Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction

Rating: it was amazing

Honored to have blurbed this forthcoming book; here's what I wrote:

Beloved Beasts is the definitive history of the conservation movement, in all its turbulent, passionate, problematic glory. Michelle Nijhuis shines a bright and unsparing light on environmentalism’s most influential hidden figures, and breathes new life into Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, and other heroes you thought you knew. The centuries-long campaign to protect our fellow creatures is among the most dramatic stories in our own species’ history, and now it finally has the literary epic it deserves.

Rating: it was amazing

4.5 rounded up
Very interesting and informative.

Rating: it was amazing

An epic journey through time learning about the evolution of conservation

This took me back to my Ecology, Evolution and Conservation classes at University, but interestingly covered some of the lesser known figures and moments in history in between the more notable ones. I really enjoyed discovering the transformation of the concept of conservation from the start of naming and classifying species, all the way to the modern notion of population biology.

It delves very deep into the topics presented, but they are told as short-stories to make each subject get the attention it deserves. I always find it fascinating to connect the dots between all these events happening through time that helped shape ideas and beliefs of today. It makes you wonder how this field will grow from here in the future..

I think the examples selected made perfect sense, and highlighted some of the major matters of debate such as “why protect an animal?”, “how does it affect us, humans?”, “are we really responsible for extinctions?”, or even “what actions can be taken?”.

Highly recommend this book to give a good perspective on the current situation of biodiversity loss across the planet and how we got to this point, in a more educational, factual, and contextual narrative rather than from an eco-extremist point of view.

Special thanks go to the netgalley team and the publishers for providing this ARC. I appreciate the opportunity to read it in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: it was amazing

A lovely and yet sad book. At the bottom of all this is the sad fact that our species sees itself on the outside of the natural world, somehow better or more valuable than other species that share this planet with us, and all our conservation efforts are attempts to save species while we fail to see that everything is connected, that we should living within the nature that gave us life, in mutualism with all other species on earth.

Rating: liked it

I wanted to love this book more than I did. Maybe I would have if I wasn't listening to it, but reading. Maybe. There's also the mismatch between what I expected and what was in it, which is obviously my fault. The stories of the scientists/lay people who made a difference and the lives they might be saving (and the other lives they might be squelching - because these were fallible people) were great, but it wasn't really what I was expecting. I'll give the physical book another go, preferably when my son is looking over my shoulder, now that I know what's in the book.

Rating: it was amazing

This is such a lovely book. Full disclosure: I'm friends with Michelle. She's also an incredibly gifted storyteller who manages to weave together multiple histories about the birth of the conservation movement, from Montana to New York to Namibia, with rich details about the historical figures who were sometimes maddeningly and deeply flawed, but ultimately inspiring. Despite the intensely felt reporting of all that we've lost, this is a very hopeful book, and the prose is often breathtaking. One story flows into and builds upon another, creating a moving portrait of the bison and hawks and wolves and rhinos and frogs and other animals that we pushed to the brink, along with the landscapes they inhabited. Not all of them made it. But given our "inescapable and inescapably complex" relationships with the rest of nature, the book makes a powerful argument for the necessity of continuing to do what we can to preserve life in all of its complex, messy, and interconnected forms, for the betterment of all. This is book that will stay with you - a beautiful and moving chronicle of life and death and an inspiring call for change.

Rating: really liked it

In the times of environmental decline, global warming, and zoonotic pandemic, it is easy to despair. Now more than ever we need some good news and a bit of optimism. And here comes to the rescue this book.

Michelle Nijhuis recalls many of the most famous success stories in the history of conservation. It is heartwarming to read that despite experiences of similar feelings of despair, our predecessors managed to change the world in positive ways. We still have bisons and whooping cranes, after all!

It is a very engaging and interesting read. I especially appreciate including stories of brave and stubborn women, who challenged the status quo and made a difference.

The narrator’s voice in the audiobook version can at first appear as a little generic, but you stop noticing that after a few minutes, and her good diction is really important because of many Latin terms and names in the book.

Thanks to the publisher, Melville House Publishing, and NetGalley for the advance copy of this audiobook.

Rating: really liked it

I took my time reading this book because it is weighty, and dense, in the topic more so than prose. It is not a light or easy read, but it is important and fascinating. I found myself wanting to sit with and think about so many different situations from this book, especially as I saw local Nature groups arguing over the intersection of hunting and conservation, or the impact of environmental regulations on various communities. I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of conservation, which should be everyone. Everyone should be interested in its future, and we cannot fully grasp how to handle the future without significant knowledge of the past. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Rating: it was amazing

This books gives a great history on conservation, and how it has shaped our world today. Michelle outlines the human connection to nature and how it has changed over the years. Really great book for those interested in conservation biology and extinction In general. Really enjoyed this one

Rating: it was amazing

This is a must read for anyone concerned with nature, animal conservation and the world. A realistic and unvarnished history of the conservation heroes and groups and how to really make a difference.

Rating: it was amazing

Let’s just get to the punchline: This will likely be on my shortlist of top books for 2021. I suspect you will feel the same after reading it.

Michelle Nijhuis crafts a tightly woven narrative depicting influential events in the lives of individual contributors to the modern conservation movement. This, however, is no sugar-coated idolization. Nijhuis doesn’t shy away from the significant character flaws of her subjects. She lays it out there making the accounts all the more believable. It is a wonder that any progress was made in spite of the blights of racism, colonialism, and greed.

Beginning with Carl Linnaeus and his classification system, the book paces through key political decisions and the establishment of high-profile enviro-focused organizations, wrapping up at today’s concentration on sustainability and community-based projects.

Each chapter offers a glimpse at the conservationists’ influences and thought processes. Aldo Leopold, for example, “…was curious about other species, but was fascinated by the relationships among them.” This became the basis for his body of work.
Elinor Ostrom, typically recognized for her work in economics, learned much by observing how community-led environmental resource management systems functioned, and the complex structures that guided their successful operation. Some of these systems were centuries old, yet fair and well-functioning.

In her closing thoughts, Nijhuis reminds us that the issues we face are indeed complex. We need to get comfortable with the complexity of the necessary responses to the ongoing loss of biodiversity. She rightly states that we can imagine the futures we don’t want. Let’s avoid them and let’s do better.

Nijhuis is a science journalist, trained in biology, whose work has appeared in National Geographic, the New Yorker, and she is currently a project editor at the Atlantic. She specializes in stories about conservation and global change.

The book includes some photos and illustrations that help the reader visualize the context of the accompanying text.


Why you should not miss this one:
* even if you know something about the subject matter, there are many new substantive details
* the message is important, but the delivery is not heavy-handed
* the movement’s history and the relationships between the conservationists are interesting in their own right

Thanks to NetGalley, W. W. Norton & Company, and the author, Michelle Nijhuis, for the opportunity to read a digital copy in exchange for this review.

#NetGalley #BelovedBeasts

If you like what you've read here, check out my blog at www.comfortmewithnature.com
Thanks for reading!

Rating: it was amazing

* I received an audio ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *

Beloved Beasts is a somewhat in-depth exploration of the field of conservation and the key players who contributed to its shaping. We follow these players - both notable and more obscure - as they tackle conservation issues while exploring their personal agendas that fueled their actions. Nijhuis provides a very personal view into the psyche of these people and does not shy away from pointing out their racist, nationalist and straight up hypocritical principles. As a grad student studying conservation, this is something I have never seen tackled in other books on the birth of conservation and it brings some much needed and valuable insight to how the field has been shaped and ways in which we need to reframe it moving forward. Furthermore, by using case studies of well known and loved animals such as bison and rhinos, Nijhuis keeps the reader engaged and makes this book accessible and enjoyable for the masses. By far my favorite chapter was about community conservation and how we can decolonize the field while giving peoples the power to support their communities and also their animal neighbors. It also talks about complex issues such as trophy hunting that outsiders pretty unanimously oppose (myself included) yet the community and the animals can actually benefit from. It really made me step back and rethink my assumptions about some conservation issues that are clearly not as straightforward as they first seem.

Overall, I enjoyed the narrator and I think she did a great job. The author clearly did her research and brought to light many details about the field of conservation that I believe are important in framing where we go from here. Much of this book is depressing but I think there are also moments of hope in learning about the people and organizations tackling conservation and extinction. However, it is also clear that a few devoted individuals cannot do it alone and this book certainly exposed some of the cracks in our fundamental views on conservation.

Rating: it was amazing

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Beloved Beasts is a definitive modern survey course of the conservation movement and the players, both well known and lesser known who have shaped and guided our stewardship of the planet and our fellow creatures presented by Michelle Nijhuis. Due out 9th March 2021 from W.W. Norton & co, it's an information dense 352 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The author has a flowing journalistic voice with a no-nonsense accessible layman-friendly prose. The writing is readable and understandable. She doesn't sugar coat the facts or the realities, including the profiles of the conservationists she examines. The chapters follow a roughly chronological timeline and the thread which weaves them together is species conservation. The whole is punctuated throughout with illustrations drawn from media, history, and the arts. The chapter notes alone provided hours of further exploratory reading, along with the bibliography (usefully arranged by chapter relevance).

This would make a superlative choice for public library acquisition, gift giving, or home library, as well as a good support text for conservation, biology, ethics, and allied studies courses. One of my strongest reads so far in 2021.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Rating: it was amazing

Being interested in and passionate about conservation has become "hip" in recent years, but it wasn't always such an easy thing to support. Being a biologist and physiologist by training, I thought I knew the basic nuts & bolts of the conservation movement. Boy howdy, was I wrong! This book was a fascinating look into the history of human interactions with our fellow animals and environment. Should a national forest have legal rights? The answer is yes and Michelle will tell you why.
I appreciate the well-rounded history that Michelle provides, neither wholly demonizing those of the past nor putting historical heroes on pedestals. She doesn't shy away from the unsavory parts of the movement's history, often talking about the problematic and racist views of many considered to be heroes and fathers of modern conservation.
The narrator, Christina Delaine, did a great job. I always appreciate the efforts to not only pronounce non-native words properly but also with the correct accent.
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook and have already recommended it many.

I received a NetGalley ARC of this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Rating: liked it

I appreciated the engaging recounting of major pivot points in conservation in the last 100 years or so, but I found that there were some major gaps that seemed glaring. First, the events and people mentioned centered on white, educated, and mostly monied people which, though a major part of history, does not comprise all of those who advocate for conservation. Missing was mention of indigenous peoples (other than their relationship to bison) and the efforts social movements and social action. Furthermore, though mention is made more than once that conservation efforts did not historically factor in people’s existing rights to land or the contrast between colonial conservation and native conservation, the link between conservation and environmental justice was tenuous at best. In the end, if you just want accessible insight to the contributions of people already written into history books, then this is a great read.