# Book Recommendations **URL:** \ **Category:** Nature Talk\ **Created:** [May 22, 2019, 2:58am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504 "2019-05-22T02:58:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![pinkpimpernel](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/pinkpimpernel/32/18914_2.png) [@pinkpimpernel](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/pinkpimpernel)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 9:29pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/82 "2023-11-19T21:29:53Z")
For mysteries I loved Elizabeth Peters’s books, also under the name of Barbara Michaels. ---
**Author:** ![henryy1355](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/henryy1355/32/7573_2.png) [@henryy1355](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/henryy1355)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2023, 3:07am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/83 "2023-11-22T03:07:00Z")
Recently read Tristan Gooley’s How to Read a Tree. It is a fascinating read on the nature of trees from leaves to branches, trunk and bark, and roots. How wind and growth habit shape trees and indicate direction. He also has a website worth more than a glance. [https://www.naturalnavigator.com/](https://www.naturalnavigator.com/) ---
**Author:** ![JaneBP](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/janebp/32/30640_2.png) [@JaneBP](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/JaneBP)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2023, 4:50am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/84 "2023-11-22T04:50:18Z")
> [@lothlin](#): > > _What Moves the Dead_, by T. Kingfisher. Her books for adults are written under T. Kingfisher and for kids under Ursula Vernon. Her Hamster Princess series is very funny and would be fun to read with an elementary school kid (or alone). I also enjoyed Castle Hangnail. ---
**Author:** ![liamodo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/liamodo/32/27033_2.png) [@liamodo](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/liamodo)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 4:48am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/85 "2023-11-24T04:48:50Z")
I’ve been simultaneously reading Joseph Leidy: The Last Man Who Knew Everything and Bone Sharp: The Life of Edward Drinker Cope. I think reading them together has enhanced the experience, especially when I’m reading them near a lot of their old haunts. ---
**Author:** ![becksnyc](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/becksnyc/32/12940_2.png) [@becksnyc](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/becksnyc)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/86 "2023-11-24T21:28:32Z")
You will never think the same about anything around you after reading the Electric Rainbow. My first question was, have entomologists eliminated the possibility that beetle & moth antennae are picking up electromagnetic frequencies? There is such a material bias to our world and especially the scientific community. If you like that book, this paper will blow you away: [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/brv.12804](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/brv.12804) It’s a review of what is known about interactions between animals & plants and the “electrical ecology.” ---
**Author:** ![becksnyc](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/becksnyc/32/12940_2.png) [@becksnyc](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/becksnyc)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 9:42pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/87 "2023-11-24T21:42:30Z")
Wildlings by Mary Leister (savor these essays by an observant naturalist & gifted writer) An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles by Arthur Evans & Charles Bellamy Painterly Plants by Clare Foster (on the history of plant species as found in historical art) For the Love of Insects by Thomas Eisner and currently, Much Ado About Mothing by James Lowen (you don’t have to love moths to love Lowen’s richly descriptive, prosaic passion re: his year-long hunt for the rare moths of Britain) ---
**Author:** ![jasonhernandez74](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/jasonhernandez74/32/33615_2.png) [@jasonhernandez74](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jasonhernandez74)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2023, 1:25am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/89 "2023-11-25T01:25:02Z")
> [@cheryl\_rosenfeld](#): > > [https://www.amazon.com/Last-Chance-See-Douglas-Adams/dp/0345371984/ref=mp\_s\_a\_1\_1?crid=16U5UG5I8FJSM&keywords=last+chance+to+see&qid=1700863090&sprefix=last+chance+%2Caps%2C278&sr=8-1](https://www.amazon.com/Last-Chance-See-Douglas-Adams/dp/0345371984/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=16U5UG5I8FJSM&keywords=last+chance+to+see&qid=1700863090&sprefix=last+chance+%2Caps%2C278&sr=8-1) _Last Chance to See_ was quite a read: combining Douglas Adams’ signature sense of humor (he is the author of _Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_) with the sad poignancy that these are species on the brink of extinction. ---
**Author:** ![liamodo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/liamodo/32/27033_2.png) [@liamodo](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/liamodo)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 3:39am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/90 "2023-11-28T03:39:44Z")
I finally got around to reading Last Chance to See a few months ago. I really enjoyed it but it was hard to see that some of the species had gone extinct since it was published. On the other hand a few of them are also a bit further along the long road to recovery ---
**Author:** ![ken\_ohio](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/ken_ohio/32/11607_2.png) [@ken\_ohio](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/ken_ohio)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2023, 2:26pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/91 "2023-11-29T14:26:33Z")
“Sentient: How Animals Illuminate the Wonder of Our Human Senses” by Jackie Higgins The author presents animals with extraordinary abilities/senses and compares them with our senses. She writes about past research and current studies to explain how scientists tried to understand how animals/humans perceive the world. I thought this was going to be a simple book on our five senses but, it is SO much more. Examples: Our sight is more than just seeing color and shapes, and rods and cones. We have a “sense of our body”. What I mean by this is: close your eyes and bring your finger to your nose. You “know” where every part of your body is. More in the book. I don’t want to give any more spoilers but, I will say that, we have more than five senses and, they work in extraordinary ways. And, there are animals out there that experience the world in ways we can only imagine. ---
**Author:** ![GeolTel](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/geoltel/32/76853_2.png) [@GeolTel](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/GeolTel)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2023, 5:20pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/92 "2023-11-29T17:20:01Z")
Edith Holden’s “diary” (and other works), if only for the pleasant drawings. Her untimely death should figure prominently in [this thread](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/what-observations-have-been-your-most-dangerous-hard-to-get). ---
**Author:** ![liamodo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/liamodo/32/27033_2.png) [@liamodo](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/liamodo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 5:26am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/93 "2023-12-15T05:26:58Z")
Finished the biography of EDC. It got weirdly defensive of his bigotry towards the end but otherwise gave a pretty decent overview about what we know about his life ---
**Author:** ![lynnharper](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/lynnharper/32/22908_2.png) [@lynnharper](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/lynnharper)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 2:01pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/94 "2023-12-15T14:01:35Z")
Who is EDC? ---
**Author:** ![fubberpish](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/fubberpish/32/26517_2.png) [@fubberpish](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/fubberpish)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 2:14pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/95 "2023-12-15T14:14:33Z")
Recently finished reading [What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/26114430), and I can’t recommend it enough! Super interesting stuff, and it certainly changed the way I think about fish and their behaviour. Been a while since I last read it, but I also greatly enjoyed [Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/28116739), definitely worth a read! ---
**Author:** ![cthawley](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/cthawley/32/1445_2.png) [@cthawley](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/cthawley)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 3:04pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/96 "2023-12-15T15:04:27Z")
Edward Drinker Cope (well, pretty sure). ---
**Author:** ![liamodo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/liamodo/32/27033_2.png) [@liamodo](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/liamodo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 10:29pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/97 "2023-12-15T22:29:33Z")
Edward Drinker Cope is correct. He’s the father of American Paleontology but also did a lot of work in American race “science” ---
**Author:** ![jhbratton](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/jhbratton/32/3718_2.png) [@jhbratton](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jhbratton)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2023, 3:22pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/98 "2023-12-16T15:22:23Z")
_Shaping the Wild_ by David Elias is a good read, especially if you are involved in conservation in the British uplands. It makes an evocative case for conserving the cultural landscape, which didn’t use to need a name but now does in the face of the pincer movement from rewilding and yet more tree-planting. It basically means keeping things as they are - farmed landscapes with the wildlife that has adapted to use them, but with fewer sheep per hectare. ---
**Author:** ![Quercitron](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/quercitron/32/41809_2.png) [@Quercitron](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Quercitron)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2023, 7:00am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/99 "2023-12-19T07:00:59Z")
I have especially enjoyed The _Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees_ by Douglas W. Tallamy (2021), which discusses oaks and how numerous organisms, such as birds, insects, mammals, and worms interact with them. It is richly illustrated with photographs of insects, oak galls, some birds, and aspects of the trees themselves. The book is organized into chapters by calendar month, and includes observations of phenomena in a _Quercus alba_ on the author’s property, as well as descriptions of how oaks are essential in maintaining biodiversity. Another good book is _Oak: The Frame of Civilization_ by William Bryant Logan (2005). It offers historical accounts of how humanity has used oaks for the past several thousand years for building living quarters, ships, and furniture, and how acorns were and still are used for food. The book is also rich with anecdotes of the author’s experiences with oaks and associated human culture. A chapter entitled “Oak Itself” discusses, well, oaks themselves. :) ---
**Author:** ![henryy1355](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/henryy1355/32/7573_2.png) [@henryy1355](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/henryy1355)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2023, 12:56am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/100 "2023-12-20T00:56:19Z")
Tallamy’s book has been on my list for a few months. It just got moved to next in line. _Oaks of California_ Bruce M. Pavlick et. al. covers the species in the State and their myriad hybrids. It includes the range of each species and the various inhabitants of the oak landscape. There is also a bit on fungi in the oaks, yay! _Oaks of North America_ Howard Miller and Samuel Lamb is a good field guide with keys, ranges and detailed information on species. _The Life of an Oak, An Intimate Portrait_ Glenn Keator follows the oak life cycle and includes excellent illustrations. Along with fungi and other inhabitants he branches out to the rest of the family which provides a more thorough understanding of the evolution and state of the trees today. ---
**Author:** ![Quercitron](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/quercitron/32/41809_2.png) [@Quercitron](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Quercitron)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2023, 1:25am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/101 "2023-12-20T01:25:27Z")
> [@henryy1355](#): > > _Oaks of California_ Bruce M. Pavlick et. al. … > _Oaks of North America_ Howard Miller and Samuel Lamb … > _The Life of an Oak, An Intimate Portrait_ Glenn Keator … Yes, I have those books and highly recommend all three of them. ---
**Author:** ![liamodo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/liamodo/32/27033_2.png) [@liamodo](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/liamodo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2023, 5:14am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504/102 "2023-12-20T05:14:20Z")
I just bought Pests: How humans create animal villains and am looking forward to starting it [Previous page](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504.md?page=4) [Next page](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/book-recommendations/3504.md?page=6)