Honestly, Mary Roach could write a book about the paperwork filing systems for an auto dealership (my truest nightmare) and I would still roll up my sleeves and give it a go.
Luckily, the topic of animal criminals is NOT my nightmare, so I was eagerly anticipating another romp with my gal, Mary! As usual, I listened to this one, and if you are interested in picking it up I recommend doing the same as well! I almost always prefer a read-by-the-author piece of non-fic to reading it on my own.
So- what does happen when nature breaks the law?
Short answer: it depends!
Long answer: frequently it has nothing to do with criminal activity! Sometimes nature is just a nuisance, and sometimes it’s only a nuisance because humankind stomped on in to mother nature’s domain and made our problems hers- and in turn, our problems again.
Often, I am frustrated with books that don’t entirely stick to their descriptions, but in this case- I get it! How many debriefings can we do around animals with a taste for human flesh? Don’t worry- there are plenty- but the moral of the story within most of the man v. animal situations is: stay away from animals! Stay out of their habitat, and keep the things that you have brought with you (whether a camping trip, a cabin built, or a city planned) secured!
As with most Roach books, the best pieces come from her interviews and journeys with all sorts of characters. In this piece, she meets and works with wildlife experts, loggers, conservationists, bloodhound trackers, and warring city v. wildlife municipalities. There are naughty monkeys, hungry jaguars, deer blasting across the road, killer trees, and poisonous beans galore.
What I really want from this book is not a change in title or topic, but my own copy of the really cool patch featured on the cover. To etsy I go!
