Best environmentalist biographies according to redditors
We found 71 Reddit comments discussing the best environmentalist biographies. We ranked the 42 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
17. Moon By Whale Light: And Other Adventures Among Bats,Penguins, Crocodilians, and Whales
1 mention
Dame Daphne was the first person to perfect the formula needed by milk-dependent elephant and rhino calves. She also wrote an autobiography, which is a fascinating read.
I'd highly recommend checking out the book Toms River if you're interested in how extremely difficult it is to prove cancer clusters caused by environmental issues.
Someone let me know if I'm completely off base in these calculations...
>The annual incidence of Ewing sarcoma is 2.93 children per 1,000,000. Approximately 200-250 children and adolescents in the United States are diagnosed with a tumor in the Ewing family of tumors each year. Two-thirds will be long-term survivors (more than five years). The tumor occurs with greater frequency in Caucasians. It is extremely rare in African Americans and Asians.
https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/ewing-sarcoma/
So we should expect more Ewing Sarcoma cases in predominantly white areas such as the ones you're describing. Apparently over 91% of adolescent ES cases are in whites (86.3% non hispanic whites). So given the rate of 2.93/1,000,000 is for all children, and given that roughly 50% of the children in the US are white/non-hispanic, then we can estimate that the Ewing Sarcoma incident rate for white children is ~2.5/500,000 annually.
Washington county has a population of 205,000. Apparently 93% are white and 20% are 18 or younger. So that's roughly 46,000 white children in the county. At the rate of 2.5 cases per 500,000 white kids, we would expect about 0.24 cases per year for Washington county.
Again, maybe I'm completely off base here in which case someone feel free to point it out.
One other interesting thing I found is that the rate of adolescent Ewing Sarcoma in New York (which has a statewide fracking ban) is 3.4 per million (standard deviation 0.8). You would expect if fracking was causing these cancers then we would see less than average in New York, especially given their more diverse population (63% white to PA's 81% white).
I grew up in Toms River and just moved back. The book is very well written and pretty accurate. This is the listing if anyone is interested: https://www.amazon.com/Toms-River-Story-Science-Salvation/dp/055380653X
Or Philip Connors' Fire Season: Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout. It's a month by month, beautiful retelling of his time in the lookout. Borderline poetic.
He is wearing his sisters fur vest, our family tartan for a sash, his brother's pirate belt because we are descended from William Dampier, A Pirate of Exquisite Mind and his lego sword because I lived in Denmark for a couple of years.
One River by Wade Davis is another great one which I had never heard of until Chris Ryan had Davis on his podcast last year.
Barbecue, as a noun, first entered the English language from a really interesting guy named William Dampier. First guy to go around the world three times, naturalist, has bits of Australia named after him, responsible for Captain Bligh sailing out to get his breadfruit with Fletcher Christian, mentioned by name in Gulliver's Travels, and sparked the interest in Darwin to get on a boat. He's also responsible for getting other words like chopsticks, avocado, and cashew getting into the Oxford English Dictionary (and therefore the English language).
He got the noun "barbecue" from the Spanish "barbacoa". He used the word barbecue to describe a wooden frame set over a lower, smoldering fire. Food was hung from this and smoked. Basically, it made dried, smoked meat and fish. It made BBQ. The whole hog thing came some years later.
As far as "proper BBQ", as long as it's cooked indirectly over a low fire with wood smoke, it's BBQ. Could be chicken, could be fish, could be the entire head of some mammal.
Dampier was a quite a interesting fellow. If you're familiar with Patrick O'Brian's books, the Maturin character was said to be partially inspired by Dampier's exploits. There's a really great book about him called A Pirate of Exquisite Mind that has a pretty good history of all the crazy things he did. It's worth a read if that genre is your thing.
I think the best way to learn about birds is to actually watch them, so I'd recommend finding your nearest nature sanctuary to see if they have birdwatching walks/classes. If you're in North America, the Audubon Society is a great organization that runs bird sanctuaries and teaches people about birds. There are similar organizations in other regions - you'll just need to do a little online searching. There are also loads of books to help you get started, like this one.
You can also learn a lot about birds online. Cornell University provides online ornithology courses, but they also provide tons of free info about North American birds and their nests, global bird sightings, and more.
I started learning about birds by reading books, and there are plenty of great options. Visit your local library to see what they have. Books cover everything from identification to intelligence to falconry.
What kinds of birds are you particularly interested in? Is there any aspect of birds that you find most fascinating, like anatomy, flight, song, color...?
Everyone should read her book, Love, Life and Elephants.
You want to experiment with non-fiction you say?
Hmmm...you like history? I'd recommend books that are about smaller aspects of history.
The Mathews Men tells the story of the Merchant Marine during World War II. The men who defended the merchant vessels that carried supplies to the Allies, and the cost so many paid.
Patton and His Third Army gives a detailed account of Patton's efforts in World War II, and it's written by a man who served under him.
Or maybe you want to learn about animals?
Dangerous Beauty: Encounters with Grizzlies and Bison in Yellowstone gives detailed accounts of human-and-animal interaction in one of our most storied national parks.
The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival goes into rich detail about a lushly forested region in Far East Russia and the people and animals who live there.
There are still manned towers all over the West. Last year I hiked to one and met the guy who worked there. He was a journalist in NYC and got out after 9/11, then wrote a book about life as a lookout. They check in by radio every hour or so.
I enjoyed One River [amazon] quite a bit. I would give it a shot if you're in any way interested in plants. Plus a little anthropology never hurt anyone.
Among mammals the degree of gyrification (or wrinkling) can be a good (but not perfect) proxy for intelligence. However, birds evolved along a different evolutionary path. In evolution there is always more than one way to solve a problem. For example, birds, bats (mammals), and insects have all learned to fly in their own way, each have solved the problem of flight through their own unique evolutionary path. In much the same way birds have evolved their own way increase brain power that does not involve gyrification. The book the genius of birds explores the differences between mammalian and bird brains and how each have come to solve the problems of intelligence differently.
Great quote! Jefferson was definitely a brilliant man. I'm so sad how these days he's constantly denigrated about slavery. When we do so, we miss great gems like this.
Alexander von Humboldt was also a great man in his own right as well. He was an explorer and a naturalist who traveled through the jungles of South America, as well as a revolutionary activist in favor of the Enlightenment, like Jefferson himself. Also, unlike Jefferson, who was a deist, Humboldt was an atheist. Simon Bolivar and Charles Darwin both considered him an important predecessor to their work.
There was a recent book released about Humboldt: The Invention of Nature. I haven't read it yet myself but I'm told it is a good read.
You've reminded me of this anecdote about birds (from The Genius of Birds):
>One of [Louis] Lefebvre's favourites was the report of vultures in Zimbabwe that perched on barbed-wire fences near minefields during the war of liberation, waiting for gazelles and other grazers to wander in and detonate the explosives. It gave the birds a ready-made meal already pulverized. However, says Lefebvre, "occasionally a vulture got caught in its own game and was exploded by a mine."
In fact, it's perfect.
Various:
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Edit to add: /u/sodajonesx gave me this link of ebooks by Open Road Media, ordered by price low to high, which shows various other free ebooks that might interest readers.
The Genius of Birds, though sometimes borders on being slightly dry, is pretty interesting. Some birds are really smart!
Tried and tried to find a free copy. No dice. Here's your best bet: http://www.amazon.com/One-River-ebook/dp/B003MQNMMW/ref=tmm_kin_title_0
Not really a what to do but the book Fire Season (Amazon link) is set in the Gila Wilderness. It is a really good read and he does discuss the area/camping in the area around his tower somewhat.
While I've wanted to go to the Amazon since I was a kid, One River was the final inspiration for me to pull the trigger back in 2015.
It was pretty much exactly as I imagined it. Animals all over the place, unbearably hot, a totally different culture and way of life. One of my favorite trips to date, and I will be going back soon.
One River by Wade Davis
An Orchard Invisible by Jonathan Silvertown
some background makes the loss clear: http://www.amazon.ca/One-River-Wade-Davis/dp/0684834960
If I were a book, I hope that I'd be a great one.
I would really love this campfire cookbook that is only $9 Prime. I splurged and bought myself a pie iron for camping the other day because I was looking forward to a camping trip coming up. I realize I only know how to make two things using it. I would love to know how to make more things before next month!
I would like this for my Kindle and it is $11.84 because it is a beautifully written travel book by my favorite author. I would love to have it handy whenever I needed something to cheer me up.
Tap, but his water fountain has a nice charcoal filter as others have said.
If he's drinking from anything other than his filtered water fountain, it's either bottled or from the fridge filtered water dispenser.
My town is the subject of a surprisingly good book because there was a massive cancer cluster here. I grew up being told not to drink the tap water and even though I know it's fine now, old habits die hard and my brain subconsciously dismisses tap water as an actual drinkable beverage no matter where I am.
Yeah and there's even a Pulitzer-prize winning book on how the area was polluted. So Toms River does not appear to be that great.
Eric's publisher here! Eric has signed off for the night since he has a book signing to go to (California Surf Museum in #Oceanside from 6-8 p.m for anyone local) but wanted me to let you all that he really enjoyed the exchanges and the experience of hosting an AMA. We hope you'll give the book a read (Amazon link). Feel free to contact Eric with any other questions or if he didn't reach yours in time; his email address is in the back of the book!
Thanks everyone, and thanks to the /r/askscience mods for a great time!
He wrote a book in which he talks about it! Called Icefall, go check it out! https://www.amazon.com/Icefall-Adventures-Dangerous-Changing-Planet/dp/1610396936
No. He left the country and wrote about about his experiences there. The park he was working at later became a UNESCO site.
https://www.amazon.com/Roof-Africa-C-W-Nicol-ebook/dp/B01BK5D2SU
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/9
Hi. I actually wrote a book to answer all of these questions - https://www.amazon.com/Icefall-Adventures-Dangerous-Changing-Planet/dp/1610396936/ref=sr_1_1_twi_har_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494940164&sr=8-1&keywords=icefall
Why was I alone? I'm with search and rescue and am a mountain guide, so it wasn't black or white like trolls would like to believe.
My Sherpa friends and I were on Mt. Everest and hit by an icefall and 16 people died. We were devastated and one of my friends died. But my Nepali friends believed in the science I was doing and fought to get me another permit so that Asman's death was not in vain. The world's mountains are melting away beneath our feet and it is critical that we understand so that we can adapt.
My Sherpa friends were devastated and would climb no more. And the Americans I led were crushed as well - tens of thousands of dollars lost when the Everest season was ended, a dream vanished. By the end, one of them was collapsing mentally and physically and we had to take care of them.
And so I had the choice - stay alone near camp 2 to do the science, or retreat for the season. We only had a few days left before the coming monsoon would make the mountain unclimbable. A calculated risk, but it seemed a safe bet. Especially in the light of all of the sacrifices that had already been made. I was the expedition leader and I didn't want our work to fail after we had lost Asman.
I gambled and lost and was lucky beyond words to survive...
There are various editions to this book, but it has a general overview of different insects with a good deal of pictures and a useful set of keys in the back: Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity by Stephen Marshall.
Sting of the Wild by Justin Schmidt, this is an interesting read by an entomologist that evaluates the intensity of stings of various insects, along with other interesting pieces of information. He also predates Coyote Peterson in this endeavor.
Infested by Brooke Borel is about bed bugs and was entertaining for me hearing about stories of what people have done in response to the presence of bed bugs and other anecdotes.
Also, consider doing a search or two on this sub, or via google but focused on reddit, for book recommendations as this has come up in the past, but I don't have a link handy for it unfortunately. Some other good things have been suggested before!
Enjoy!
If you're interested in insect stings, check out The Sting of the Wild, by Justin O. Schmidt, famous for the Schmidt Pain Index. I'm in the middle of the book, and it is fantastic.
The life of William Dampier would be a real epic. Here's hoping for that!
For those who don't know him;
> William Dampier (baptised 5 September 1651; died March 1715) was the first Englishman to explore parts of what is today Australia, and the first person to circumnavigate the world three times. He has also been described as Australia's first natural historian, as well as one of the most important British explorers of the period between Sir Walter Raleigh and James Cook.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Dampier
There's also a really good book called "A Pirate of Exquisite Mind"; https://www.amazon.com/Pirate-Exquisite-Mind-Naturalist-Buccaneer/dp/0802714250?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0
Tom's River is a great book about a child cancer cluster in NJ.
Even though you mentioned a specific interest in infectious disease, I think Tom's River is a worthwhile addition for anyone in public health, not just those with an interest in environmental health.
It does a great job of tying together the broader scientific, political, environmental, and public health histories and critiques while using Tom's River as a specific case study.
Book: http://www.amazon.com/Toms-River-Story-Science-Salvation/dp/055380653X
NYT Review: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/03/19/health/on-the-trail-of-cancer-a-review-of-toms-river-by-dan-fagin.html?referer=
Also highly recommend this book: The Genius of Birds https://www.amazon.com/dp/0399563121/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_tZU3Bb8V7E52E
Havnet tilfeldig innom Tronsmo i dag, de har et vell av bøker så klart.
Noen har kjøpt denne til meg, den er superkort og var skrevet for ungdom midt på 30-tallet, men er visst en veldig fin liten oversiktsbok og en smule legendarisk som verdenshistorie i kortversjon: A Little History of the World - Ernst Gombrich
Kanskje en kuriositet men skal lese den nå, virker fin. Finnes på norsk også, feks [her.] (https://www.tronsmo.no/bok/9788202521219/EN_LITEN_VERDENSHISTORIE)
Ville bladd litt gjennom Tronsmo sine kategorier forresten - ikke alt i bokhandelen finnes på nettsiden, men ganske mye.
Denne gav meg lyst til å lese klassisk engelsk historie, den virker gjennomført og underholdende: https://www.amazon.co.uk/9780714872353-Illustrated-England-Christopher-Hibbert/dp/0714872350/
Adam Hochschild har jo skrevet noen populære bøker, mest kjent kanskje King Leopolds Ghost - om den brutale belgiske kongen og Kongo under belgisk styre.
Tenkte finne en bok om silkeveien en gang, men ikke kommet så langt.
Har hørt at Salt - A World History av Mark Kurlansky er bra.
Og: Jeg fikk nettopp denne i gave, Andrea Wulf - The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldts New World.
https://www.amazon.com/Invention-Nature-Alexander-Humboldts-World/dp/038535066X
Humboldt var med på å forme hva vi tenker på som natur, han dro på mange ekspedisjoner og var svært berømt i sin samtid. Navnet hans er jo også knyttet til idealer om læring og dannelse, Darwin var stor fan av Humboldt. Det kan du lese en snutt om her https://beagleproject.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/darwin-on-humboldt/
Av andre ting i samme gate er dette en interessant skjebne, handler om Maria Sybilla Merian som i 1699 (!) i en alder av 52 tok med seg datteren og seilte fra Amsterdam, over Atlanterhavet til Surinam - for å utforske og illustrere planter og insekter. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1845114310/ Lenge før Humboldt og Darwin. Fascinerende at det i det hele tatt var mulig for henne.
It was pretty revolutionary! I read The Invention of Nature recently and it was pretty amazing how Humboldt collected data on his travels.
If you're interested in some history/first-hand experiences, check out Phillip Connors' Fire Season: Field Notes from A Wilderness Lookout. I bought it a few weeks ago, and I've been thoroughly enjoying it. Granted, Connors talks about his experiences in New Mexico, while Henry is in Wyoming. Regardless, the tone of the novel is great, and also quite funny at times. Plus, occasionally, it gives you the feeling of really being there.
Reminds me that I've been meaning to read this book someday:
https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Season-Field-Wilderness-Lookout/dp/0061859370
Not necessarily. I'm from Jersey, and lived right near a huge superfund site. The town was the largest studied cancer cluster of all time, IIRC.
Edit: It's also worth watching A Civil Action starring Travolta. It's about a case involving a superfund site in Woburn, Massachusetts.
Also, there's a book about the superfund site by me.
Sources:
Ciba-Geigy
Reich Farm
That's a great read too, and short, so it would be a good breather. Or if you wanted to get more into that story, Operation Bite Back is excellent.