The incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds jim sterba crown. Though sterba can be selfrighteous, the book presents a valuable counternarrative to the mainstream view of naturehuman interaction. In nature wars, jim sterba lays out battle lines that emerged after populations of species that declined to nearextinction by the end of the 19th century came roaring backthis book is sure to initiate discussion about an issue that seems likely to move closer. Journalist jim sterba talks about the growing battles over wildlife in americas cities and suburbs about deer, beavers, geese, bears, feral cats and more. Jim sterba is a veteran foreign reporter at the wall street journal and onetime war correspondent, but his latest book, nature wars, is about insurgency of a different sort. Jims insight as to the cause of some of these population increases are truly outofthe box thinking, but really made sense to me. This excerpt, which discusses how humans in north america. Jim sterbas nature wars nature wars addresses the issues modern americans have faced recently when they have. Frankies place, a love story by jim sterba, is a memoir of a relationship and summers on the maine coast, published in july, 2003, by groveatlantic. The incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds kindle edition by sterba, jim. Its there, where sprawl meets forest reclamation, that the generations reared believing that nature had long absconded tragically over the horizon, or way up north, have been forced to. Jim sterba has been a foreign correspondent, war correspondent and national correspondent for more than four decades, first for the new york times and then for the wall street journal. It is very likely that more people live in closer proximity to more wild animals, birds and trees in the eastern u. Jim sterba s nature wars is a smart, stylish and altogether provocative account of how we are confounded by that which we claim to hold so dear mother nature and all her creatures moving in right next door.
Jim sterbas nature wars nature wars addresses the issues modern americans have faced recently when they have brought certain species back from extinction. But for years, wildlife has been hitting the streets of suburbiaand quite often becoming roadkill thats smeared all over those streets. Now these species overpopulate the area and encroach upon highly habituated areas, but who is encroaching upon who. David foster, ecologist and director of the harvard forest. Nature wars offers an eyeopening look at how americans lost touch with the natural landscape, spending 90 percent of their time indoors where nature arrives via television, films and digital screens in which wild creatures often behave like people or. Though sterba can be selfrighteous, the book presents a valuable counternarrative to the mainstream view of nature human interaction. It is an excellent and thoughtprovoking read, one of the most balanced looks at wildlife issues in suburbia.
The incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds by jim sterba. The incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds is a history of the return of forests, the comeback of wildlife, and the sprawl of people into the exurban countryside. Jim sterba, author of the new book nature wars, discusses the amazing resurgence of wildlife in americaand the problems that it has created for suburbaniteswith wsjs gary rosen. In nature wars, jim sterba lays out battle lines that emerged after populations of species that declined to nearextinction by the end of the 19th century came roaring backthis book is sure to initiate discussion about an issue that seems likely to move closer to the forefront in the years ahead. He has written numerous articles on wildlife issues and did so in a manner that was remarkably fair to supporters of the consumptive use of wildlife i. Nature wars on apple books apple books apple apple. In my own small way i have been unwittingly contributing to a developing and complex urban phenomenon, spelt out by the author in the subtitle of his book, the incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds. You raise important points about the many gray areas of invasive species. In nature wars, to be released next week, awardwinning journalist jim sterba argues that its time for americans to reconnect with natureand what better incentive than a massive lethal control campaign against any number of plants and animals, including feral cats. And every reader of this blog should read your book, nature wars. After centuries of uncontrolled hunting and clearcutting devastated ecosystems, the environmental movement inspired people to try to restore some kind of natural. Sterba casts a reporters sharp eye on a little noticed war unfolding under our noses, in our own backyards. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the.
The incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds, farm abandonment and the slow growth of trees are chief culprits, along with the more rapid wean of people from the natural world, even as theyve ebbed. Nature wars author jim sterba on bambi and wildlife. My own town was even featured in the goose chapter. This is a great book a story with lessons for us all. The incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds just hit the streets a few weeks ago. Morley safer in this book, jim sterba has given us a fascinating, powerful, and important lesson in why we should be careful when we mess with mother nature. Sterba starts by examining the regrowth of americas forests. This book is sure to initiate discussion about an issue that seems likely to move closer to the forefront in the years ahead. The incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds, farm abandonment and the slow growth of trees are chief culprits, along with the more rapid wean of people from the natural world, even as theyve ebbed from city to exurb. This book is a different take on humanwildlife interactions. Jim sterba highlights a handful of species in a very small biogeographical region of the world that happens to also be in the wealthiest and most privileged nation. Whether its deer in the backyard or raccoons in the chimney, nature is making a comebackin suburbia.
In nature wars, sterba, an awardwinning journalist, examines how modern society is fighting a new war against the wildlife and nature that surround us. The northeast has become a hive of ecological counterintuition, at least by the framework of any living memory. Nature wars offers an eyeopening look at how americans lost touch with the natural landscape, spending 90 percent of their time indoors where nature arrives via television, films and digital screens in which wild creatures often behave like people or cuddly pets. The naturechallenged reader will discover many new and startling facts in jim sterbas new book. The incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds by jim sterba 2012, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay.
Jim sterba doesnt mention shifting baseline syndrome in his book nature wars, with its breathless subtitle the incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds, but its behind most of the social phenomena that he describes. This may be hard to believe but it is very likely that more people live in closer proximity to more wild animals, birds and trees in the eastern united states today than anywhere on the planet at any time in history. Nature wars is a counterintuitive take on a social problem, and the tone is knowing and smart, not sarcastic or snide. Connecticut is the fourth most densely populated state in the us. Jim sterba nature wars on sunday, september 27, 2015, jim sterba will appear at the ulster and delaware train station on the mountain top historical society campus at 2. The incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds by jim sterba crown lake makefield township, pa. They have made much of the land around them more suitable to some selected few.
The incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds by jim sterba 201211 jim sterba on. Jims insight as to the cause of some of these population increases are truly outofthe box thinking, but really made. Nature wars the incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds ebook. Nov 15, 20 jim sterbas nature wars is a smart, stylish and altogether provocative account of how we are confounded by that which we claim to hold so dear mother nature and all her creatures moving in right next door. This is a great book and a story with lessons for us all. Nature wars ebook chicago public library bibliocommons. An eyeopening take on how romantic sentimentalism about nature can have destructive consequences. Nature wars by jim sterba overdrive rakuten overdrive.
Nov 16, 2012 in his new book, nature wars, reporter jim sterba explores how, ironically, many americans are living closer to nature than ever beforeand how illequipped we are to deal with it. His book reflects attitudes that are out of step with contemporary culture. Jim sterbas nature wars is a smart, stylish and altogether provocative account of how we are confounded by that which we claim to hold so dear mother nature and all her creatures moving in right next door. Fortunately we have a wise and witty guide in jim sterba, whose nature wars is my favorite kind of read a book that affectionately recasts much of what we thought we knew about our nations past and our relationship to the american wild, while at the same time revealing how intimately we ourselves are a part of nature, but in the most. Jim sterba employs humor and an eye for the absurd to document the sometimes bizarre conflicts that arise as a consequence of americas transformed relationship with nature.
His book reflects attitudes that are out of step with contemporary culture, and a rationale thats not supported by the. A smart, stylish and altogether provocative account of how we are confounded by that which we claim to. Its about the resurgence of wildlife into areas of human. Jim sterba, author of nature wars, new york, new york. A new book by author jim sterba examines the conflicts between man and the environment. Sterba takes aim at those who protest hunting as a means of population control, movies that anthropomorphize animals into harmless creatures, and americans who no longer understand nature. Dec 27, 2012 nature wars by jim sterba crown publishing 368 pp. Nature wars by jim sterba wildlife control supplies. As forest cover has grown back to more than twothirds of its precolonial extent, wildlife recovery from the socalled era of extermination in the last half of the. For nature lovers, this should be wonderful news unless. In nature wars, jim sterba lays out battle lines that emerged after populations of species that declined to nearextinction by the end of the 19th century came roaring back. All the while our wellmeaning efforts to protect animals allowed wild. In sterbas hands, your everyday notions about the creatures around you whether pests, pets, or magnificent beasts.
May 17, 2015 jim sterba doesnt mention shifting baseline syndrome in his book nature wars, with its breathless subtitle the incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds, but its behind most of the social phenomena that he describes. Dec 29, 2012 a new book by author jim sterba examines the conflicts between man and the environment. It first looks at the history of settlement in america early colonists cleared the land and farmed, hunting wildlife extensively as predator control, crop protection or food. The incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds by sterba jim 201211 hardcover hardcover 1825. Nature wars explores this marvelous story of environmental recovery and the opportunities and challenges that it brings to its residents and the entire globe in fascinating detail and with great insight by jim sterba. Jan 01, 2012 nature wars is a good read if you are not concerned about the issue of scale.
Tom brokawjim sterba describes a cockeyed country whose denizens spend billions to imitate nature in their own small domains. Fortunately we have a wise and witty guide in jim sterba, whose nature wars is my favorite kind of read a book that affectionately recasts much of what we thought we knew about our nations past and our relationship to the american wild, while at the same time revealing how intimately we ourselves are a part of nature, but in the most surprising and unexpected ways. The incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds. Nature wars is a good read if you are not concerned about the issue of scale.
Nature warsbroadway books, 20, by jim sterba, focuses in on how urban sprawl affected conservationists efforts to preserve life. His story is of the american northeast, which is subject to a number of historically. Living with wild animals and birds mother earth news. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Nature wars the incredible story of how wildlife comebacks turned backyards into battlegrounds by jim sterba.
Anything jim sterba writes is worth readingand his latest, nature wars, is terrific. In nature wars, author jim sterba takes readers on a fascinating journey to the front lines of the human versus wildlife conflicts erupting in backyards across the us. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading nature wars. Jim sterba is a veteran reporter for americas premiere financial newspaper, the wall street journal. Not only are americas eastern forests roaring back to life.