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pseud0bread's review against another edition
4.0
Baron does a very good job of making a story of a single incident read like a thriller. The amount of research necessary to do something this comprehensive is impressive, and it is woven together in a way that is equal parts accessible and suspenseful. Even though the incident in question is a tragedy, his book serves as an insight into the world that we are constantly moving towards, whether on purpose or not.
susanbevans's review against another edition
4.0
An extremly well written account of the driving forces behind the return of large predators to suburbia.
m_chisholm's review against another edition
5.0
I assigned this book for my advisees to read for summer reading at the school I work at (yes I know I ended this sentence on a preposition, get over it). Given that my school is all boys I figured a narrative about marauding cats would at least stand a chance against Pokemon GO for attention. I have yet to figure out how they have responded, but I have been overwhelmed at the quality of this book both from a research and craft standpoint. To be honest, I read some of this when I lived near Boulder in 2010-11 after seeing my first (and only) mountain lion jump across my car in the winter in Boulder Canyon while driving back to Nederland. The cat continued downriver on a snow and ice covered Boulder Creek padding softly away from me in the snow.
Baron's thoroughly researched monograph on the resurgence of cats in "suburban wilderness" is actually a small story with a broader comment on the field of environmental history (the subtopic of my Master's degree), specifically how wilderness relates to today's world of suburban sprawl. He cites William Cronon as an appropriate prophet foretelling the creation of wilderness in areas we least expect to find it, like the backyards of Boulder's modern monster mansions. He also criticizes (passively) the myth that untamed nature can live in seamless harmony with consumer driven human culture; both are forces at odds with each other butting heads in the foothills of the Front Range.
I've always quietly cheered when I heard somewhere in the news that an animal had attacked or eaten an otherwise unsuspecting or interfering homo sapiens. I suppose that I felt that these animals could be vindicated for a few human snacks after over a century of wholesale and mostly meaningless slaughter (66,665 puma deaths vs. 15 human ones in the last century (239)). I've even told others that I wouldn't mind "going that way" (being devoured by a wild animal, of course in the wild). That perspective has been tempered somewhat as I've gotten older, which is evident from the fact that I've come to agree with David Baron that nature needs to be managed in order to leave it alone (238). As a new father, I certainly don't want my daughter being devoured on a hike when she's five, but I also don't think the answer is to open up bounties on mountain lions anymore. Baron takes a middle road, and though I haven't done any recent research, his suggestions seem the wisest for harmony between the two species going forward.
Baron's thoroughly researched monograph on the resurgence of cats in "suburban wilderness" is actually a small story with a broader comment on the field of environmental history (the subtopic of my Master's degree), specifically how wilderness relates to today's world of suburban sprawl. He cites William Cronon as an appropriate prophet foretelling the creation of wilderness in areas we least expect to find it, like the backyards of Boulder's modern monster mansions. He also criticizes (passively) the myth that untamed nature can live in seamless harmony with consumer driven human culture; both are forces at odds with each other butting heads in the foothills of the Front Range.
I've always quietly cheered when I heard somewhere in the news that an animal had attacked or eaten an otherwise unsuspecting or interfering homo sapiens. I suppose that I felt that these animals could be vindicated for a few human snacks after over a century of wholesale and mostly meaningless slaughter (66,665 puma deaths vs. 15 human ones in the last century (239)). I've even told others that I wouldn't mind "going that way" (being devoured by a wild animal, of course in the wild). That perspective has been tempered somewhat as I've gotten older, which is evident from the fact that I've come to agree with David Baron that nature needs to be managed in order to leave it alone (238). As a new father, I certainly don't want my daughter being devoured on a hike when she's five, but I also don't think the answer is to open up bounties on mountain lions anymore. Baron takes a middle road, and though I haven't done any recent research, his suggestions seem the wisest for harmony between the two species going forward.
octavia_cade's review against another edition
4.0
In 1991, in a small community outside Boulder, Colorado, a mountain lion killed an eighteen year old student as he was running in the area around his high school. This attack was predicted by some in the local conservation community - and the possibility of it waved away by others in that same community, as mountain lions have been famously wary of humans in the past - and the lead up to, and the consequences of, this attack make up the book.
It's honestly pretty fascinating. The context of Boulder's environmental history, which has created large protected areas that have caused the local deer population to explode, has seen the slow recolonisation of the area by mountain lions, which were once hunted almost to extinction there. Those lions have, over time, become habituated to humans, no longer seeing them as threat. And indeed most of the residents of Boulder seemed thoroughly delighted to know that big cats existed in the region, and were occasionally rewarded with a glimpse of one. Thus the cats, feeling increasingly safe from interference, began wandering through back gardens and even, occasionally, eating a pet. And then they started going after humans...
The fascinating thing is that, even then, popular response was still to protect the lions. And, you know, I have sympathy for that, but the balancing act between protecting wildlife and protecting people is clearly a difficult one. As Baron points out, the history and emotions regarding conservation in Boulder came smack up against preservation of a different kind. It's really very, very interesting, with a considered presentation of all sides, albeit one that finally plumps for a more hands-on approach to wildlife management.
Also, that cover is gorgeous.
It's honestly pretty fascinating. The context of Boulder's environmental history, which has created large protected areas that have caused the local deer population to explode, has seen the slow recolonisation of the area by mountain lions, which were once hunted almost to extinction there. Those lions have, over time, become habituated to humans, no longer seeing them as threat. And indeed most of the residents of Boulder seemed thoroughly delighted to know that big cats existed in the region, and were occasionally rewarded with a glimpse of one. Thus the cats, feeling increasingly safe from interference, began wandering through back gardens and even, occasionally, eating a pet. And then they started going after humans...
The fascinating thing is that, even then, popular response was still to protect the lions. And, you know, I have sympathy for that, but the balancing act between protecting wildlife and protecting people is clearly a difficult one. As Baron points out, the history and emotions regarding conservation in Boulder came smack up against preservation of a different kind. It's really very, very interesting, with a considered presentation of all sides, albeit one that finally plumps for a more hands-on approach to wildlife management.
Also, that cover is gorgeous.
dylannleigh's review against another edition
3.0
The writing was beautiful and I enjoyed it, but I disagreed with a lot of what the author seemed to be suggesting as the solution to issues with urban wildlife. His was much more a sensationalized appeal to emotion than an objective look at the different sides of the issue. He fell back a lot of cliches and stereotypes- for both the animals and humans of Boulder- when a more nuanced look would have served better. The big reveal seemed to be a critique of the idea of wilderness but he didn't bother to elaborate on or suggest that he understood the variety of ways that term is used. I think his argument hinged on the idea that our perception of wilderness makes us complicit in deadly human-wildlife encounters. But he focused on the dictionary definition of wilderness without bothering to understand the nuances of the term both as it is used in the 1964 Wilderness Act and the way people perceive it. I also think he did big cats a disservice in portraying them as malicious killers. It wasn't unlike reading Benchley's "Jaws" (..."Paws?").
If you are interested in nature, apex predators, urban wildlife, wildlife management, etc then give it a read. But don't expect a comprehensive, reasoned examination. His voice just becomes one of many speaking about the issue. Also don't read this if you Hike a lot in Puma concolor territory.
If you are interested in nature, apex predators, urban wildlife, wildlife management, etc then give it a read. But don't expect a comprehensive, reasoned examination. His voice just becomes one of many speaking about the issue. Also don't read this if you Hike a lot in Puma concolor territory.
samsara's review against another edition
2.0
It was somewhat enjoyable, but it dragged on. I wish it was more to the point.
millermax's review
5.0
This is an incredibly lucid examination of the concept wilderness in America and the West, all the more gripping for me because the narrative takes place in settings I frequent. Baron's descriptions of mountain lion behavior and human encounters/attacks are compelling, thrilling even, and his analysis of human attitudes, culture, and actions intersecting with the ecology of the region are accessible for any reader, which explains the popularity of the book.
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