can access anything with the click of a mouse or a swipe of a finger, and where nature documentaries are a dime a dozen, Wild Life finds a way to reinvigorate our send of wonder about the natural world"--

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Subjects
Published
New York : Workman Publishing [2024]
Language
English
Main Author
Cara Giaimo (author)
Other Authors
Joshua Foer (author)
Edition
First edition
Item Description
"Cover and chapter opener illustrations by Zoe Keller. Illustrations by Iris Gottlieb"--T.p. verso.
Includes index.
Physical Description
464 p.
ISBN
9781523514410
  • Introduction
  • Chapter 1. Forests & Rainforests
  • Chapter 2. Grasslands & Tundras
  • Chapter 3. Mountains
  • Chapter 4. Deserts
  • Chapter 5. Shallows & Deeps
  • Chapter 6. Cities
  • Chapter 7. Islands
  • Acknowledgments
  • Contributors
  • Photo Credits
  • Index
  • About the Authors
Review by Booklist Review

This pleasantly rambling collection profiles some of the world's rarest life forms. Broad chapters consider unique plants and animals grouped according to biome ("Forests and Rainforests," "Grasslands and Tundras," "Cities," etc.). Beyond that, entries appear in seemingly random order, occasionally grouped by continent but not always, and follow a pleasing path of discovery. The text tends to wander off in various directions, sometimes tackling scientific names and technical aspects, sometimes going into rapturous travelogue descriptions of what it's like to experience these wonders in the wild, offering helpful hints on where and how to find them. Extra features like interviews with field experts or bits about legends are tucked in, accompanied by photos, illustrations, and maps. This approach results in addictive perusing and engaging reading. The entries reflect repeating themes (ecology and conservation, predator and prey, life-cycle codependencies) and are sufficiently detailed to stand on their own. Authoritative and filled with facts, fictions, and fallacies about strange beings (butt-breathing turtles!) this is sure to please naturalists, armchair travelers, and anyone caught up in the throes of wanderlust.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.