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November 2022 - Rise of the Mammals
By Betsy , co-mod · 15 posts · 98 views
By Betsy , co-mod · 15 posts · 98 views
last updated May 05, 2024 12:39AM
December 2022 - Immense World
By Betsy , co-mod · 29 posts · 121 views
By Betsy , co-mod · 29 posts · 121 views
last updated Jan 28, 2023 09:23PM
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What is your most recently read science book? What did you think of it? Part 3
By Betsy , co-mod · 523 posts · 823 views
By Betsy , co-mod · 523 posts · 823 views
last updated May 26, 2025 07:21AM
What Members Thought

Sep 17, 2021
Petra lives on a little Caribbean island
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
I've read quite a few Mary Roach books. All 3 or 4 stars, none of them ever quite hit the heights for me and eventually I got bored with her light-touch pop science writing that had plenty of humour and not enough science. This book is different, and not at all like her other books. There is still humour, but it is minimal, and there is plenty of deep investigation and science. Essentially the book is about plants and animals that are seriously dangerous to people.
I have the two most dangerous ...more
I have the two most dangerous ...more

Really good, as usual. There was a lot of good information about topics I never would have thought about otherwise & I've dealt with animals all my life. Of course, I haven't lived in India with their monkey or leopards, but I hadn't even considered tracking pests forensically. I know invasive species can be a problem, but the issues New Zealand faces are really difficult. There were a lot of other fun, interesting, & exciting issues all told with her typical good humor.
The holes in our scienti ...more
The holes in our scienti ...more

As always, Roach's dry humor and interesting choice of subject matter make for a worthwhile, entertaining read, as she covers topics as varied as "how do you keep albatrosses from interfering with flights on Midway Island?" and "when you find a human who's been killed by a wild animal, what kinds of clues tell you it might have been a bear, a cougar, or a pack of wolves who did that mauling?"
The only thing I would advise against is getting the audiobook. Not because Roach, who is her own narrato ...more
The only thing I would advise against is getting the audiobook. Not because Roach, who is her own narrato ...more

I enjoyed this deep dive into the problems that exist between humans and the laws and attitudes we have developed toward wild or unwanted animals in our proximity. So much great information and surprising events in this unusual book. Not for everyone, but a 5 star rating for those of us who are scientists, biologists, or just appreciate trivia in a well written story. I especially enjoyed the humor and looked forward to reading the entertaining footnotes(something I thought I would never say!)

Hilarious, one of my favorites of Mary Roach. Super interesting, chock full of interesting tidbits and really thought provoking. A great read.

Aug 06, 2021
Mary
marked it as to-read

Aug 06, 2021
Stacy
marked it as to-read

Aug 29, 2021
Erin
marked it as to-read

Sep 23, 2021
Britt Aamodt
marked it as to-read

Nov 02, 2021
Hollyy
marked it as to-read

Nov 23, 2021
Holli
marked it as to-read

Dec 02, 2021
Gabrielle
marked it as to-read

Dec 11, 2021
Keeley
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Feb 26, 2022
Erica
marked it as to-read

Dec 24, 2022
Kim
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobooks,
non-fiction

Sep 24, 2022
Sterling
marked it as to-read