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4.45 AVERAGE
4.45 AVERAGE
A few jarringly anachronistic notes, but these essays are full of dark, lyrical, genius. Looking forward to my next Eiseley. Highly recommended.
This book was more like a poetic meditation on life, death, evolution, human progress (or lack there of) with a focus of the works of Thoreau and Darwin. I loved the layered literary references, including The Odyssey and The Tempest. This book is timeless.
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
A very enjoyable and interesting set of essays. I particularly enjoyed The Angry Winter.
The underlying theme of these philosophical essays is scientific, so it is an intersection of two subjects that are interesting to me. I enjoyed the blend between anecdotal writing and philosophical explanation and discussion. Many of the points made by Eiseley I think I resonate with, especially the high and important placement of nature. Eiseley has clearly gained much influence from Transcendentalists such as Thoreau and Emerson, along with scientists and biologists such as Darwin, all of whom I would like to read to get a first-hand view of these people and their specific lives, circumstances, and views.
However, the essays were often very challenging for me. The expression and words used were often, though purposeful I'm sure, difficult to truly interpret from a first read. Therefore, I believe I will gain a fuller understanding and awe for this book upon further reading.
Overall, I do think this book has opened my mind slightly and I will use it as a starting block to kickstart my thinking along this certain path, along with my own thoughts and interpretations of the world and nature, and other books of the similar vein I hope to read in the near future.
Eiseley is I think my favourite science writer of all time. He gives such context to science, such human meaning, and he writes as if scientists were routinely artists as well. (If only!) He is what I aspire to be as a science writer, and I want to go shoving his books into other people's hands and say "You've got to read this!" on a frighteningly frequent basis.
This book doesn't quite match up to The Immense Journey for me, but it's still got several fantastic pieces: the dog with the fossil bone, the play-fight over a bone with a fox cub, the encounter with a woman who had traces of Neanderthal in her features...
This is one of those books I'll keep and read over and over again. Highly recommended.
This book doesn't quite match up to The Immense Journey for me, but it's still got several fantastic pieces: the dog with the fossil bone, the play-fight over a bone with a fox cub, the encounter with a woman who had traces of Neanderthal in her features...
This is one of those books I'll keep and read over and over again. Highly recommended.
It's impossible for me not to like a naturalist who quotes from Charles Darwin, Sir Francis Bacon, Heraclitus, Lord Dunsany, and Peter Beagle.